Anyone in the Orlando area that can replace an A/c compressor and water pump in a 2000? I have the new parts and a business lined up to do it but every time I check the labor costs they go up. They are looking at almost 900 right now to do the job. I could do it myself except for the freon so that just lets me out. I am into this place for 5000 labor costs so far on this car so looking for someone to lower my labor costs by a few hundred.

 

The AC compressor is not a fun job. $900 would definitely be a price I would pay to never have to do it again, personally.

 

I'm in the same boat - need a new compressor. I have gotten a couple of estimates for the job.
Chevy dealer quoted me $2,500.
Local small business who only does a/c work quoted me $900 installed, but his lift is outside his building and looks like it
may have been the first lift ever made (meaning it's seen better days). Maybe it works fine, but I wouldn't want the arms on the lift
to touch my car. Going to call another local private shop on Monday and ask for a quote. I'm hoping for around $1k.

 

If the system is still charged take to someone who can recover what is there , then install the new parts yourself .Then take it back to have the system charged . I have done this on several of my on vehicles and installed heat and air systems in several streetrods .

 

That's what I did also. Changed the parts myself and had my mechanic friend charge it for me. I don't think it's all that bad a job but it does take some time and cussing.

 

$900 is probably not a bad price for the work you want done. Maybe you'll get someone in that area that will be able to help you out and save a few bucks.

 

I'm on Merritt Island, just did this same job on my 2004 Z06, I don't really have a lot of extra time to do the work at this point but I do have a vacuum pump and can evacuate the system for you when it's all done, if you decide to do it yourself.

 

Ended up taking it to the shop that has been doing several other jobs on my car. They replaced the compressor, water pump and dryer and a couple of other small projects for $862.00 and took about 6 hours all together. Hop all works for several years to come. Every time I turn around some thing else goes hay wire. Guess I should quit turning around.

 

That is a pretty fair deal. Functional AC is a must in the Sunshine state for sure.

 

Not a bad deal at all. Mine gets uncomfortably cold now even in these first few upper-80s days we've had lately.

 

If you can do the job yourself except for charging it you can just buy a cheap vacuum pump and gauges from harbor freight and still be in it for a lot less then the labor charges. I used this stuff several years ago to do mine when I replaced my ac compressor and I have not had one problem with it since. I also used my wife's cooking scale to accurately charge the system by weight. it took a while for the car to suck in the Freon but it worked. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and don't forget to flush the system until all of the black stuff stops coming out mine was nasty the orifice tube looked like a piece of charcoal.

 

I need to replace the ac compressor on my 97 C5. Might as well replace the water pump since it has to come out. Anyone who already replace the compressor if they replace with OEM (Delphi or ACD Delco)? If replaced with aftermarket what brand and what source? Did you replace the drier and oraface tube as well?

 

Accumulator (not drier) and orifice tube are a must replace any time you open the system.

I would look at replacing the condenser, too. You can flush it, but it's not very expensive to just simply replace the unit and call it a day.

AC Delco may be GM's parts private label, but their units won't be any better than any of the other aftermarket ones you can buy today. It's just a label on a box with a part in it made right along side any of the other compressors out there. Buy the one your shop supplies, or if you're doing it yourself, one with the lifetime warranty and replace everything else they require to honor said warranty, and you'll be fine.

 

I bought a kit from Amazon, and it's been working great so far. The kit didn't include the condenser though and the one I bought was junk. Leaked at the fitting on the bottom, so I would recommend getting a decent one of those for sure.

 

I replaced my compressor with a kit from AutoZone ship to home, had 15% off anything over $125.00, also got a rebate card for 50 or 80 dollars to use at AutoZone, not a bad deal.

Forgot brand but looked up my email for online order confirmation and found it all.
Part Number: P96-40345
Warranty: Limited Lifetime 1 Unit Price: $291.99 Core: N/A $291.99
Santech AC Kit/A/C Compressor

Part Number: ES73010
Warranty: 1 YR 1 Unit Price: $4.99 Core: N/A $4.99
FEL-PRO/Water Pump Gasket

Subtotal: $296.98 Savings Applied: 15% OFF YOUR $125 ONLINE SHIP-TO-HOME ORDER(SHINE15) -$44.55
Shipping: $0.00 Tax: $18.18 Total: $270.61




$270.61 will be charged to your VISA XXXX XXXX XXXX when the order ships. Payment
Subtotal: $296.98 Total Savings Applied: -$44.55 Shipping: $0.00 Tax: $18.18 Grand Total: $270.61

I reused water pump since no signs of leaks, bearing felt fine, just bought new fel pro gaskets.

Also I flushed A/C with loan a tool flush gun, and $20.00 qt of flush solvent, replaced condenser coil with one for about $80.00 off amazon, my compressor had made a mess.

Turned out good, I did my own nitrogen leak test, evacuation, weighed in refrigerant from a 30lb drum, used to be HVAC tech until I got too burned out doing that kind of work, going on roofs, attics, in Phoenix summers, it got old, but I kept my tools, still like fixing stuff on occasion for friends and family.

The compressor is lifetime warranty from AutoZone, at the time looking just at ACDelco compressor by itself on rockauto was $500-700, and I wondered if it was really that great.

Just buy new compressor not rebuilt, I've replaced compressors on 3 vehicles, none ever had problems for years, C5 and Grand Am are still around, one was a Neon and my brother got rid of it, but still worked until the end.

Have also used brand 4 seasons and think it's fine.

The kit I ordered had 2 orifice tubes, so it could be used on any C5 Corvette, when you pull old orifice tube out, pay attention and make a note on which hose it came from and what end was pointed inside and out, match it up to new tube if kit has 2 like this kit did.

 

Autozone prices have gone up since August 2018.

Looked up 1997 Corvette on Rockauto and found a pretty good deal GPD 9612239A, compressor kit with seals, orifice tube, accumulator, and a condenser coil for $246.79, only 12 month warranty though.

I think GPD is the brand of condenser coil I put on my C5.

 

Do NOT buy an aftermarket compressor. My excellent local A/C shop owner states that all aftermarket compressors for the corvette C5 are junk. Many of them last only 6-12 months. He now only installs rebuilt GM compressors, which, he says, are the only reliable option.

 

I envy you, living on Merritt Island, location of the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds (ex-Space Shuttle site). Have you made a top speed run there yet with your C5 ZO6? Early last year, I was planning to come over to make a (hopefully, 200+ MPH) run with my modified, supercharged C5, but the corona virus mess delayed everything for me.

 

Honestly never even knew that was available! My Z06 is only mildly modified so really not much to prove there... daily driver 135 miles a day!

 

I had no idea about that either... I'm only about an hour South.

Interesting!