Bad a/c compressor? Trying to revive my truck'a a/c

[Jorge6.5]

Went to recharge my a/c in my truck last night and didn't have the best of luck. Followed the recharge kit instructions. Compressor Clutch was not engaged at first but started kicking on and off while adding refrigerant. Finally the clutch stayed engaged and then it started screeching so I turned off the a/c. Just before I shut it off I was actually getting cold air.

Is it safe to say the compressor is toast? Can I just swap it for a new one and be ok? Will there be any special steps or tools needed to change it out or is this a mechanic job ? I'm not afraid to do it myself just not sure about the refrigerant and what not coming out.

Will I need to replace anything else?

Thanks for reading through my lengthy post.

 

[phule]

Yes you can do the job but you will want someone to evacuate and recharge it so they can eliminate any moisture in the system. Also you should replace the reciever dryer at the same time

Adam

 

[98_k1500]

+1^^ You need to pull a vacuum on the system to get rid of any moisture and air. You have to replace the dryer or your warranty on the compressor will be void.

 

[Jorge6.5]

Where can I find the dryer?

 

[BoxerPitMix]

Hopefully it's just the clutch that was going on your compressor and not the internals of it...
Either way, you can buy entire kits with the drier and compressor. A/C systems are really not that hard to work on as long as you take your time and do some research.
The first couple of times I rebuilt them, I just put them together and charged them without vacuuming. They worked fine as long as I had them - but I do not recommend it at all.
I bought this vacuum pump and manifold gauge set from Harbor Freight a few years ago...
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/ac-r134a-manifold-gauge-set-60806.html


They've paid for themselves over and over again. I've even made money working on other AC systems now that I'm familiar with it. I realize now these places that repair/recharge your system are making a killing because it's easy!

If you disassemble your A/C system, I recommend replacing the drier and orifice tube. I'd also think about replacing the lines (or at least try to remove what lines you can get to and clean them out the best you can) if you're afraid of metal shavings or anything from your old compressor going bad. But if you shut yours off at the first sign of a problem, I'd say they are fine. I'd also replace every single O-ring in the system.... I learned the hard way on these NOT to crank the connections real tight because it crushes the o-rings and will cause leaks.

I've purchased probably 5 of these kits between my vehicles and my friend's and have had awesome luck with them. I always get the kit with the drier, compressor and orfice
http://www.ebay.com/usr/ac_autocompressor?_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

If you decide to do it yourself, post it on here. It's really not that crazy hard of a job and once you figure out how to safely do it yourself the first time, it'll save you a lot of $ down the road being able to do it yourself.