TexasHiwayman

I have a 2006 coupe. 45,000 miles. A/C started to do what many have described. It works, it doesn't, it's warm, hot when you stop, cold when you drive....sometimes. First symptoms said expansion valve. Replaced cabin air filter (expansion valve not freezing now) and it worked better but not a healthy system. Started to hear a sound like bad lifters except the noise wasn't coming from valves. It was coming from compressor. Checked many places, $1200-1700 ($600 of that for parts). I had bought valve ($22) already and decided to replace dryer because of possible metal shavings in lines. No need to remove crossmember or any major assemblies.
1 After draining your antifreeze, remove thermostat housing, lines, and pull thermo out of large line
2 Remove belt
3 Release system pressure
4 Remove AC line block from side of compr. Come in from passenger wheel well. You will only get @ a quarter turn on the bolt per try unless you have some specialty tools.
5 Remove lower compressor bolts
6 Remove upper bolt and stud (7mm). Leave the stud in until you have removed the compr from car. Unplug connectors I forgot to mention till now.
7 Now the fun part. Stand the compr. on the non clutch end. You will swear it can't be done but keep moving it, try different amount of rotation, keep at it. Don't bend anything out of the way. Suddennly, it will smoothly come up. The same way the starter from my 77 Camaro 305 suddenly dropped on my chest as I contemplated how large a crowbar it would take to bend the manifold out of the way. I'll post pictures and tell the story of the dryer and valve replacement in a day or so. Really only room for one guy to work but nice to have someone handing you tools (nicer to be handing the tools to someone else) Took us about 6 hours max.

PS Installation is reverse of removal. Make sure the stud is in the hole before you put the compressor back. Unhooking battery probably not a bad idea.

PPS Got a nail throught my Firestone Fire Hawk rf. Right through the patch from the last nail. Picking the new tire up after getting AC recharged. $250, pro-rated. Good thing I did the compressor myself. Huge thanks to my friend Darrell.

m R g S r

That was kinda hard to follow. So does it work now? Why did the compressor go bad? If this is a common issue, is there a TSB for this problem? Any chance GM would cover it?

VET4LES

Good write up. My kind of repair. DIY. How does it work?

TexasHiwayman

Work? Oh, does the AC work! I don't know. Just basking in the glow of a mechanical process that went well. Taking it in first thing this morning to be pumped down and recharged.

That was kinda hard to follow. Sorry. I am including a link to the set of instructions/helpful hints/etc. that I had to start with.
So does it work now? Will know for sure in 9 hours. Replacing a bad compressor doesn't guarantee system will work. Compressor was failing as diagnosed by several mechanics.
Why did the compressor go bad? Don't know. I'm going to take it apart and see if I can tell.
If this is a common issue, is there a TSB for this problem? Can't say it's common or that there is a TSB. If there is, I'm not aware of it.
Any chance GM would cover it? Since the car is out of warranty, there's a chance..........fat chance

Will add pictures tomorrow.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...post1575636396

djbrun

Did you add the oil to your compressor before you installed it? If not, can the shop get at it easy enough before they try to charge the system up?

DJ

TexasHiwayman

The compressor came with oil already in it. Beautiful day in Austin today. Drove around with top off all day. If it had been 100 degrees I would have been all right. AC puts out very cold air. Add my new tire and the car works great. Saving $1000 feels great too. VROOM, VROOM!

Sorry, don't know how to post pics.

TexasHiwayman

I was mistaken. The oil in the compressor was shipping oil (keeps part lubed while on shelf).

The good news. I caught that fact before charging.

The bad news? I had to pull the compressor to put the oil in.

This procedure keeps you from having to pull the front crossmember. That is something I don't have the skill, tools, or a lift to perform.

torquetube

I suggest doing #3 first, at the same A/C shop that will be recharging the system when you're done.

glenB

You can put oil in an injector and put it in thru the schrader valve, or, the AC machine can put it in during the recharge.

If you buy an AC Delco compressor it will come with the oil in it.

You won't find anything in the compressor when you disassemble, but it's nice to know what it looks like inside.