Re: Leaking Oil from A/C Compressor {1983 320i} HE (archive)

You probably don't want to hear/read this, but the last time I was at the specialized A/C service shop getting a pound or so of R12 topped off, I discussed whether his shop rebuilds A.C. compressors (since I had a spare that I wanted rebuilt). He says that alternators and starters are good business for rebuilts, but when it comes to A.C compressors, he strictly deals w/ NEW - not rebuit - compressors. whenever he used to engage in installing Rebuilts for his customers, he had enough units that failed within the 60 day warranty. So much that he lost too much rework time and had to absorb his losses. And with R12 costing between $45-60 / lb now, the risk on rebuilt units is much greater of a loss. It cost me $160 just to vacuum out, add oil & leak detection, and top off 2 lbs of R12 freon after replacing a blown hose myself. I know that if I had to do it again because it leaked out freon, the out of pocket expense would end up hovering around $360. Getting a new compressor @ ~$350 costs about the same as taking a risk that a rebuilt is going to fail w/in 60 days. If the system ran on R134-a where it costs around $5/lb, which is around 1/10th the cost of R12, the risk of a rebuild failing and having to replace and refill the system isn't going to match the cost of a new compressor.

The rule of thumb, IMO, is if there's a problem w/ the compressor, it's a good time to move up to R134-A, get and install a NEW compressor designed to pressurize for R134-A, replace the O-rings (on the E21, they are easily accessible, that can be done by the owner very easily), and then send it to the shop to purge out the old oil and fill w/ R134-A. This method, IMO, will provide the owner w/ at least four to five years of trouble free A.C.. If the investment cost is amortized over those years, it should show that it's a good investment, especially if you live in an area where you only get like 75 days of winter. And should the a.C. require service, cost of refrigerant will be a fixed cost and guaranteed of availability. Freon 12 might not be around next year or within the next 2-3 yrs.

but to answer your initial question, there's a book that I saw that covers A.C. service, including compressor rebuild published by Haynes. It's one of their professional series that is thin, and covers just A.C. I found the info very good. I "think" you have to pull out the clutch head w/ a puller (you can rent at any AutoZone). And the clutch is pressed back on after replacing the seal.

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