I am struggling with the decision to remove the AC condenser and blower unit from my Dakota. The blower works, the AC has never worked (no cold air). The A&P who did the pre-buy inspection said ‘well, if you put refrigerant in it might just work, but it will likely leak out because that is what must have happened to it in the first place.’ I didn’t try it. I’ve seen other threads here that seem to suggest one needs to be an expert HVAC tech to tweak the unit just right. I’m in the beginning stages of a major avionics upgrade and committed to remove the darn thing, but the shop has called to confirm my decision...so now of course I’m second guessing myself. The avionics shop is not equipped to fix it so I would have to find someplace else to have a go at it. Has anyone coaxed a long defunct AC unit back to life? Did it last? Any recommendations on a shop in the Southeast that specializes in this type of work? Any idea how much it would cost? My inclination is to just remove the thing and move on, but thought I would ask the collective wisdom of this group on restoring cold air and whether it is worth the attempt.
