A/C Compressor woes

[AFSho]

bought my 93 ATX about 2 months ago with 92k on the clock....about a week later the AC started cutting in and out. Lo and behold the clutch gap was 16 thousandths out of spec....I regapped it to .030 and was good to go....It has worked fine for the last 3 weeks. Then today, as i was leaving the gas station, I heard a horrible squealing noise (you know, like a freshgirl at a frat house), then the AC cut off.

So i pull over and have a look at the compressor; the rubber coupler on the clutch was shredded. The field coil still pulls the clutch in, but it obviously doesnt turn the compressor. Now, when i regapped the clutch the other week the compressor spun freely, I made sure of it.

Is it like these compressors to just spontaneously seize up (i havent checked yet to see if it is seized or not), or do you think the clutch just finally went?


I would like to think i just need a new clutch as my system still has a full charge of r-12 and no leaks.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[DHMag]

can you turn the compressor at all ?

 

[AFSho]

can you turn the compressor at all ?

i dont know, it just happened this afternoon and i havent had a chance to wrench on it yet

 

[yamapowered]

I will try next time I repair my broke a/c to use royal purple synthetic refrigerant, my compressor did the same thing to me, locking up from siezing is a joke, insuffecient lubrication shouldnt happen with an a/c system, anyone you pay to recharge your system may skip on the oil or do many other things to help your a/c fail. good luck on your a/c fiasco, I have to do the same soon.
Javier

 

[DHMag]

too much oil and/or too little oil will cause compressor failure. commonly though, its overfilled with oil.