How do I empty the Freon from my a/c compressor?

[BBoiByron]

I'm trying to take the a/c compressor out of my '90... My friend told me I need a special tool to empty the freon out of it, can I buy that in local stores? what's it called? how much do they run?

thanks in advance

 

[Mels]

Well, you should do it the lawful way... which is to bring the car to a federally certified recovery / recycle tech., most shops and garages have 'em. There the refrigerant will be removed from your system properly, but at a fee.

 

[sdpatt]

If you are removing your A/C compressor, it is probably because the A/C system is not working. I'll bet there isn't much, if any, refrigerant in the system. Remove the low or high pressure tap cap and press the pintle for a split second. If you don't get a blast of frostbite-creating discharge on your hand (read: caution), there isn't any refrigerant to remove. It's already gone.