Need new AC Compressor

So my new to me 95 got a workout yesterday. I drove it 600 miles across the state to go to a car show, see my friend's band play at the car show (at Don Garlits museum of drag racing) and deliver some all important wagon parts.

On the ride home the AC compressor essentially caught on fire. While there were no flames the cloud of smoke pouring out was hard to miss (I saw it while going 65!) It was so hot the grease around it was starting to smoke a little too. So I poured a beer on it (what's a boy to do?) and drove the last 200 miles home.

Reading TX Mike's thread from 2 years ago, sounds like I should also do the condenser too. My big question is......

I have one I pulled working fine from a 96 9C1. It's been in my garage for a couple of years. Any issues with that?
Also wondering about flushing. I've heard both sides of the story and back in 2008 I flushed my RMW and got a ton of black **** out of it, kept the old condenser and installed new orifice, o rings, compressor and drier and got 90K out of it and sold it to Cory working.....

See if it turns by hand (turn the front of it). If it does, then all that drama on the highway was just the clutch smoking while giving up. And your condenser may still be usable.

In my experience the factory-installed compressors tend not to self-destruct BUT they do tend to leak at the shaft and case seals by around 170k miles.

The flip side is that if your condenser looks like it ate a bunch of bugs and the fins are beat, putting a new condenser on will help system performance.

What product did you use for flushing?

I flushed mine with brake cleaner. When it comes out clear, you can stop. It will evaporate in about 10 minutes or less.

Like above, it may just be the clutch. You might be able to replace it with the compressor in the car. You must flush the evaporator as well as the condenser if there is black death in the system.

And then there's the issue that AC compressor clutches are nearly as expensive as a whole new unit.

I wouldn't put a used compressor on. The internals may be dried out, and if it shells out you can fill the system up with crap and then be worse off than you are now. You should go through Rock Auto and replace the condensor, compressor, accumulator and orifice tube. Flush the hoses and the evaporator and of course install new o-rings at all the fittings. Parts from Rock Auto are very reasonable, and once done, you'll be set for years. I know you a/c gets worked HARD in Florida, so might as well do it right and then be done.

-Mike

81X11 wrote:

I wouldn't put a used compressor on.  The internals may be dried out, and if it shells out you can fill the system up with crap and then be worse off than you are now.   You should go through Rock Auto and replace the condensor, compressor, accumulator and orifice tube.   Flush the hoses and the evaporator and of course install new o-rings at all the fittings.   Parts from Rock Auto are very reasonable, and once done, you'll be set for years.   I know you a/c gets worked HARD in Florida, so might as well do it right and then be done.

-Mike

Wouldnt use a used compressor unless I knew its history and was relatively new.

I was asking about a very new looking condenser I have in hand from the 96 9c1 I parted a few years ago. Everything else I will order.

As for flush the 3 times previous I used a AC flush I bought online. It was expensive like $50 a gallon but I got a lot of black **** out with it

When it was smoking the compressor still turned as the belt wasn't squealing and the smoke was pouring out of the front through the clutch.

The car had only new driven 2k miles in the last 6 years

That's the key (not driven). They go like that when you don't use them. Rust builds up in the gap. Throw the used one on with fresh oil (FSM value), new O rings. Vacuum, fill, enjoy. Not tough to do, from the bottom... with luck the back stud will just come out of the block. Slot the brace to make reinstall easier.