Hello, I was wondering if it is possible or advisable to replace A/C components myself, like the compressor and drier, to save money. The compressor on my Max looks like it has been leaking oil for some time and I have read that is advisable to replace the drier at the same time. My local LKQ used parts dealer has compressors for $75 with a 1 year warranty. Also the local U-Pull it JY has decent looking ones for $27. A rebuilt one can be bought from a local parts store for $275 or on eBay for about $200. My Max is an '89 so it has the original R-12 system in it.

I was wondering what all should be changed and is the there a way to refill with R12 or an equivalent to keep the freon as cold as possible ( I heard R12 is colder than R134A) or do I need to do a conversion? Also, if I do a conversion how easy is it to do, can I do it myself, and how much does it normally run? Thanks.

 

any idea if there was a leak in the system or just the compressor grenade itself?

depends on why the ac is not working will be the best way to determine what to do to fix it.

let's say if the old compressor blew up and shot black goo all in the system...well i say get a new compressor, condenser, drier, and rubber hoses. before you install all the stuff flush it out with a solvent. you can install this stuff yourself. make sure you use the correct o-rings and use a good R134a compatible oil. find out what's the amount of oil you need to add and just pour a little in each component. put to back together and head to a shop to vac and recharge...done.

if you have a small leak and it leaked out at the compressor...then change the compressor (with a R12 used) and drier and recharge with R12. (it is available but a lot of shops stopped using it so you might have to look around). put everything back and go to the shop to vac and recharge.

the reason why R134a is not as efficient b/c the condensers made for R12 is less efficient compared to a new condenser for R134a. change the condenser if you're going to switch and you should be nice and cold for a long time.

i wouldn't do this yourself unless you have a vacuum that can pull at least 1 cfm...(i don't mean your house vac or shop vac either)

 

Sure, you can do it all yourself. Even if you don't have a vacuum pump, just hook everything up except the drier. Then take it to a shop and have them hook the drier up right before they put it on vacuum and charge it.