anyway to check A/C compressor?

wagodizzle

i am about to tackle putting a/c into my car as the past few weeks of it being in the high 90s and low 100s has got my brain melting. over the past like 3 years i have slowly been collecting everything needed for the install, including FIVE different a/c compressors

so question is, is there any way i can tell which one works or not? i ruled out a couple that i know for sure dont work and are missing parts.. but short of installing everything and wasting a bunch of freon and headaches, is there another way?

i really do not have money to just buy a reman, and with used... well, im back to where i am now

bam-bam

Turn the compressor drive plate in its normal direction of rotation by hand. There should be some resistance, and you should hear it sucking and blowing, or at least making a flatulent noise.

If it spins too freely it's worn. If it won't spin, it's seized.

The pulley itself should spin freely with no resistance and no noises.

Check the clutch with jumper cables: Hook the ground to the compressor body, and the hot to the single wire going to the clutch coil. It should engage the pulley to the drive plate.

Drain the oil into a clean graduated container and examine it closely for any debris. The mineral oil in there was originally very nearly clear. It will have an orange or brownish cast, but generally darker oil is older. Note how much was removed, should be roughly 4 ounces.

If the compressors have been lying around, give preference to ones that have been sealed up. If they are open now, tape or plug the 2 ports.

wagodizzle

awesome answer.. thanks!

3rd4ce

im n the same boat wagodizzle no a\c ..... :?

i need that clutch plate Bam spoke of ...
:idea: so this saturday might just b the day of JUNK YARDing..... looking for a front bumper off something since i have been out bid on two different EF9 bumpers.. :x

my question is how simple is it for me to remove the clutch plate or hole pulley i need... :?:

fast freddy

wagodizzle wrote:

i am about to tackle putting a/c into my car as the past few weeks of it being in the high 90s and low 100s has got my brain melting. over the past like 3 years i have slowly been collecting everything needed for the install, including FIVE different a/c compressors

so question is, is there any way i can tell which one works or not? i ruled out a couple that i know for sure dont work and are missing parts.. but short of installing everything and wasting a bunch of freon and headaches, is there another way?

i really do not have money to just buy a reman, and with used... well, im back to where i am now

Before you replace your compressor, make sure you have power/signal there. it would suck if all you needed was a fuse or a relay.

wagodizzle

im not replacing, im ADDING lol. my car never came with A/C

black_89gt

I know this is kind of an old topic..by a few months lol. But I am having troubles with my a/c system as well. My car had all of the a/c components on it so I took it to a family friend to get the a/c working again. When I took it to him the first time it worked great...for about 2 weeks. So, I took it back to him and he said that he had no clue what was wrong with it, it was holding vacuum and everything seemed fine, but he did notice some oil beneath the compressor, but is unsure whether the compressor is bad or not. Is there a way to check to see if the compressor is bad before I go buy a new/reman compressor without having to take it off (broke college student).

Thanks