How To Completely Delete/Bypass the rear Heater and A/C | Ford Econoline/E-Series Van

[@4WheelKid]

Find my favorite Recip saw here: amzn.to/3OzSSYf (paid link) Find the Rear A/C block-off caps for the Ford Econoline here: ebay.us/9WDb9S (paid link) Find the rear heater bypass hose I used here: amzn.to/3a7u8rc (paid link) (I may get commissions for purchases made through links with "paid link" next to them, buying from one of these links or using my coupon code will help me support the channel at no extra cost to you.)

[@namaxime2701]

Hey @4WheelKid ! Thank you so much for your video and your time. This is so helpfull. Im working on that actually on a 1993 E350 club wagon. So, i purchased the bypass hose with you paid link. I did everything but i have a very hard time to find the correct size for the larger blockoff cap. All the one i bought on amazon are too big to fit on it... So if you have the right reference it can be very helpfull. Thank you buddy, see you

[@ThingsAboutMusic]

What I like about this video is that I learned I should hire someone like Wes to do the job.

[@4WheelKid]

haha thanks. much easier to cut it out than take it out intact

[@jalexb915]

I'm not sure if you realize how difficult it is to find a good video on this. You did an excellent job! Block off kit ordered and I'm off to the races! Thanks 🙏

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah I noticed the lack of Econoline videos in general, so I started making them on my entire build. thanks! best of luck

[@peelingpedaler3635]

I’ve been dreading doing this job for my van but your video has made it a lot more clear and fun. Thanks dude!

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah it seemed harder than it really is. Recovering and filling the AC system would be the biggest obstacle for people who don’t have access to a shop

[@jerrychaps8371]

I don't think I could have asked for a better video about this

[@4WheelKid]

Glad to help, im actually surprised this video is as popular as it is haha

[@Brand0953]

just wanted to let you know how much i appreciate you

[@4WheelKid]

thanks!

[@phillbradshaw7190]

👍 👍Thank U I'm about to build out same van & need to get rid of ac unit. I'm going to keep/replace Heater lines to heat hot water system

[@4WheelKid]

no problem! great to hear, good luck on the build, thats a neat idea

[@vangilanteryan713]

Awesome! I didnt take mine out during my build, but im going to now b/c i need too lower my bed and its on top of it. lol. Looks like fun! ha.

[@4WheelKid]

thanks! yeah it would be cool to have but just takes up too much space, and my lines were toast. makes sense. a diesel heater takes up like 1/4 of the space haha yeah super fun destroying things

[@jamesarellano4767]

Hi! Great video. Do you have a part # for the bipass hose? Thanks

[@4WheelKid]

Hey thanks! Link in description

[@1down5up_enduro]

I'm about to do this. Great video. Doesn't seem like it's hard. Thank you for the link to the parts.

[@4WheelKid]

Glad to help, best of luck!

[@wchristian4900]

@4WheelKid if I am theoretically pulling the Freon from my system before doing this delete, would I have to just ask around at local car repair shops to see if they'd do something like that for me? Curious about how to go about it w/out family who owns a shop. Thank you so much for this vid btw, and your explanations are very playful and descriptive

[@HectorFabela-k6u]

You can have a shop recover your refrigerant if you like. But the epa is not going to visit your home shop. I promise. Don't @me. I know the law. I am certified 609 and Universal 608.

[@4WheelKid]

🤣

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah depends on how much you like the environment. You can call around to see how much it will cost to evacuate the system. Glad to help

[@michaeltipton1208]

I got a 2001 my still works great

[@4WheelKid]

Awesome

[@gatorred157]

i can tell you ac lines on a dodge long suv to back were 2 grand the heater works they had a kit to seal the lines up safely and use just the front ac unit! it was like 650 dollars to fix & make ac work right!

[@4WheelKid]

wow it's crazy how much lines like this cost. glad it didn't cost you the full 2000

[@gatorred157]

@@4WheelKid it was a ac middle lines block off all 4 lines ac and heat in one selection this way the heat would still work i like 8 months or more a year you use heat here!

[@spookshow9196]

What kind of pag oil was used? I see theres a couple different viscosities. Great vid , doing mine now.

[@4WheelKid]

Didn’t even realize there are different types of pag oil. Besides different ones for the different types of refrigerant

[@jddonelan]

This video seems to provide me with hope. I have a question. 2009 e-150 5.4 I have a leak in the ac line that is where the emergency break cable rubs on the rear ac lines. Can I just plug the AC lines and use the front ac? and if there is no leak in the heat lines will the rear heat work?

