Quickly cap off any lines, hoses, and ports as you disconnect the parts so that air and moisture can't enter, and you shouldn't have to replace any major components but the receiver/dryer on reassembly. Replace the o-rings on the disconnected parts as well, lubricating them sparingly with Nylog Blue...

Well I managed to get an electronic leak detector and found my leak yesterday - it was the brazed joint I made between the male O-ring fitting and the pictured compressor fitting pipe, discharge side. Heck, once I added some refrigerant, I didn't need the sniffer to find the leak - the compressor l...

It looks to me as if this is an R-12 car and that someone attached an aftermarket high-pressure cutoff to the high-side Schrader valve port for reasons not known. There's no way to know whether there's still a Schrader valve below the HPCO, so I wouldn't take the chance of just removing it. You coul...

I think your plan is a good one. Try another manifold gauge set, pull a vacuum, and see whether it holds. If not, I would suspect the front compressor shaft seal since you've double-checked just about everything else. Place a shower cap around the front of the compressor, charge the system with a fe...

Double End Capped PAG, if you can get it.

I advise replacing the condenser as well because that component acts as a filter, too, and it's very difficult if not impossible to flush out any debris that might be lodged in it.
Since you're replacing and/or flushing everything, I would go with PAG oil...PAG-46 specifically.

Your car is very complex with redundant electronics controlling just about everything, including the A/C. You found a leak for sure at the compressor that needs to be addressed. But that doesn't explain why the compressor won't start as it should while charging the system through the low side. It co...

I recently replaced the compressor because it leaked.I did add 2 1/2 oz of pag. The specs call for 3 1/2 but I know there is some left in the system. Did the new compressor come pre-charged with oil? If so, did you pour it out and measure it before adding back the 2-1/2 ounces? I also replaced the ...

Interestingly, in my references, there are no refrigerant and oil specs listed for a 1992 BMW 750iL e32, only for 1989-91 and then from 1993-94, suggesting that BMW wants us to go by the under-hood decal. That being said, the actual clutch resistance of only 0.2 ohms indicates almost a dead short in...

The only way to correctly charge a system is by weight, not pressure, using the appropriate tools and equipment. Please post the make, model, engine size, and year of your vehicle and we'll be able to tell you what the charge weight and oil amount should be if it's a USA-spec vehicle.