Hi all,

I am so close yet so far in removing an AC compressor from my 1996 960. I have all bolts off with the notable exception of the lower right back bolt. It is free of the nut but I cannot pull it out because of a large metal bracket that is in the way. I have no idea how to get that bracket out of the way as it is buried very deep. The other bolt is the top left back bolt which I can just barely see but have no idea how I could get to with anything tough enough to remove it. I have been working from the top and mostly bottom of the car and everything else has been very easy to get to.

I am beginning to think that it is necessary to remove the steering pump and alternator to get to that upper left bolt but I do not want to do that unless it will do the trick. Even if I can get to that bolt by removing the stuff above it I do not know how I will be able to back out that bottom back right bolt.

Has anyone out there actually removed this compressor and lived to tell about it?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1996 960

I had the same problem with my 97. I took my die grinder and removed most of that stupid bracket. I don't think it has any other use than to make it almost impossible to remove the compressor without spending a whole lot of money at the repair shop. Even with the bracket ground away it is still very difficult to get that bolt out without some help from a friend. You need some one up top moving the compressor around while you lay on your back and fight with the bolt.
Difficult but possible and you will undoubtedly increase your vocabulary for the worse while you are at it!

Hi all,

Just got back in from finally removing the compressor. The vital thing to know is that there are two bolts at the top and bottom of the rear, as you are facing the windshield, that you cannot back out far enough to remove. There is a plate there that is not going anywhere that prevents these two bolts from backing all the way out BUT it is ok. All you need to do is back them out far enough to remove them from the part that holds the compressor.

What is really heart wrenching (no pun intended) is getting one of the two aforementioned bolts that is buried inside on the left top. I stared and then stared some more at that bolt wondering how or if it could be removed by human hands. I am here to tell you that it can. You need to take as thin walled a 14mm closed end wrench as you can find and figure out a way to tap it onto the head of this bolt. It is not easy and it will not pop on on your first try but don't give up the fight. I was moments away from grinding my closed end 14mm thinner. As it turned out I did not have to.

Once you get all the bolts either off or backed out against the above mentioned plate you want to get underneath and wiggle and jiggle it around until it comes off.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

So, you did not remove the alternator and PS pump? Last year about this time I had a round or two with alternator removal and replacement, and I made a mental note it would be necessary to remove them for AC compressor removal. So it can be done with out their removal, good to know. Thanks for the info.

The battle is o'er and I am not too worse for the wear. If I had to remove and replace the AC compressor on my 1996 960 again it would take a fraction of the time it took this time. Probably alot less scratches and foul language.

The most important note is that it is not necessary to remove the power steering pump or the alternator. I did remove the air filter housing just to get more room. I was on top and below many times. If I have to do it again it would be once from the top and then remove from below. The hardest part is getting to the most inboard bolt which is one of two that you just back out and do not remove because of a very sturdy bracket it backs up against. The other thing that threw me was replacing it with the inboard bracket that it uses to have threads for those two troublesome inboard bolts. I ended up super gluing nuts (14mm) in place of the bracket. I found it impossible to keep the bracket in position while replacing.

Please write me if you have any questions. It really is not that bad. If I can do it any of youse can too. Tomorrow I bring it down to my favorite local indy and see if we have any leaks when he evacuates and fills it up with good old American R134a. Wish me luck.

Jim Lee