compressing replacing - need suggetions

aliazhar · #1 07-13-2005, 09:14 AM

Hello all,

recently, my a/c compressor got leak and all the oil was coming out of it...

i have bought the following from autozone to replace the compressor myself:

1. a/c compressor (remake)
2. a/c accumulator/dryer
3. orifice tube
4. r134a refill kit.

my question is that, am i missing anything?....any suggestions or tips you guys can give or anything i should take care of before i do this job?...

any help is great.

Best Regards

jeffcoslacker · #2 07-13-2005, 11:42 AM

1. Don't use Autozone compressors. Or get used to doing the job over and over.

2. Make sure the o-rings are absolutely clean, no crud from dirty hands when handling them, and oil them with the proper A/C oil for your system before installing them.

3. You have to be able to evacuate the system after repair and before charging, trapped air in the system will compromise efficiency, and can raise system pressure and cause damage. Applying vacuum to the system will tell you if you are still leaking or not also.

Have fun! Ask if you have any more questions, that's all I can think of right now.

jeffcoslacker · #3 07-13-2005, 11:46 AM

Oh yeah, clean the motor with some degreaser if it's nasty, will help keep the connections clean while working on it.

aliazhar · #4 07-13-2005, 01:19 PM

you have mentioned that "use oil for o-rings"....which oil is that?...i did not bought any oil yet....do i need some oil to put in the compressor or a/c accumulator?...

btw: i have returned the compressor to autozone...and i am now, thinking of buying it from NAPA....is napa compressors are good?

one last thing....how can i vacuum the line by myself?...is there any cheap tools availble to vacuum the line?...

thanks for your help.

cheers.

jeffcoslacker · #5 07-13-2005, 03:27 PM

You need PAG oil for a Freon system, Ester for R134a, whichever yours uses. NAPA compressor should be fine. The instructions for the compressor (read them entirely, including warranty requirements) should tell how much oil to add to the system/compressor before installing.

jeffcoslacker · #6 07-13-2005, 03:34 PM

Oops. I forgot about the vacuum question. You have to have a vacuum pump designed for A/C systems to evacuate it. They are very expensive, not something anyone usually has. An A/C shop should be able to evac it for you for a minimal service charge, I would think. Evac will boil and remove any moisture in the system as well, so it's pretty critical.

You draw it down to around 30 in. of vacuum and let it sit for a while, if it holds that for 20-30 minutes, you're leak-free.

If you have a shop do this, there is really no additional labor to charge it, so it might be worth it to just have them charge it to spec while you're there. The machine is already hooked up, and they just have to close a valve and open another on the machine and charge goes in. You can ask.

You may be able to rent one (vacuum pump) at an equipment rental place. Not sure, never asked. My family has an A/C shop, so I'm lucky when it comes to that stuff.

aliazhar · #7 07-13-2005, 04:19 PM

great help!

another question (related).

is it possible that after fiting the compressor,dryer, orifice tube, i can fill one can of freon (~1/2 pound) in it to check if its leaking from somewhere?...(you know those refills which are colored) so that i can atleast fix it before i take it vacuum and gas recharge....

i am asking this cos if i am sure there is no leak, then i can only pay for vacuum and gas re-charging...otherwise auto shops charges a lot of money to check for leak and do the rest.

Regards

jeffcoslacker · #8 07-13-2005, 06:47 PM

You are talking about the charge with the leak detector dye? Yeah, you could do that, but you'd probably have to put at least one to one and a half cans in before the compressor would engage, because the low pressure switch will keep it from operating until the system pressure is high enough. Without the compressor running, the dye wouldn't circulate in the system. So you'd have to have at least a minimal charge for that to work. But no, it wouldn't hurt anything to do that.

Or, if your recharge kit has a guage, you could shoot one can in, let it settle for a while, check the static pressure on the gauge, then let it sit over night and check again in the morning. If you are pretty close to the same pressure, you should be OK. (don't leave the gauge on overnight, it may leak slightly when attached)

aliazhar · #9 07-13-2005, 07:12 PM

you are great...i will do it and post a reply on 'whats happening'...

Thanks again and best regards.

wish me luck

i never did this before.

aliazhar · #10 07-14-2005, 10:42 AM

how much pag oil i need in my compressor for my model?....its 1997 lumina 3.1....
i cant tell from the existing compressor, coz that compressor had an oil leak so i cannot measure the existing oil....
and also, do i need to divide the oil in compressor and accumulator?...

Thanks and Best Regards

aliazhar · #11 07-14-2005, 01:16 PM

i have found the oil capacity of my car in the manual...its 8 oz....
can i put all 8oz in the compressor?....or i have to divide between compressor and accumulator...

Regards

aliazhar · #12 07-15-2005, 03:52 PM

well...after spending arruond 6 hours on replacing the compressor and accumulator/dryer, the a/c is working better then ever....i had to take the car to autoshop for vacuum and gas fill....there are no leaks and its perfectly working fine with cold air.

thank you for helping me out in this.
Best Regards

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