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Topic: ac compressor

in Forum: C3 Cooling and Heating Systems


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ac compressor (1/18)
 7/17/11 10:43am
RedwingvetteLifetime Member
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Waterford, MI - USA

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My ac belt started to burn up yesterday when I turned it on. I turned it off and drove home. Once I got home I opened the hood to find that the clutch had come apart. Is there a way to tell if the compressor is bad or do I just change the clutch. I think that there must be a reason why the clutch would come apart without a heavy load on it.

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73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
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Magnaflow Exhuast System

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ac compressor (2/18)
 7/17/11 10:59am
eboLifetime Member
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Holland Patent, NY - USA

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Brian.....ouchOuch
Not sure does the clutch get lubricated from the cooling system? Glad nothing flew off and through the hood!
Evil Smileebo


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ac compressor (3/18)
 7/17/11 12:14pm
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


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The clutch CAN go bad without having a compressor problem. If the electro-magnet is weak, or doesn't have full voltage to engage the clutch, it can cause the clutch to skip/slide instead of completely locking onto the pully, which will wear the clutch surfaces, and create an overheating condition, which then tends to melt the whole shebang.
However...
a bad/slipping clutch will not normally cause the belt to slip/burn. Chances are, what you have is a compressor that is locking up, and that is burning the clutch and belt.....Dead

On a good compressor, if you grab ahold of the clutch(clutch, not the pulley) once it cools down to a boil, with the engine off, you should be able to turn it fairly easily, with just a little resistance. IF the compressor is going out, the clutch will be hard to turn.


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ac compressor (4/18)
 7/17/11 12:33pm
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Waterford, MI - USA

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Thanks Joel.
If I decide to change the whole compressor, probably what I am going to do because it is over 14 years since I put this one on, is there a better mouse trap for this old car?


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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


ac compressor (5/18)
 7/17/11 12:49pm
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


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Not unless you just want to re-do the whole thing, and install an aftermarket system. 14 years is a good life for an A6 compressor. Just make sure you flush the entire system, and get it clean. You'll need to replace the accumulator/dryer, or the VIR, depending on which your car has...prolly the VIR, if it is original. The VIR can be rebuilt, tho.
I would assume you're going to use R134?


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ac compressor (6/18)
 7/17/11 2:10pm
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Waterford, MI - USA

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It does have the VIR and it is a real job to get to it. I just talked to my7T1 and he said the same thing, great minds think a like
I should take a day and drive over to Terry's shop. That's about 2 1/2 hours from here. What a great reason to go see a friend.
I stayed with R12 when I replaced everything back then. I was told that R134 does not work real well with the VIR system.



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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


ac compressor (7/18)
 7/17/11 5:05pm
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


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Thass prolly true...I've never converted a VIR system. There ARE some conversion components to replace the VIR. I've seen them on fleabay, but don't know how well they might work.
I was wonderin if Terry would get in on this.


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ac compressor (8/18)
 7/17/11 9:04pm
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Waterford, MI - USA

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Terry and Patti are sitting in their vacation home, Bellaire, Mi.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Bellaire&state=MI
Sitting around enjoying the lake breeze. It is a real nice place and I hope to get there again sometime.
Redwingvette2011-07-17 18:07:06

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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


ac compressor (9/18)
 7/23/11 9:46pm
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Poquoson, VA - USA

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73 Conv, Blue-Green/White Top - 454, M21 - Dark Saddle Leather, Power Windows, A/C, Tilt/Tele, AM/FM St. (orig. and sounds like it too).#2 -- 2007 Coupe,3 LT package, Z51 option, Victory Red, Ebony Int. Clear Top.


