R4 AC compressor help
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
R4 AC compressor help
Anyone knowledgable about the R4 compressor used in the later C3s?
I have one for sure, probably two that need front seals. No rebuilds as they're off real low mile Vettes, just the seals as they're spraying a little too much oil.
Service manual shows too many special tools needed to justify purchasing them all and I'd hate to screw something up.
Be nice to find someone in the Chicago area to fix em
I have one for sure, probably two that need front seals. No rebuilds as they're off real low mile Vettes, just the seals as they're spraying a little too much oil.
Service manual shows too many special tools needed to justify purchasing them all and I'd hate to screw something up.
Be nice to find someone in the Chicago area to fix em
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
See this- R4 seal replacement w/ pics.
http://trotliner.tripod.com/ac.html
http://trotliner.tripod.com/ac.html
Autozone does not rent THESE tools.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Regret to have to say, but the R4 is a terminal POS, and time to ditch it for either a A6 (very heavy) or change to a serpentine drive and update to a '88 up vette compressor/drive.....that way you can also do 134 and get done with it...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
Don't want to do that. Gotta stay original! One Vette has 1400 miles and the other 8K miles.
And I'm kinda loaded up with R12. Both Vettes needing seals have full charges(that I plan to recover)and I got about 12 cans of R12 on the shelf.
And I'm kinda loaded up with R12. Both Vettes needing seals have full charges(that I plan to recover)and I got about 12 cans of R12 on the shelf.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
Couldn't believe how simple the seal replacement was with the proper tools!
Scored a like new tool kit designed for this job on ebay for $32! Probably about a $150 kit brand new.
Did one seal today, got 2 more to do when I get the new seals(getting hard to find!) My Pace Car now has ice cold air, probably for the first time in 25 years, and doesn't spray oil.
Scored a like new tool kit designed for this job on ebay for $32! Probably about a $150 kit brand new.
Did one seal today, got 2 more to do when I get the new seals(getting hard to find!) My Pace Car now has ice cold air, probably for the first time in 25 years, and doesn't spray oil.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
Couldn't believe how simple the seal replacement was with the proper tools!
Scored a like new tool kit designed for this job on ebay for $32! Probably about a $150 kit brand new.
Did one seal today, got 2 more to do when I get the new seals(getting hard to find!) My Pace Car now has ice cold air, probably for the first time in 25 years, and doesn't spray oil.
Scored a like new tool kit designed for this job on ebay for $32! Probably about a $150 kit brand new.
Did one seal today, got 2 more to do when I get the new seals(getting hard to find!) My Pace Car now has ice cold air, probably for the first time in 25 years, and doesn't spray oil.
I have to change mine as well.
where did you get the seals?
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
I ordered 3 from my local GM parts guy, he came up with 1.
I ordered something back in February that I still don't have(don't even need it now)and asked him if this is gonna take 5 months too.
He said "I hope not"
Brings up the bankrupcy and parts scarcity.
I ordered 2 from GM Parts Direct as back up yesterday. Haven't heard from them yet, but they did have the pt. no. on the site.
GM/Delco part number is 12323914. Good luck.
I ordered something back in February that I still don't have(don't even need it now)and asked him if this is gonna take 5 months too.
He said "I hope not"
Brings up the bankrupcy and parts scarcity.I ordered 2 from GM Parts Direct as back up yesterday. Haven't heard from them yet, but they did have the pt. no. on the site.
GM/Delco part number is 12323914. Good luck.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
I ordered 3 from my local GM parts guy, he came up with 1.
I ordered something back in February that I still don't have(don't even need it now)and asked him if this is gonna take 5 months too.
He said "I hope not" Brings up the bankrupcy and parts scarcity.
I ordered 2 from GM Parts Direct as back up yesterday. Haven't heard from them yet, but they did have the pt. no. on the site.
GM/Delco part number is 12323914. Good luck.
I ordered something back in February that I still don't have(don't even need it now)and asked him if this is gonna take 5 months too.
He said "I hope not"
Brings up the bankrupcy and parts scarcity.I ordered 2 from GM Parts Direct as back up yesterday. Haven't heard from them yet, but they did have the pt. no. on the site.
GM/Delco part number is 12323914. Good luck.
To be clear.
you changed just the o-ring, or o-ring, ceramic bushing?
The # you supplied is the o-ring?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,991
Likes: 3
From: Piscataway NJ
88 is still an R4 only diffrence is the pulley drive. GM didn't change from R4 till around 1997/98
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
A week later.
3 compressor seals changed, 3 systems vac'ed and charged, 3 Vettes with ice cold air.
Life is good
Best thing, no oil on the hoods.
I did charge the last one with fresh R12, so all told, used 5 14oz cans.
Didn't waste any of the old R12, simply pushed it from one car to the next.
3 compressor seals changed, 3 systems vac'ed and charged, 3 Vettes with ice cold air.
Life is good
Best thing, no oil on the hoods.
I did charge the last one with fresh R12, so all told, used 5 14oz cans.
Didn't waste any of the old R12, simply pushed it from one car to the next.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Great info. Thanks to all.
I replaced the original R4 compressor on my '79 with a new Delco R4 compressor this month. The new compressor has metric fasteners and threaded holes. This required some new fasteners and I had to grind out the bracket adjustment slot to accomodate the metric size.
Question: I would like to rebuild the original compressor that has a front seal leak. From whom was the tool kit purchased on EBay and are the tools metric or English?
I replaced the original R4 compressor on my '79 with a new Delco R4 compressor this month. The new compressor has metric fasteners and threaded holes. This required some new fasteners and I had to grind out the bracket adjustment slot to accomodate the metric size.
Question: I would like to rebuild the original compressor that has a front seal leak. From whom was the tool kit purchased on EBay and are the tools metric or English?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
Made a day out of it, just enjoying the countryside.Still have 2 on order with GM Parts Direct and 2 with my local guy. Probably never see any of them
and my local guy's out of luck anyway, been 3 weeks, promised it in 1.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
Where you at? I might consider loaning it out. Not like I'll need it again for a while.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 53,648
Likes: 878
From: Southern Cal Ca
St. Jude Donor '22
I found a second seal Friday at a different GM dealer other side of town, and with my wife's insistance, we took a 100 mile road trip Saturday to a GM dealer in a small town for the third one Made a day out of it, just enjoying the countryside.
Still have 2 on order with GM Parts Direct and 2 with my local guy. Probably never see any of themand my local guy's out of luck anyway, been 3 weeks, promised it in 1.
Made a day out of it, just enjoying the countryside.Still have 2 on order with GM Parts Direct and 2 with my local guy. Probably never see any of them
and my local guy's out of luck anyway, been 3 weeks, promised it in 1.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
I beg to differ. I got a serp system from an 89 Vette to put on my C3. It uses the all aluminum Nippon Denso compressor. Gm may have continued with the R4 on passenger cars, but 87 was the last year for R4's on Vettes.