OK got some numbers to look at. Thanks for everyones help so far.
Just to recap, PO said the A/C worked but freon leaked out. I pull the VIR out, cleaned it and replaced the desiccant and orings, removed and cleaned the evaporator and changed orings, replaced the compressor with a reman from summit, added 10.5 oz of ester oil to the compressor. Flushed the lines and replaced all the orings and put it all back together. Pulled a vaccum for about an hour, let it sit for a few hours and it held. Added 3lbs of R12.

So now the numbers.
Garage is showing 83* and 58% humidity. Have 2 fans running on the front of the car, not great, but some airflow.
Static pressures, engine off LOW 100psi HIGH 110
Engine start, compressor on LOW 45psi HIGH 180
1 min in, vent temp 59* LOW 30psi HIGH 240
3 min in, vent temp 55* LOW 30psi HIGH 275
4 min in, vent temp 52* LOW 30psi HIGH 285
6 min in, vent temp 58* LOW 40psi HIGH 320
7 min in, vent temp 59* LOW 40psi HIGH 325

At about 7min50sec in, the second video below starts. belt begins to squeak, and if i let it continue, it would start to slip and the compressor would stop turning. LOW side pressure is at 45 and HIGH has dropped to 310 just before i shut it down.

So yea, the HIGH pressures continue to go up until the compressor starts to fight back. Vent temps are still cool, but climbing. Obviously a problem.

Startup and run
Squeak starts and shutdown

 

Im about dead center half of the adjustment travel, so yea, i could go tighter.

 

Also make sure your heater water hose is shut off or blocked checking vent temps.
hard to see bottom of belt but is it flopping around?

 

​​​​​​Yea, Heater hose has a shut off, and it's shut for summer.
Flopping? No, but it is probably moving a little more than it should. I'll definitely put a one more ugga on it and see if I can get it a little tighter.

 

I'm not convinced that is the belt slipping. I'm gonna say it's the clutch. Would explain the cooked paint on the clutch. Clutch doesn't spin true either. It wobbles about.

Your high side pressure is too high. Maybe 250-280 psi if it's hot. Were it me I'd try taking a little freon out, try to get the high side to a more reasonable pressure. Keep the RPM up around 1800 to 2000 to get a good reading.

 

I've actually got a new clutch I can put on and tighten the belt more, and rule those out. I'll take a little freon out and get the rpms up and report back.

 

at those discharge pressures the belt will be challenged not to slip
the discharge pressures are high, some common causes are air in the system, reduced airflow across the condenser, to much oil in the system, over charged

I noticed you don't have the top radiator seal that prevents air from bypassing the radiator, its critical that all the radiator seals be in good shape and in place.

we need to figure out why the suction and discharge pressure are both high,
the first thing would be to spray the condenser with water while monitoring the pressures and see if that will keep them within the correct range. Also monitor the suction line at the compressor, it needs to be cold and sweating.

Neal

 

If I'm reading all this correctly when the compressor starts to slip and/or stop turning you are at a Low Side High and High Side High condition. The below troubleshooting tree is from my Everco manual.


EVERCO bleManual A9590

Troubleshooting Tree

Condition 14

Condition 15

Condition 16

 

I don't think the clutch is the problem, it's just the weakest link in the system so It may slip before the belt. The problem is excessive high side pressure.

 

When you charged the system, did you purge the lines before charging? If it were humid, or you live in a high humidity area not purging the charging lines will inject some moisture in addition to air into the system. In either case if we assume too much freon or oil in the system, removing some freon may give you satisfactory results.

 

Static pressure should be the same on high side and low side. Under your conditions my static is around 85 in my 69 with factory a/c..

Note that R12 is not as finicky about refrigerant amounts as the 314 stuff so I don't believe you have too much in your system. My experience is that it is damn hard to get a full 3.25 pound charge into the system. You should have a sight glass in your accumulator to check for a rush of bubbles when the compressor kicks on and slowly going to clear.

I'm not familiar with the VIR system but the numbers you report suggest a blockage in your system. If my a/c was exhibiting these types of pressures I would replace the expansion valve.

Soooooo, I'm thinking you have a problem with the equivalent of an expansion valve in your system which is, I guess, the oriface tube.