[@4WheelKid]

yeah you can plug the ac lines like I did and the front ac will still work but you need to charge it to the proper without rear ac spec and the rear heat can still work they are separate lines

[@johnb9051]

Hey thanks for the video! Question, I'm replacing accumulator at same time I'm deleting rear ac. Do you know if I should use the part for no rear ac or with? Is it a capacity difference, or size issue? Thanks for any thoughts.

[@4WheelKid]

hey no problem, the line setup may be different so i'm not sure, you could look at the volume spec of each, I doubt it's that much different, my ac worked great but it's recovered right now so I can do a bunch of engine work and re seal and replace ac parts as preventative maintenance, parts for this system are pretty cheap, and if the compressor ever shells the entire system has to be replaced anyways

[@Travisj535]

I have to do this to my 2004 E350 turtle top shuttle bus. I will need to get the AC emptied somewhere first. Do you work at a shop with such equipment? I also have a couple 80s BMW E28s that need AC work. I'm in Arvada. I've done all the work rebuilding these old BMWs myself, but have yet to tackle any AC work. I've watched quite a few of your videos, and finally just subscribed. Keep up the good work!

[@4WheelKid]

oh cool, high tops on these vans are perfect. I do work at a shop but not allowed to work on peoples cars unless they are family unfortunately. you can do it at home but will need a vaccum pump to pull a vacuum on the system before charging, the refrigerant fill cans you get at the store can work but not as accurate on how much exactly your putting in. thanks many more to come

[@naturallyopie]

Dude fuck yeah. Looks like I have an entertaining demo project ahead of me😭 thanks for the walkthrough!

[@4WheelKid]

best of luck! felt so good to get that done with those rusty lines, crazy how close they were to leaking. no problem

[@naturallyopie]

@@4WheelKid just got done deleting my rear heat yesterday. Also dove down a wormhole of replacing my radiator and flushing my heater core and all other coolant lines. Quickly learned that Ford’s “quick disconnect” things aren’t so fucking quick to disconnect even w the proper tools. Non the less- I’m glad I tackled cleaning up my entire coolant system as I found that a line going from the bottom of my radiator all the way to my throttle body was 100% clogged solid. Tried all kinds of methods to flush the little whore but dude: the coolant sediment was more rock solid than I’ve ever seen it before! Ended up just replacing the line. Today I might tackle capping off my rear A/C lines. If I remember correctly from your video, you capped yours off on the drivers side kinda behind your wheel. I shall follow suite. Is your van build all done now or are you still chopping away at it?

[@mwholmes2006]

Great video, thank you! I removed mine without any issues, although my coolant lines were routed a little differently (2001 w/V10). I wondered if you pulled any fuses after the delete? I’m not sure if there are any or what they might be called. I see one in the Power Distribution Box called Auxiliary Blower Motor Relay (50A) that may have powered the rear unit. Thoughts?

[@4WheelKid]

thanks! no problem, yeah that makes sense, there are so many engines the put in these vans over the years. lots of small differences. I did not, I just have the open connector. you don't have to unless you cut the wires or something, but won't hurt to pull the fuse. that's probably the one. you could also use that circuit and wiring for something else if you really wanted too

[@mwholmes2006]

@@4WheelKid thanks for the reply, I was able to use the same a/c block off caps and coolant hose loop you shared so that was much appreciated. I cut out the aluminum lines with a cordless multi tool with a metal blade and it was very smooth! I did cut the wires to the aux heater and the headliner harness behind the drivers seat to get them out of the way for my build - so I should probably now pull that fuse haha.

[@ridethroughlifertl]

What's the difference between MAF sensor cleaner and contact cleaner? Anything? It's just aerosolized alcohol, isn't it?

[@4WheelKid]

not sure but both probably similar

[@src1638]

I’m having trouble getting the correct Gates bypass hose . Any chance you know the gates part number on it? Thanks for a great video.

[@4WheelKid]

Link in the description, but its for my 460 van, could be different on different engines.

[@jayhebert3712]

Clean job.

[@4WheelKid]

Thanks

[@jjwinter04]

what was the tool used to disconnect the ac lines before you cap them? do i need special tool?

[@4WheelKid]

just a quick disconnect tool, it helps to have the right tool but maybe you could rig something up

[@HectorFabela-k6u]

Tell me you don't know how to bend metal tubing without telling me you don't know how to bemd metal tubing. So easy to have kept. The benefits of keeping are 10fold here in AZ.

