Replacing A/C Compressor

[Deebo]

Apparently, all the instructional pictures for replacing the a/c compressor are gone. Can anybody give me any directions or possibly have some pictures of how to replace it?

p.s. I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this post. If I'm in the wrong section, please move. :

[silpena]

first your going to need to evacuate the freon in this system with oil inside too. What year is your 240sx? if it was produced anywhere before 93 it will have r12 which is now ban so buying the refrigerant is gonna run you 80.00 a pound and our cars hold around 3-4 pounds of refrigerant plus u need mineral oil. This can add up to 300-600 for repairs. If this is the case your gonna need to retrofit your entire system to r34 freon which more environmentally friendly and cheaply available and LEGAL. You can go into any auto store and buy a kit. its just changing the service ports and new o-rings. r34 also uses different oil to lubricate the ac system. So make sure u do that. I would inspect why u need a new compressor. Sometimes u have a leak and all the refrigerant has escaped into the atmosphere and you need it to function. When no refrigerant is the system the compressor will not engage as a safety function to protect the system from lack of lubrication and metal contamination You can jump start it manually to see if it functions if not then yeah you might need one. Compressor removal is easy just bolts up to a bracket to the block and you have to remove the belt to it and the ac lines. remember to evacuate the system or it will shoot out at you and freeze your eyes or whatever and cause to go blind. I would take it to a shop and have them do it then replace and fix what ever you need then go back and have them recharge the system and inspect it. they legally have to do an inspection.

sorry for the long post but if u have more Q's just ask.

[Deebo]

It's '90. I went to a shop and they offered 800... didn't seem as reasonable to my dad or me... but now that I think about it, it might be. Do you have any diagrams of where the compressor is? I'm sorry, I'm such a newbie I have still yet to do anything to my car. :p

[scottydog]

The a/c compressor looks like an alternator with two insulated pipes and a fanbelt attached. It's in the front of the engine, upper right as you look back on the motor.

To replace the a/c you need to get a freon conversion kit, new compressor, and you need to pull a vacuum on the new system prior to charging.

$800 sounds about right. Parts alone are $550. Not a job for newbees
Modified by scottydog at 10:52 AM 4/4/2008

[silpena]

you won't need a new compressor as long as u can evacuate 98% percent of the freon and mineral oil. If ur compressor is bad the oil will be a blackish color with a silvery shine then buy a new one and install a filter to catch any metal shards. You'll just ruin the new one with it. Id say go and look for a used compressor that works well. Have a shop evacuate the freon and mineral oil and remove the compressor ur self. Also i recommend before u take the old compressor off i would use a florescent dye to look for any leaks. All u may need is a new o ring or hose at the connections, but re charging it is gonna cost ya bug bucks so retrofit would be cheaper. No more than 200$ i could do it for less since i have all the equipment to remove, identify, recharge the ac system. Maybe u should try a local community college i bet they would do it for half the price or more. You just gotta trust the students on the job but don't worry the teacher should be watching them or at least i hope... go to napa and ask for a r134-a retrofit kit for a nissan 240sx and get pax oil for the ac. It should say inside ur engine compartment on the hood on how many pounds of freon and oil to use so u don't over charge it. That is just as bad as under charging and it's probley even worse.

p.s. working on the ac system is illegal with out being certified u must certified. just a heads up if ur gonna do it in front of ur house. Also wear some google and good covering clothing. this stuff can freeze ur eyes and make u blind withing a second.