Replacing A/C Compressor...Questions???

[stangeater]

My SHO currently has a A/C compressor on it, but it doesn't have the clutch and pulley assembly on it, so the previous owner just put a shorter belt on it to bypass the compressor. I recently bought a used A/C compressor on ebay and need to put it on. The question is........should I put the whole compressor on the car, or should I just try to put the clutch and pulley assembly on the compressor that's already on the car?

Another question.....if I do put the whole compressor on the car, do I just have to recharge the system, or will I have to take it to an A/C place to do something special?? Any help would be great.........I can do a lot of things, but A/C is something I haven't had a lot of experience with.
Thanks!!!

 

[SHOtimer]

Well, you have to wonder why the previous owner removed the clutch and pulley assembly off of the compressor. Is it seized? If it is seized or internally damged then you can't just swap compressors you have to have the whole system flushed and cleaned of debris.

To just replace the compressor, you will need to replace it, and the accumulator, and the orfice tube. This doesn't require much extra work, but while you have it apart you should replace all of your O-rings. You will need to take it to an AC shop to have it properly charged, and you will need to prime all the parts before you put them in with AC oil.

Doug

 

[stangeater]

Do you think this will be pretty expensive to have done?

 

[SHO_Diehard]

Do you think this will be pretty expensive to have done?

Sorry, I had to do that. When the A/C first went out on my '89, I got an estimate from a local place that caters to high end cars; $3300! They were going to replace everything.

IIRC, the price at a small mom and pop type place was $1000. I decided to replace the compressor myself and have a shop charge it up. After they "flushed" the system and plugged the orifice tube, I decided to learn how to do the work myself.

Your best bet is to do it yourself if you have some mechanical skill and the time. It's not that hard after you educate yourself on the subject.

A lot depends on what happened to the system. I have heard that if the compressor shot craps, the condenser will be full of crud that will plug the orifice tube. Otherwise, you might get by with the existing condenser.

Another thing is the type of oil you use. One type (PAG?) is incompatable with mineral oil, which was used in the R-12 systems, the other type (Ester) is compatable with mineral oil, although possibly not with R-12 itself. At least that's what I was told a couple of years ago, not 100% sure that's correct.
Perhaps someone that knows for sure will jump in here.

Do a search, this has been discussed before.

 

[SHOtimer]

I have always done my own AC work and had a shop charge it. But, it does depend on what year your SHO is, you might need to retrofit it to take R134a referigerant.

Your best best would be to get the system flushed, and replace the compressor, orfice tube, and accumulator. You can replace that stuff in a day, it is not difficult. Then get it charged and enjoy your cold air.

Doug