[@4WheelKid]

Better off using a window AC than running the engine all the time

[@SumoShankv5]

So with these cars, there's only one expansion valve, and its in the rear ac. So if you remove the rear ac, then the system no longer has an expansion valve. How is your ac able to run with out an expansion valve? Also thanks for the video, it was super helpful

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah so this A/C system is a bit different, it uses an expansion valve for the rear, and an orifice tube for the front evaporator, you couldn’t have 1 flow control device for 2 evaporators that far apart, ford technically could have used 2 expansion valves but they probably went with this orifice tube front/expansion valve rear setup to keep cost low. The reason you wouldn’t want an orifice tube setup on the rear as well is because the rear may not be in use when the front is so you don’t want the rear taking anything away from the front when its not even being used and the rear blower is off. The front orfice tube is located inside the high pressure line that goes to the evaporator on the front, you can see the bulge on the line, where it’s located, super easy to access on these vans, and they also sell variable orifice tubes now which is an upgrade and acts a little bit more like a thermal expansion valve while still remaining an orifice tube and increases efficiency. Thanks, hope this helps even more!

[@SumoShankv5]

Yep this cleared up everything, thanks!@@4WheelKid

[@michealdidomenico7629]

great video man. what did you wind up doing to cap off the vacuum lines

[@4WheelKid]

thank you! I used these vacuum line block caps. electrical tape didn't work well. was loosing AC when going up hills because the tape wasn't sealing and creating a vacuum leak and emptying the vacuum reservoir when the engine wasn't creating it. I also capped it closer up front where there was another connection at the lower part of b pillar next to driver seat behind some trim. ideally it would be best to cap it at the source but im not that far in yet

[@AlanWunderlin]

I have the 98 e150 with a 5.4 and mine are passenger side from heater core to rear. So I’m still a bit lost myself. Still a good video though

[@4WheelKid]

interesting, maybe a bit different

[@AlanWunderlin]

@ I got it too work, you’re video still helped because I would have accidentally cut the wrong line without it. Thank for the video

[@MrFrodo1111]

I am about to do this but wondering which side is the place to separate the lines? on the driver side or the passenger side..hard to tell

[@4WheelKid]

lines run on the driver side

[@naturallyopie]

Hey man, did you ever run into issues with your van's electrical climate control not functioning properly after doing this rear A/C delete?

[@4WheelKid]

I didn’t have any issues but the only electrical thing is the fan speed, rest is vacuum controlled on mine, this might be different on newer vans, not plugging the rear vacuum line for the rear cause issues though. Would loose cool air when engine wasn’t creating vacuum. Once properly plugged it was fixed

[@naturallyopie]

Right on. How did you properly plug that line?

[@michalikde1]

What do you do with the wires left in the back for the ac/heater blower?

[@4WheelKid]

just leave them or you could remove them if you really wanted too. I think it's part of a harness for other important wires so it would be kinda tricky

[@jjwinter04]

i can't locate the ac block off point. how do i find them? i have the caps already

[@4WheelKid]

just under the driver area next to the frame rail, just follow the AC lines

[@masoneddy2877]

Anyone know what size the block off caps are?

[@4WheelKid]

Link in the description

[@istoriasdemipueblo9866]

If I eliminate that I won't have a problem with the air a/c in front and in the back it will pull the same.

[@4WheelKid]

If you remove it the rear ac wont work but the front can if you install the block off caps and charge the system correctly

[@ashley14anderson]

How did you get two hands in there to cap the AC lines 😂 I can only fit one and I’m struggling lmao

[@4WheelKid]

experience, I'm just use to that kind of stuff since I fix hard to work on cars for a living

[@ashley14anderson]

@@4WheelKid I got it figured out! Thanks for this video, saved me some $$$

[@markdyrhaug]

​@ashley14anderson any tips? Did you crawl under from the front or the side? Did you Jack the van up? I can't believe how clear it looks in this video compared to how tight it is in real life.

[@AhhItsSuhn]

@@markdyrhaughey, wondering if you figured your car out and what you did. I’m currently experiencing some his and it’s so frustrating!

[@markdyrhaug]

​@AhhItsSuhn yes, I got it. Pull as much as you can out. Then with the drivers wheel jacked up, I slid underneath and could disconnect the ac as shown in the video.

[@richardstrongarm1935]

My van has this but the hose is crimped. Is that ok?

[@4WheelKid]

Depends on what you want where its crimped…

[@canadianamerican90]

i’m broken down on the side of the road now because those heater lines are leaking therefore leaking out rad fluid .

