hursst Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 (edited) Hello, I have a '74 Camaro with A/C. I restored the car, and had the A/C systems restored and converted to R134A. Upon reinstalling the system, the system worked okay, but the A/C compressor always leaks oil out of the front. I had the components rebuilt by Classic Auto Air. Three times, the A/C compressor ended up leaking oil and spraying it all over the engine compartment. It's now on its 4th time of doing this, and I'm tired of shipping it out to get it fixed, even if it's under warranty. They did good work otherwise, but the A/C compressor has never worked without leaking after multiple rebuilds. This time when I called Classic Auto Air, they told me that this is what these compressors do when converted and that there is no seal that really works, and leaky seals are expected. They said they could try another seal and "hope for the best." I don't believe for a second that this is true, that there's no way to rebuild a 1970's GM A/C compressor without it leaking oil out of the front. I'd like to take my business elsewhere, but good A/C component shops are as rare as an honest person in Congress. Does anyone know a reliable shop that can fix my compressor so that it doesn't leak? Any help is greatly appreciated! -Chris Edited October 12, 2017 by hursst (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Where is the oil coming from? If it is from the front seal, I believe that the front seal is a ceramic seal. If there are any voids in the seal then it would leak possibly oil and refrigerant. Also I would ask what kind / brand of seals that they are using. Just some thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 Yes, front seal. Thanks for the reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Here is an excellent thread that talks about replacing the original A6 ceramic seal with a modern double lip seal. http://65.36.189.119/messageview.cfm?catid=20&threadid=18683 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 Thanks Joe, this looks like the best solution. Now a matter of who can do the repair. Those tools look either expensive or hard to find or both. Thanks, this will get me further down the road towards solving the problem. -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share Posted October 13, 2017 Looks like I can buy a kit on ebay that should have everything but the shaft protector tool, which is also on ebay. I think I'll try it myself. What do I have to lose at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterc9 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Some of the national remanufacturers probably still carry this compressor. The one you have might be just worn out and not rebuildable. How many times can you fix the same thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 7 hours ago, misterc9 said: Some of the national remanufacturers probably still carry this compressor. The one you have might be just worn out and not rebuildable. How many times can you fix the same thing? Classic Auto Air is a "national" remanufacturer, and frankly I've had good luck with their services. The only wear part that would make this particular compressor unusable would be the shaft where it passes through the seal, and a reputable rebuilder would have replaced it if it were excessively worn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursst Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Hello, I wanted to provide an update and ask more questions, if anyone can help further. I'm about half way through this task and it is the most difficult, time-consuming, frustrating task I've done in a long time. First, some words of advice: With the A6 compressor, there are 2 different shaft widths, as I found out. Guess which double lipped replacement seal I bought. Right, the small one. Guess which shaft I have. Correct, the larger one. 99% of snap ring pliers will not reach the snap ring holding in the ceramic seal. I bought a pair from China that just barely worked. KD makes specialty ones for this task, but I could not find a pair anywhere. Today, after 4 weeks of buying tools online and trying to get this seal out, I finally succeeded. I cannot continue, as I have the wrong double-lipped seal. I also don't know where the O-ring is located (appears to be behind the ceramic seal, but before the cage seal). 1) Does anyone know where the O-ring goes on the original cage/ceramic style seals? Mine didn't have one when I took the seals out. Maybe this is why it leaked so badly. 2) Upon installation of the new-style double-lipped seal, how/where does the O-ring go? The one supplied with my incorrect seal kit is too large, although the overall width of the seal (just not the inside diameter) is correct. 3) Can anyone refer me to the correct double-lipped seal kit, GM or aftermarket? Now that I'm 1/2 way through and spent $$$$$$ on tools, I can't give up now. I should be an expert on this when/if I ever get through this and have a compressor that doesn't leak. Thanks for any help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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