Reman a/c compressor

[onion]

I've got a '94 Corsica, 3100 V6, ~155k miles. The a/c quit working the other day. Put gauges on it- acted like it was low on charge. Put in a can of R134A the other day to confirm that low charge is the problem. System cooled good for a few days- and it's low on charge again. I put some dye in the system to confirm my suspicion... but I see oil on the compressor clutch and I'm reasonably sure that it's leaking past the shaft seal.

I've re-sealed compressors on occasion over the years with mixed success... but I've got too many irons in the fire right now. I'll probably just put a compressor on it- assuming that this IS the problem. Thing is... I'm a cheap ba$tard. I'm not about to buy a new unit- but I can get quite a few different brands of reman compressors for $200- $300. Having done a/c work on trucks and heavy equipment for years, I know that certain brands of reman compressors tend to have high failure rates... but I'm not as familiar with brands in automotive compressors. So I'm looking for suggestions on a good brand of reman compressor. This is a Harrison V5. Thanks for any and all advice, especially from those who do a/c work for a living.

 

[punisher]

I wish I had better info for you. It seems to me that it is more about the compressor than the rebuilder. Compressors with aluminum pistons and teflon seals/piston rings are a crapshoot no matter the rebuilder. I got tired of replacing compressors due to shaft seals so I finally got an OTC shaft seal kit (Nippondenso/Harrison/FS6/FX15/FS10/A6/R4) to avoid the hassle of RMAs/returns. I would replace a compressor for a shaft seal and it would come back a month later shelled out and needing addl parts besides the compressor to get the system operational again. I might even go as far to say a good used compressor is less of a crapshoot than a rebuilt unit in most cases. Our shop got to the point where remans werent even offered as a choice to the customers.

 

[mstrjon32]

I put an AC Delco reman compressor on my '97 Monte when it failed; it only lasted a year. At that point I was too busy to mess with it, brought it to a shop and they put some other brand on it. Worked great for years, and when I sold it, it worked better than the A/C in my new car.

 

[Chris142]

Stay away from any rebuilt compressor. I only use new ones, new drier and a new O-Tube.

Too many problems with the rebuilts and it didn't matter where it came from still to many combacks.

 

[Master ACiD]

if youre as cheap as i am then you better get cracking on that clutch so you can replace the shaft seal. to heck with the irons man. be true to youre cheap self.

 

[onion]

Quote:

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if youre as cheap as i am then you better get cracking on that clutch so you can replace the shaft seal. to heck with the irons man. be true to youre cheap self.

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Don't think I'm not considering it... problem is, I don't have the proper GM tools to do a shaft seal in a harrison V-5 compressor. I can make something else work to get the clutch on and off... problem is I have no seal puller, protector, or installer.

 

[onion]

After some soul-searching and research, I've decided to follow the advice of Master Acid. Here are my options:

Option 1: Replace the compressor with a reman.
Cost: $250 for compressor
Estimated odds of success: 80%
Worst case scenario IF the repair fails: Chunks of compressor scattered through a/c system, neccesitating condensor replacement and system flush.

Option 2: Replace shaft seal in otherwise working original compressor.
Cost:$40 for tools and $15 for seal
Estimated odds of success: 70%
Worst case scenario IF repair fails: Refrigerant leak... back to square 1.

So I'm liking option #2. Similar amount of work, less cost, less chance of catastrophic failure. Downside: might not work... or might require more tinkering.

Parts, tools, and information are available online. I Wove da World Wide Web.

 

[CorvairGeek]

Do it yourself and make sure you use the GM double lip seal, ACD# 15-30948, GM# 2724954. I swear by them. They do a great job sealing up the old ceramic seal GM compressors too.

 

[onion]

That's the one I ordered. Found it online for $15 including shipping.

 

[onion]

I installed the seal on saturday, evacuated the system and put in the specified 2.25 oz. R134A and approximately 2 oz. of PAG 150 oil for good measure. The job went smoothly enough- with a couple of minor hangups. The seal protector that I ordered turned out to be the wrong size- but a craftsman 10mm 1/4" drive deep socket worked great. The double-lip seal went in smoothly. My clutch installation tool had the wrong threads (whoever heard of a 9mm x 1.25 thread??), but luckily I had the appropriate tap in my set. Some fun with a a 9/16" thread bolt, a drillpress, that oddball tap, and a grinder yielded a functional clutch installation tool. Installed the clutch with a gap of .020".

Been two days and the system is cooling better than it has in years. No sign yet of oil on the clutch.

Thanks everyone for the advice, and the inspiration to remain true to my cheap self.

 

[onion]

Umm... 2.25 lbs.