VS

 

I missed the ambient temp , yep pressure is too high at that temp.
Fan not operating like it should/weak fan clutch can cause excessive high side or missing the ducting and seals for the radiator to core support causing fan not to pull air through the condenser or clogged fins on the condenser blocking air flow
Over charged too much freon cause excessive high side temperature

 

This is awesome, thank you for posting this book.

 

Just a little more troubleshooting.
Replaced the clutch with a new one i had to rule it out, interestingly, the paint on the new one was perfect, and started cracking like the old one in about 2 mins of running. Cheap paint i guess. Tightened the belt, i think shes about as tight as shes gonna go, no flopping and it tracks pretty straight. Im pretty sure the high side pressure is the issue.

Ran it outside with the hood up and a fan up front, kept the RPMs at 18-2000. The high side pressure started to creep up as usual, but spraying water on the condenser would bring the pressure back down. Running it and spraying water every so often kept the high pressure at around 150ish. Low side stayed steady at 30. Temp out of the vents was at 50*. Seemed pretty happy.

Kept it that way for 10mins or so. Put it back in the garage, low air flow and no water and of course the high pressure started up again, vent temps went up and belt started slipping. Spraying water on the condenser again brought the pressure down immediately.

So where does this leave me? Blocked condenser? Air/Moisture in the system? Just terrible airflow over the condenser? Freon charge low/high?

 

MentalE

On an older home system that uses R22, like mine, misting water over condenser coils reduces head temperatures. R22, like 134a, is very sensitive to an overcharge. Overcharge will cause the overpressure valve to operate and kick the compressor off on a home system. You can either let some R22 out or leave a mister on the coils during very hot afternoons. (Texas)

Applying this logic to you car system one would conclude you have an overcharge, however, as stated, R12 is not that sensitive to an overcharge so maybe look elsewhere. I think your system has a blockage somewhere. Perhaps a partially blocked condenser. Overpressure comes on fast ,it sounds like, so probably not ice forming in the system. (Water contamination.)

You have to open the system to check if your orafice tube is blocked, or your condenser for that matter. Letting out some R12 is pretty good idea as you are going to lose it anyway when you open the system.
Id like to hear what your sight glass looks like upon startup and while running. Foam and bubbles at first, slowly clearing to just a few nonmoving bubbles is what indicates your charge is correct. If it looks milky in there that suggests too much oil.

VS

 

If the car is driveable, I'd take it for a spin on the hwy doing 50-70 mph and check the temp at the interior vents. Then you'll see how its doing. If operating properly, temp should be in the mid low 40's. Forget the gauges for this test.

 

I think with your thoughts here and Mr D's book he posted, we're narrowing it down to :
#1 a blocked or partially blocked condenser, maybe the VIR clogged
#2 air or moisture somehow got into the system
#3 an overcharge situation

Think im gonna take it to a shop with a reclaimer. I dont wanna waste $150 worth of R12 opening it up, plus the time spent running around finding more, plus legal concerns, plus the icecaps and climate and all.

 

The best course would have been a VIR eliminator kit. If reducing the freon level doesn't give you low enough high and high enough low to provide decent cooling then I would agree with some of the posters in that you have a blockage, or partial blockage or contamination in the form of moisture. sometimes lowering the charge can provide good enough performance to get by with a partial blockage. That blockage could be an expansion valve not opening correctly, which I believe is part of the VIR unit.

found a couple of youtube videos that may help. One is a guy installing a VIR eliminator kit. If you end up tearing the system apart again this is the way I would go.

 

Wow that first video is exactly what i needed before digging in. I searched for rebuild videos, but I guess his view count is so low it didnt give me that one as a result.
I agree a VIR eliminator, maybe a new condenser. Another vacuum and charge up. But at what point do i stop throwing time and money at it and go Vintage Air? Something to wrestle with i guess.

 

MentalEntropy
If I was you I'd quit throwing money at it now and go to Vintage Air (since that seems to be the aftermarket brand with the best reputation). If it's only cooling to 50° that is sucky anyway. I have Hot Rod Air (defunct) and I cool to <40°. Just do it.

BUT--- for troubleshooting purposes I would release/recapture some Freon and see if it quits seizing. But a/c at 50° is really not good enough anyway.