Joined: 11/20/2004
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anyone have an idea how much compressor oil (total) is needed for a '73. Been totally flushed, new desicant in VIR. isn't it suppose to be distributed between the system, not just through the compressor.

thanks
Ray


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ac compressor (10/18)
 7/24/11 1:06pm
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


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11oz is the spec. Usually, you would want to put half in the compressor, and half in the accumulator/dryer. That's gonna be hard to do with the VIR, unless the VIR is still off the car.
Putting all of the oil in the compressor will be fine...the oil will be dispersed thru the system as it runs, and once turned off, the oil will settle to the lowest places in the system, as well as the bottom of the compressor. The VIR is pretty much the lowest component in the system, other than the bottom of the condenser, so the oil will be in just about every place it needs to be.
One other thing you could do is put 1/2 of the oil in the compressor, then evacuate the system. Once you have a good vacuum, you can put the other 1/2 of the oil in thru the high/low pressure hoses on the gauge set...the vacuum will draw the oil into the system on both sides that way. This will only work if you are using a bulk oil, in a bottle. You could also use the pressurized oil in the cans, if you want.
hth


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ac compressor (11/18)
 7/29/11 4:15pm
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Poquoson, VA - USA

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73 Conv, Blue-Green/White Top - 454, M21 - Dark Saddle Leather, Power Windows, A/C, Tilt/Tele, AM/FM St. (orig. and sounds like it too).#2 -- 2007 Coupe,3 LT package, Z51 option, Victory Red, Ebony Int. Clear Top.


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Thanks Joel...
Just what i needed to know..

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ac compressor (12/18)
 8/10/11 10:27pm
RedwingvetteLifetime Member
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Waterford, MI - USA

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1973 Red coupe


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I started the install. Thanks to Terry, (my7t1) I think I know what I am doing now.
Here are some pictures for now:
New parallel flow condenser, I used the original mounting brackets. (15"x27" painted black)
New 709 compressor and mounts


New VIR Eliminator
Not all the hoses are connected yet. The cycle switch attaches to one of the ports on the top.
I had to order some extra fittings for the VIR Eliminator so I hope to have all the hoses on by Saturday. 
I would like to get the system charged with R134 before the Woodward Dream Cruise on the 20th.
Redwingvette2011-08-10 19:40:59

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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


ac compressor (13/18)
 8/11/11 9:53am
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Sykesville, MD - USA

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Man, you'll have an all new system (except the evaporator). Should be COOL times ahead!
 
Barry
 
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ac compressor (14/18)
 8/11/11 11:47am
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York, PA - USA

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One thing I noticed on you VIR eliminator kit is the fittings look like they are for R12..would need to remove the needle valve in those and install a retro fit kit..unless you are doing R12.

Rich

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ac compressor (15/18)
 8/12/11 11:54am
anips
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sonoma, CA - USA

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72 LT-1 AC coupe,69 l-36 coupe


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those A-6 compressors leak even when new, changed the seal twice, no luck when I turned on the ac the car would slow down and the temp woud go up, so I pulled the belt and said to heck with it, when I decide to fix it will be  the new style setup and store the original stuff for the new owner.
ac compressor (16/18)
 8/12/11 9:15pm
RedwingvetteLifetime Member
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Waterford, MI - USA

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True, the Eliminator has R12 fittings but the new compressor hose fittings are for R134 so that is not a problem. 
Redwingvette2011-08-12 18:16:29

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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


Re: ac compressor (17/18)
 8/27/11 3:40pm
RedwingvetteLifetime Member
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Waterford, MI - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Red coupe


Joined: 9/13/2002
Posts: 1735

I had the system charged with R134 today. 
I installed a C4 fan "while I was at it". I had to make a 3/4" spacer to make the fan fit. The blades are twice as big and 3/4" taller then the C3 fan. I used my Rotozip saw to cut the 5 3/4" hole for the blade to fit. Then I cut the outside shape with my table saw. I sealed the particle board before I installed it. I used some adhesive/sealant to glue the spacer to the housing. I used longer screws to mount the fan and through the spacer into the housing. The C4 fan has a two-post connector so I attached the wires with spade connectors on to the terminals.

The blower fan and the new system cools better then the old system did.
Here is a link to the Photobucket album:




|UPDATED|8/27/2011 12:40:49 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


Re: ac compressor (18/18)
 9/4/11 7:16pm
RedwingvetteLifetime Member
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Waterford, MI - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Red coupe


Joined: 9/13/2002
Posts: 1735

Here is a link to my install.
The system worked great even in the 100+*F days in Kentucky this weekend.



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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box
 


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