Don't do this.  There are no advantages to doing it.  You can remove your
AC belt if you want to save the non-existent drag on the engine.  Leave the
rest for the next person who will want to make it work again and who will
be calling me to try to get all of the parts because the last person's OCD
required them to remove it all.

I have heard the saving weight argument, everything in the system in one
pile on the floor would weight less than 50lbs and your dog probably weighs
more than that and you aren't leaving him behind to "save weight".

I have heard the "I am never going to use it" argument which is followed by
the "I live in Canada or some other cold place".  You are assuming that the
van is always going to live there which is a bad assumption.  The next
person may want to go around the world and visit the Sahara desert for all
you know.

I have heard the "I want to use the cabinet space" argument.  I mean IF you
ever reworked the cabinets to make use of the additional space, you might
be able to store a few more blankets up there in the overhead AC cabinet,
but not enough storage space to really be worth all of the time and effort
you are going to put into it.  It would be a better use of your time to go
through what you are storing right now and remove all of the items your
rarely use.  Now you have more organized equipment and you just saved space
and weight and it probably only took you an hour and no AC systems were
harmed in the filming of this movie.

Just my opinion.  You have probably already made your mind up anyway.  Just
mail me all of the stuff you take out and give the next owner my phone
number so I can sell it back to them when they call.  :-)

Ken

On Thu, Mar 10, 2016 at 5:43 AM, jbclem <jbclem1@charter.net> wrote:

> I have a 1986 Vanagon, and I have no use for the air conditioner.  I'd
> like to remove it to get it out of the way and also to cut down on engine
> drag.  I have two questions:
>
> 1.  when the air conditioner is off, is there any engine drag or is it
> totally free wheeling?
> 2.  is it possible to save the Freon (or whatever is in there) at home,
> without a specialized device?
>

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com