Myold AC Compressor locked up and I kinda had to peel the belt off of the pulleys. My question is; the new compressor has a warning label that say oil has to be added to the new compressor if not it voids the warranty. I bought two large R-134 cans that say the oil is included; do I still need to buy the oil separately and to I need to replace anything else? Thanks-Sam

 

Short answer - the compressor needs to be pre-filled with the proper amount of oil.

Haven't seen freon with the oil included. Doubt enough oil was added in to make up what is needed. Don't have the book - but IIRC - on the order of 5-7 ounces needed in the compressor. This amount would approach about 1/2 a freon can's worth.

Was this an R12 or R134 system originally? If R12 - many suggest to change the dryer and in the early days of these conversions, changing all of the o-rings was also recommended. Don't know if these recommendations have changed through the years as experience was gained. I did my conversion in '99, when still a lot of unknowns.

Why did the compressor lock up? If any crap was cut loose, a system flush would be recommended. Risks are that the orifice will plug or the trash will ruin the new compressor. A/C work is stuff you only want to do once.

If you haven't worked with A/C before - please be careful. Lots of ways to damage equipment and people due to the high pressures and extreme temperatures involved. Eye and hand protection are recommended here.

 

There is a bottle marked "first charge" that has the oil to prime the system. Or they sell the oil in little bottles. One problem is you need to draw a vacuum in the system before filling it. You may want to consider having a licensed shop do the job, however with the correct tools it can be done at home. But as stated you can screw up the system and loose a new pump.