Refrigerator (icemaker) removal

[thurston]

I searched and didn't find much on the "refrigerator / ice maker" box up front. I have one installed, which ostensibly works - but I want to yank it out.

I have very little understanding of a car's A/C system - is it under pressure? If I disconnect the suction and liquid lines from the fridge, will it cause some problem with the A/C? I assume the idea is to uncouple these lines from the fridge and cap them off somehow.

The radiator is currently out of the van, so it's much easier to work around there. Has anyone removed the fridge unit? Anyone want one? :?:

[djshimon]

I'm interested in this too, I'd like the extra space where the fridge is-but would like to be able to still use the Van's front and rear A/C afterwords. I think you need to have the freon sucked out first. Pretty sure someone has done this before, might have been over at TVP.

[timsrv]

The ice maker is teed off the AC system. In order to remove you would 1st need to have a shop suck all the Freon out of the system (yes it's under pressure). After removal you'd need to somehow cap off the open lines, then recharge the system. If the AC system is already dead, and no chance of it being revived, then you've got nothing to lose. If however it still works, then you'd be messing it up (at least temporarily) to remove the ice maker. I've never done this, so I'm not sure how easy or hard it would be to seal the system after removal. Tim

PS: It was Wonderwagon from TVP (now a member here) who would know more about this. But I think he was looking to add an ice maker rather than remove. If I remember right he was looking for the tees so he could add. If he hasn't done it yet, perhaps you guys could exchange parts and get both your vans the way you want.

[thurston]

The ice maker is teed off the AC system. In order to remove you would 1st need to have a shop suck all the Freon out of the system (yes it's under pressure). After removal you'd need to somehow cap off the open lines, then recharge the system. If the AC system is already dead, and no chance of it being revived, then you've got nothing to lose. If however it still works, then you'd be messing it up (at least temporarily) to remove the ice maker. I've never done this, so I'm not sure how easy or hard it would be to seal the system after removal. Tim

PS: It was Wonderwagon from TVP (now a member here) who would know more about this. But I think he was looking to add an ice maker rather than remove. If I remember right he was looking for the tees so he could add. If he hasn't done it yet, perhaps you guys could exchange parts and get both your vans the way you want.

Thanks, Tim! I'm going to put that one on the back burner for awhile. Got some bigger items I'd like to address re: drivetrain. But I'll keep it in mind for the future. I sounds fairly involved since my A/C is currently working.

[timsrv]

Although the ice maker is weird and practically useless, it is one of the defining quirks (or oddities) about our vans that makes them unique. If nothing else it's a conversation piece. For this reason alone, unless it were trashed, I would probably opt to keep it in place. If it were easy to R&R (without messing with the AC) I could see removing, but since it's integral, I'd leave it be. Just my $.02. Tim

[JPERL]

Has anyone removed the ice maker from their Vans and how do you reconnect the A/C plumbing with the ice maker omitted?

Thank you in advance

[terrence]

Here's the diagram for a 2wd van with and w/o the refrigerator option. As you can figure from it, you are going to have to cap the sight glass, replace the line that runs from the cooling unit to the compressor and recharge the system.

http://i.imgur.com/QkRt00F.jpg