[@4WheelKid]

Get a loop of heater hose and bypass them

[@brianeyman316]

Ive got the ac block off kit. Video is not clear exactly where it's that point? Is it towards the front under driver's door?

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah its near driver door on inner side of frame

[@beboldbritt]

I bought a van someone already deleted the rear unit. The heat works great, but no cold air for the A/C. I took a look under, and they looped the heating pipes just fine, but the AC lines under the van and under the hood seem to not be connected to anything.... ive been trying to figure out what the heck they did but no luck. Would you be able to show what the connections look like under the hood? Or I can send you some pics and video of what I mean?

[@4WheelKid]

Yeah thats strange, we have different engines and ac lines but hope you can get it fixed, pull and pay just yard would be the best place to go to compare and get the lines you need, you could also go to a ford dealer and ask to see the parts diagram

[@zacb7427]

Great idea but E-series vans are a pile of junk had to leave one out on the highway had new heads they didn't last longer then 4 months never owned the 460 I can't imagine a carburetor on a big motor. never had any issues for about 4 years and it started with head problems.

[@4WheelKid]

all vehicles can be piles of junk, what engine? and what went wrong with the heads? were they even installed correctly? the 460 in my van has port fuel injection not a carb lol. they can last well over 300k miles if well maintained.

[@MrFrodo1111]

the problem with the 460 is not longevity but the actual cost to run the fuel lol..I get 6.5 miles per gallons pulling my fifth wheel and 8 empty..My Dodge cummins 1993 gets 13 pulling and 21 empty lol @@4WheelKid

[@chadh2414]

Lol that's not even that bad . But I'd lose it too.

[@4WheelKid]

haha yeah could be worse, but that heater line was a goner

[@chadh2414]

@@4WheelKid you would shit if u seen mine. I didn't even have to do much to cause there was almost nothing left

[@dustinmittel348]

Man I hate to day this but you'd probably get more views and your channel would grow more if you didn't post so late at night I enjoy the content but it's 1am central time.

[@ThingsAboutMusic]

I don't ever feel I have to watch a video when I get a notification. This time of the year I'm touring in the RV, KZbin often has to wait till dinner or even worst, a rainy day. The ways to increase viewer ship is to take part in some dubious practices, like click bait and Gloom and doom stories. And if those 500K subscribers turned into even a modest income you wouldn't have so many KZbinrs dropping out. I'm always looking back at my subscriptions and finding channels that haven't update for years.

[@dustinmittel348]

@@ThingsAboutMusic he makes entertaining content but by the time folks see it KZbin has already pushed it to the bottom

[@4WheelKid]

ill try releasing during the day to see if it makes a difference

[@dustinmittel348]

@@4WheelKid I k ow I have been watching you for a while now and have missed alot of episodes because they load late at night and I'd like to see this channel grow

[@scootersonlyrepair6773]

Those ac lines are under $ 400 you ruined the ac for no reason. Obviously not a West coast vehicle. We love our ac here.

[@4WheelKid]

Ac works great in the front, still cools the whole van off in the hot summer, my ac system was empty so probably a leak in the rear system anyways. And takes up too much space. I would rather have a zero breeze or something I can run off solar, to expensive to run the van just for a/c, those lines cost closer to 2000. Have any links?

[@dubiousf00d]

Humid midwest here..we love ac too!

[@peelingpedaler3635]

I recommend against Zero Breeze. It will not cool your van if you want it more than 20 degrees than ambient without serious insulation. And its freaking $1000 without the battery. You’ll need two of them. No thermostat either. And loud. Bad warranty and bad customer service. What I did is build an insulated wall in back and installed a Midea U window unit it. Its super quiet and far more efficient than Zero Breeze. Only $350-$400 depending on season. Installed February this year and been using almost everyday, sometimes in 105 deg heat. Keeps it 75 inside with 50-150watts/hr avg. You’ll either need to keep back doors open or think up a vent system. I have a weed-growing inline duct fan that is super quiet, efficient and automated. Cut a hole in the roof and floor. There is absolutely no visible or auditory clue that I have a solar powered ac in my van.

[@NickMartinez-l9t]

Don't do it! Lol with all those windows if the rear AC isn't working it turns into a oven about 15 degrees hotter than outside and when it's already 90 outside and 100% humidity, it's not a good idea

[@4WheelKid]

It works fine, I tested it on a hot day and it stayed nice and cool inside with just the front