Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum (Archives)

DaveV on Fri July 18, 2014 11:20 AM

Year: 2005
Make: Ford
Model: Escape
Engine Size: 3.0 V6
Refrigerant Type: R134a
Ambient Temp: 1
Pressure Low: 2
Pressure High: 10
Country of Origin: United States

Hi all, newbie here from Boston. The clutch bearings in my AC compressor pulley went south, so being part of the serpentine belt system I had to replace it. Here is Boston AC is not critical, unlike Arizona. In my other vehicles when the AC died I just let it be, as I really didn't need it, but on this vehicle it is critical to the belt system, so I just did my very first AC work in all my years. The GOOF I just realized I made was that after adding the 7oz of PAG46 to the compressor, I was supposed to rotate it 10 or 20 times, so I just spun the pulley by hand.. Now I find out that I should have got a special spanner wrench to rotate the clutch properly. I didn't.. - SO my question is, can this damage the new rebuilt compressor I just installed by not doing this rptation properly? Any and all feedback is appreciated!

alan73 on Fri July 18, 2014 1:25 PM

you can usually turn them by hand grab the front clutch hub and turn it the main concern is that its not liquid locked.

HECAT on Fri July 18, 2014 2:00 PM

We did not do it years ago. Only because of the understanding that it is a real risk of failure has it become a common practice today. So did you start it up? If it is not "hammering", you are probably OK. If you have not started it yet, find a way to do it; so you can eliminate the risk.

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HECAT: www.hecatinc.com You support the Forum when you consider www.ackits.com for your a/c parts.

FLUSHING TECHNICAL PAPER vs2.pdf 

Cussboy on Fri July 18, 2014 4:57 PM

Quote
Originally posted by: DaveV
Hi all, newbie here from Boston. The clutch bearings in my AC compressor pulley went south, so being part of the serpentine belt system I had to replace it. Here is Boston AC is not critical, unlike Arizona.

Couldn't you have just used a shorter serpentine belt and bypass the compressor altogether?



Edited: Fri July 18, 2014 at 4:58 PM by Cussboy

GM Tech on Fri July 18, 2014 7:06 PM

absolutely every commpressor ever mounted the first time on an engine at the car assembly plant was initiated with a belly full of oil- the entire system oil charge-when the engine starts for its first time- so you are worried that you did something different than the assembly plants??? fear not.....it happens thousands of times a day-spinning the pump is an old wives tale....

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The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......

wptski on Fri July 18, 2014 11:01 PM

Are you sure that they don't come with oil installed, plugged and maybe rotated where/when they are assembled?

GM Tech on Sat July 19, 2014 7:39 AM

I've been in almost all GM assembly plants in North America and some overseas- from 1990-2009-representing Delphi/Harrison never have I seen a person rotate a compressor- and yes the entire oil charge is the responsibility of the compressor manufacturer- so it is ALL in the belly of each compressor- started and engaged when commanded on at first engine start--I've stood and listened for slugs at engine/ A/C start-- no big deal!

Note- the only exception is rear systems- where the assembly plant will add 3 ounces for a rear system- automatically through the charging station.

Evacuation is 15-30 seconds- fill is within 5 seconds- they use a hydralic "syringe" that draws back said amount of refrigerant and pushes it into the evacuated system.
Evacuation tank -100 gallon or more is pumped down continuously by huge vacuum pumps- then attached to high side on car for the 30 second period- then it shuts off vacuum- looks for vacuum decay in 8 seconds- if none- then the big ram pushes in the refrigerant....all while car is moving down the line- high side coupler detaches automatically upon green light indicator at end of cycle.

-------------------------
The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......

wptski on Sat July 19, 2014 9:09 AM

Quote
Originally posted by: GM Tech
I've been in almost all GM assembly plants in North America and some overseas- from 1990-2009-representing Delphi/Harrison never have I seen a person rotate a compressor- and yes the entire oil charge is the responsibility of the compressor manufacturer- so it is ALL in the belly of each compressor- started and engaged when commanded on at first engine start--I've stood and listened for slugs at engine/ A/C start-- no big deal!

Note- the only exception is rear systems- where the assembly plant will add 3 ounces for a rear system- automatically through the charging station.

Evacuation is 15-30 seconds- fill is within 5 seconds- they use a hydralic "syringe" that draws back said amount of refrigerant and pushes it into the evacuated system.

Evacuation tank -100 gallon or more is pumped down continuously by huge vacuum pumps- then attached to high side on car for the 30 second period- then it shuts off vacuum- looks for vacuum decay in 8 seconds- if none- then the big ram pushes in the refrigerant....all while car is moving down the line- high side coupler detaches automatically upon green light indicator at end of cycle.
If the oil is the responsibility of the compressor manufacturer, maybe there is a rotation process during the oil fill? Is that Harrison as in compressors? If so, what's in the oil fill process, a rotation??

Thanks for the A/C assembly line procedure as I've always wondered.

GM Tech on Sat July 19, 2014 8:25 PM

NO rotations at compressor manufacturer- guaranteed- I worked at Delphi Harrison- (Delphi Thermal, Harrison Radiator, Delco Air) as a field engineer....

-------------------------
The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......