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02' A/C Help

KamiKaziDK

Member
Joined
March 5, 2011
Messages
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City, State
Phx, Az
Year, Model & Trim Level
'02 Eddie Bauer 4.6
Had a shop tell me our compressor is leaking and they recommended doing a a/c system overhaul for $1150. I barely have 11 bucks let alone 1100, so I was going to buy all the parts myself and install them. The list I have together so far is

1.)Compressor
2.)drier/accumulator
3.)expansion valve for rear a/c
4.)orifice tube for front

Question 1, am I missing anything? Question 2, where are the expansion valve and orifice tube located on these things? Also, autozone offers a variable orifice tube that's supposed to be better at lower rpm and in places with hotter temps...like Phx. Is this actually worth it, or is it a load of garbage and I should just get the cheap one? I plan on flushing the system before I install everything and just having the shop fill it for me. Thanks for any input.
 



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Are you sure the comp is leaking? Or are they just telling you that and the leak is somewhere else like in the condenser coil mounted in the grill. I can understand a leak around a fitting or a small hole around the condensor...but the compressor?
I bet they start back peddling when asked that question.
Have them point out the exact point of the leak. Better yet, have them put an electronical gas detector on the spot so you can hear it go off.
On residential compressors I have seen them leak around the weld where the actual compressor is hermetically sealed.

I would get another opinion.
 






Since you are taking the system down...

Why not replace the o-rings and seals in the compressor? Is the compressor working well but just leaking???

Fords generally use an Nippondenso compressor which has a large o-ring in between the body halves and a shaft seal that will wear out over time...Just like with an R-12 system most leaks will show up as a dirty oily area on the body that is leaking...$25 bucks for the compressor o-ring rebuild kit vs. whatever a new compressor costs...I have the compressor teardown instructions here somewhere...

Also is the rear air not working at this time? While I definitely would replace the orifice tube and the accumulator, unless the rear air has issues I would not replace the expansion valve unless there is some contamination in the system...

The pics show the parts needed to rebuild the sealing parts of the typical ND compressor...And one pic shows the breakdown of the whole unit...Replacing the compreswor seals and o-rings is not as complex as it might seem...
 

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Sweet, thanks for all the info. I'm gonna order or buy whatever I need tonight or tomorrow so hopefully I can get it done this weekend or next. Are the Variable Orifice Tubes worth the extra 15 bucks?? It says on autozones website that they work better in high heat locations.....and I'm in Phoenix... or would I barely notice a difference from the 3 dollar one? oh, and I got your PM too Ranger, thanks!!
 






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