Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
I have looked around town and can not find an A/C compressor that is not a rebuild. Anyone know of someone that stocks a a/c compressor (on the internet) that you would personally recommend??
A/C Compressor needed
- Thread starter Pawned
- Start date
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KitCarlson
Well-Known Member
If the problem is a leaky shaft seal, change that out. I did mine in about 1980, still holding the freon. Change the compressor oil too.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Your best bet for new would be ebay, where people occasionally list such NOS items. Occasionally, new parts like that turn up on rockauto, but most compressors are rebuilt.
If you don't care about being "correct" and your interest is reliability, I suggest changing to a Sanden compressor (lighter, more efficient, easy to get). Several companies sell brackets for your small block.
If you don't care about being "correct" and your interest is reliability, I suggest changing to a Sanden compressor (lighter, more efficient, easy to get). Several companies sell brackets for your small block.
Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
I ordered the compressor upgrade kit from Classic Auto Air. I will switch to the Sanden compressor. It has everything I need except the refrigerant. Probably be Friday of next week before I get to finishing it.
I still need to pull everything from the car but the evaporator and condenser and flush those
I still need to pull everything from the car but the evaporator and condenser and flush those
mderoy340
Well-Known Member
You should replace the condenser for improved cooling when switching to 134A. The older single pass condensers have a hard time dumping the heat which leads to higher high pressure side readings. The newer manifold style condensers are more efficient.
Pawned, I have a Sanden compressor on my Demon from Classic Air. The AC blows ice chips LOL 
Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
Pawned, I have a Sanden compressor on my Demon from Classic Air. The AC blows ice chips LOL
Great,,they want to buy my old compressor clutch for $25. Any idea what the going rate is??
Sorry, I have NO idea :scratch:
Someone here will know....
Someone here will know....
Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
As I take apart my a/c system, I am becoming very disappointed in my mechanics work.
When I first got the car, I had the front suspension and brakes done. While they were waiting for parts, they went thru my A/C system and charged it. Yesterday I asked if he would have flushed the condenser and evaporator, he told no.
I have just removed the condenser to flush it and the bottom third of it is caked with dirt. Much of the rest of it has the fins bent.
I have soaked the dirt off the compressor and straightened about 80% of the fins.
The entire bottom of the car was caked in dirt. When they removed my engine I asked if I could come in and scrape the caked on dirt while I would have access to it. He told me that I couldn't because of insurance. He said that he would have his guys do it for me. When I got the car back the dirt had not been touched.
I like the guy but am very disappointed.
I am very glad I decided to rebuild the A/C system myself.
I thought about starting a new thread for this but decided to leave it here.
When I first got the car, I had the front suspension and brakes done. While they were waiting for parts, they went thru my A/C system and charged it. Yesterday I asked if he would have flushed the condenser and evaporator, he told no.
I have just removed the condenser to flush it and the bottom third of it is caked with dirt. Much of the rest of it has the fins bent.
I have soaked the dirt off the compressor and straightened about 80% of the fins.
The entire bottom of the car was caked in dirt. When they removed my engine I asked if I could come in and scrape the caked on dirt while I would have access to it. He told me that I couldn't because of insurance. He said that he would have his guys do it for me. When I got the car back the dirt had not been touched.
I like the guy but am very disappointed.
I am very glad I decided to rebuild the A/C system myself.
I thought about starting a new thread for this but decided to leave it here.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
You are learning why most of us work on our own cars. We have different interests in them than the shops do.
You should be OK with your factory condenser, though AZ is marginal even for the factory setup with R12. A new parallel-flow condenser would give ~30% better heat rejection. One disadvantage is that you can never assuredly flush them, so most replace them if the compressor fails. If your kit came w/ hoses for the factory condenser, that is another argument for keeping it.
Read up on refrigerants and oils before deciding. R-134A is planned to be abolished (greenhouse gas). PAG oil is bad for absorbing moisture and forming corrosive acids if the system ever sits without pressure for months. I read that PAO 68 is the best oil to use today with any refrigerant, and use in my cars. Your compressor will work with any refrigerant, as long as you drain the existing oil. I use Duracool in all my cars, even my 2002 when I had to replace the compressor. But some fear HC refrigerants for various reasons (mostly imagined).
You should be OK with your factory condenser, though AZ is marginal even for the factory setup with R12. A new parallel-flow condenser would give ~30% better heat rejection. One disadvantage is that you can never assuredly flush them, so most replace them if the compressor fails. If your kit came w/ hoses for the factory condenser, that is another argument for keeping it.
Read up on refrigerants and oils before deciding. R-134A is planned to be abolished (greenhouse gas). PAG oil is bad for absorbing moisture and forming corrosive acids if the system ever sits without pressure for months. I read that PAO 68 is the best oil to use today with any refrigerant, and use in my cars. Your compressor will work with any refrigerant, as long as you drain the existing oil. I use Duracool in all my cars, even my 2002 when I had to replace the compressor. But some fear HC refrigerants for various reasons (mostly imagined).
Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
I have known this guy for years. He thinks we are friends. Everyone has their own criteria for the word 'friend'. I am friendly toward him but is does not rise to friends, in my book.
I had him rebuild the front suspension as I was not versed in it at that time and the brakes were literally on the floor. I had him rebuild the engine, because it would have taken me a month or more to do it and with him I got it back in a week.
Other than that I have done everything else. With lots of advice from my friends here.
I have spent the better part of 2 hours flushing and cleaning the condenser and will do the same on the evaporator. I do have to go to my "friend" to have the system charged.
If your evaporator is original I would suggest you replace it as it will probably leak (as mine did). Ebay has them. See my posts on my retrofit with Classic Air. On my 1974 Plymouth Satellite (purchased new), the evaporator started leaking after 10 years.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
I have charged the AC on many of my cars at home. You don't need a $300 vacuum pump. I pull it mostly down using manifold vacuum, then switch to a hand Mighty-Mite pump to get down to >20" Hg vacuum. It might take 5 min of pumping. I let it out-gas 30 min, re-pump, then close the valve and let it sit overnight to insure no leak. If your car won't idle (race cam), you can buy a used electric pump for $50 on ebay. They are used for power brake boosters on Euro diesels (VW, Audi, ...). A friend with a diesel likely has a vacuum pump on it (my old M-B do). Easiest with a 2-gage AC set. Before I got one at HF, I used a home-made setup where I cut a low-pressure hose in two and added a T with a valve to the pump.
Pawned
N.R.A. Lifetime Member - And damn proud of it
I installed the new compressor (ONLY) the exact way as the instructions (?) said. The front belt rubbed against the water pump pulley, that is a breakdown waiting to happen. So I had to pull each and every spacer that was supplied. I add back a couple of the spacers as I saw fit, in the opposite direction of instructed.
I now have space between the belts. A business card rubs when I passed it thru the gap.
I have had it for today. I should finish the physical install in the next day or two. First I need to find someone who can crimp my connectors to my high pressure hoses
I now have space between the belts. A business card rubs when I passed it thru the gap.
I have had it for today. I should finish the physical install in the next day or two. First I need to find someone who can crimp my connectors to my high pressure hoses
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