60 Electra factory A/C

[dplotkin]

My 49,000 mile A6 still cools, but sounds like its full of marbles. I hear the A5 compressor is not rebuildable, no parts. Has anyone put the A6 on instead and does the existing hose set bolt up? How do you deal with the brackets?

Dan

[NTX5467]

"Not Rebuildable" due to issues not related to the fact that nobody has any parts for it (at hand)? Or were they known to wear out soon and not be rebuildable due to those wear issues?

Typically, everything in that general time frame was rebuildable "in the field" as it was more normal to repair rather than replace (with a reman or new unit) for that time in automotive history. It would have taken a castrophic-type failure to justify putting on a complete new compressor, back then, typically.

I suspect the A6 is an improved unit over the A5, though. Those FrigidAire compressors were some of the best in the industry, back then.

Just some curious thoughts,

NTX5467

[Reatta Man]

Dan,

I would look into sending out your original compressor to have it rebuilt, or get another compressor correct for that year, have it rebuilt, and keep your old one as a backup.

BTW,does it quiet down any when you put some oil in the unit? It may just be low.

Joe

[dplotkin]

Yes, I added oil when I charged it in May. It got loud a little while after we pulled the compressor & flushed everything, including the compressor (and since finding out that you shouldn't flush a compressor), I did that two years ago. She blows 40 degree air, but the compressor housing gets cold, tells me it is leaking internally, valves are probably jammed. It sounds terrible with the hood open, but it almost cannot be heard inside the car. I figure she is going to blow one of these days. I guess a replacement compressor is in order.

Dan

[NTX5467]

I've heard A6s rattle when the R-12 freon charge is low, but they don't blow 40 degree air when that happens either. It sounds like everything's working pretty well, just noisy, though.

What reason led to the flushing operation? Just curious. It used to be that you could buy "flush liquid" by the gallon, but as EPA issues got tighter, the price went up to about $50/gallon and then places like NAPA stopped selling it. In later times, some have used water to try to do the same thing. Several years ago, after the flush stuff was basically outlawed, GM's answer for systems with "trash" from compressor failures in them, was an AC-Delco "pancake" in-line filter (with or without orifice in it).

The other issue might be what kind of oil did you put back into the system? There are different specified viscosity numbers for it.

I understand that some of the freon recycling machines can put liquid freon into the system to flush it, then evacuate the system, recharge the system and oil can then be added as needed. A friend that worked in the a/c supply industry told me that back when the initial change-overs from R-12 to R-134a were being talked about for older vehicles. And . . . if you go into an a/c repair shop and talk about doing that, they'll probably get a really puzzzzzzled look on their face as they search their "data bank" for an answer. PLUS, you'll need to know if you have pure R-12, pure R-134a, or some hybrid freon in it as they'll NOT want to contaminate THEIR machine with an unknown gas from your system.

Hopefully, you spread out the new oil you put into the system and it is of the specified viscosity number.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[dplotkin]

We used refrigeration oil, I think 502, a good A/C shop did the charge & added the oil to the suction side with a vacuum on it. Maybe that is the problem, oil not spread out? What do you mean by that?

Dan

[old-tank]

I have rebuilt a number of early A5's (1955) and those require about 12 oz of oil to fill a dry compressor. Most modern compressors use 2-4 oz and that is not enough for an A5. If you flushed all of the old oil from yours, that may be the problem.

Also it is normal for the body on an A5 to be cold.

Willie