Back in December 2013, the clutch froze on the A/C compressor on my 2001 5.4L. I replaced it with a bypass pulley and zip tied all the hoses out of the way of the exhaust and serpentine belt. My bad, I left the ends open in all of the Michigan weather.


Two years later, I'm thinking that A/C would be nice to have again. I've been to a few yards and crawled around my own to help acclimate myself with the entire system to better understand how it works.


I've got a new (to me via u-pull it yard) compressor.
I haven't seen any hoses that look better than mine at the yards.




I've looked at the hoses to confirm they haven't rotted or rusted, but that's only on the surface. What (if any) other components should be tested or replaced before bolting the compressor up and filling the system with refrigerant?


Can I bolt it together and fill it with compressed air (way cheaper than refrigerant) to listen for hissing air?


If it all checks out I'll just plan on bringing it to a shop to have the first shot of refrigerant.


Thanks for your imput.

 

One you should have just bought a rebuilt compressor. The entire system needs to be flushed with Denatured Alcohol. You will need ot replace the receiver drier/accumulator, along with the orifice tube..

Second you done check ac systems by pressurizing them. You have to put ac systems under vacuum to check for leaks. Using compressed air would be a waste of time and money as you would have to replace the receiver drier. The reciever drier will draw in moisture from the compressed air.