Socks

Right, first of all you want to remove ALL the gas from inside, either go to a bodyshop and have it removed.. Or nuke the ozone and help heat our world up a bit more.. If you opt for the heat.. Find your refill cap.. Should have a plastic cap on with the letter H on. Unscrew that cap. Place a cloth over the pin, and poke it with a screw driver, which will release all the gas. Make sure to hold a cloth over it otherwise it will spray aircon gas all over your bodywork and face. (VENTING THE AIRCON GASSES TO THE ATMOSPHERE IS ILLEGAL IN THE UK AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. LEGALLY YOU SHOULD HAVE IT DEGASSED AT A BODYSHOP OR AIRCON REFILLING CENTRE.) (If you do happen to slip on the valve to vent it, DONT BREATH ANY IN) Next you want to unbolt all of the aircon radiator securing bolts from the slam panel, there is 2 x 10 mm bolts holding each corner of the radiator to the slam panel. 1 x 10 mm bolt holding the aircon rad fan to the slam panel. 1 x 12 mm bolt holding the horn to the slam panel Next remove the bonnet latch mechanism. 2 x 10mm bolts holding that to the slam panel. While your there, unbolt the bonnet latch panel, once you have the latch off , there is 1 x 10mm bolt at the top holding it to the slam panel, and 1 x 10mm bolt holding it to the chassis bar. While your taking those front bolts off, find the pump with the gas refill cap on. Remove the 2 x 10mm bolts on top holding the 2 lines on. And also remove the 10mm bolt from the bottom of it and pull the pipes off it. On the left hand side next to the headlamp, there is another aircon rad pipe connector. Undo the 10mm bolt, and pull the pipe out of its connection. Now for the bulk head pipes, these 2 will enter right underneath your stock airbox or airfilter if its still in oem position.So remove it to give you access to the pipes. Cant remember what size they are, but use 2 large adjustable spanners on them. 1 spanner on the first nut, and the 2nd spanner on the locking nut. Twist opposite ways, and once there loose, pull the pipes out of the bulk head connector. Now get underneath the car. find the aircon pump. It is directly underneath the oil filter housing. Cant miss it (big enough) You want to slacken the powersteering pulley off first to make it easier to get the belt off. Use a foot long extention and a 12mm socket on the end, and undo this tensioning bolt. Also use a 14mm long spanner to slacken this nut off. This should free up the power steering pulley. Get back up top of it and use a rubber mallet to tap the pulley as far down as it will go. This will let all tension off the belt. Back underneath, look at the aircon pump. It will have 4 x 12mm long bolts holding it to its housing. 2 x 12mm bolts at the bottom, and 2 x 12mm bolts at the top. (1 bolt is holding the oil filter drip trap on, remove the 12mm cap bolt, then the 12mm long bolt is underneath the capnut) This should drop the aircon compressor down. Undo the 10mm bolt holding the aircon line to the compressor pump. Pull off the pipe. Also unclip the electrical connection plug from the pump. Follow the line that went from the aircon compressor pump along the chassis, it is bolted to the chassis with a 10mm bolt, next to the water radiator lower hose. Again, whilst your under there, remove the oil filter drip tray if your haven't completely taken this off already. This will make it much easier to do oil changes with an oil filter strap. Also remove the aircon compressor pump brackets! weighs a hefty amount!! 4 x 12mm bolts. Now check you have all your lines unlatched from the aircon rad, and remove the lines from the engine bay.I have no intention of putting mine back in, so i cut through them with a hacksaw. Makes them easier to remove. Saves a lot of jiggling about. Otherwise if you have an EP91, you would have to remove the water coolant overflow bottle, battery, battery tray holder etc to get one of the main bulk head lines out. Make sure you have all your electrical connections unlatched from the front. If so, pull one side of the air con rad out to clear the driver side headlamp, this should allow you to pull the passenger side out and clear of the opposite headlamp. This leaves you this. So reattach all of your bonnet latch panel, bonnet latch, horn, clip all our electrical plugs back into the panel. Fit your shorter belt, tension the 12mm tensioning bolt up until the belt feels tight. (bit of common sense) Lock the power steering back in place using a 14mm long reach spanner. Make sure the aircon compressor plug isn't hanging freely, cable tie it otherwise. Recheck everything. This will leave you the finished article. TONS of room to play with.. Removing the air con helps when your removing the exhaust manifold, turbo etc. All you would have to do is drain your coolant from the rad, remove that and you have a huge open space. *** GT owners, you will have to bridge the connector for the pressure switch otherwise the fan will be permanently running from ignition on. *** Glanza owners don't have to worry about this to my knowledge. Article & Photos by Glanza_Ragger