could use some advice on 72 Suburban AC system - repair or replace?

[iriereggaeman]

Hello,

My 72 burb has factory AC, along with the rear unit. Both were functional (not great at cooling, but ok) when I bought the rig. About one month into owning it, the compressor failed on me. I don't have much cash on hand (with all the family needs LOL), but need to get the AC up and running again. Florida summers are brutal without AC.

Looking for opinions. Should I attempt to replace the OEM compressor? Get one of the Sanden compressors everyone seems to rave about? I really like what I have seen with the Vintage Air systems, but it seems like I can't evolve to a complete system over time, and I don't have the cash for the complete Gen IV system.

[Bigdav160]

It has been modified from stock. Do you know what refrigerant that is in the system? I do not believe R134a will be happy in a Suburban with an original small condenser core.

You are also missing the POA valve and using a cycling switch instead. While that setup was used with success in later trucks reports are it doesn't work that well in our trucks.

The belt is missing on the compressor, is it functional? Instead of a Sanden, I would opt for something like this 4 Seasons compressor. Sanden design but a direct bolt in for the original A6.

[iriereggaeman]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

It has been modified from stock. Do you know what refrigerant that is in the system? I do not believe R134a will be happy in a Suburban with an original small condenser core.

You are also missing the POA valve and using a cycling switch instead. While that setup was used with success in later trucks reports are it doesn't work that well in our trucks.

The belt is missing on the compressor, is it functional? Instead of a Sanden, I would opt for something like this 4 Seasons compressor. Sanden design but a direct bolt in for the original A6.

Thanks BigDav160! I don't know what refrigerant I have, and I see nothing in the LemonSquad vehicle inspection about it.

I should have mentioned that I removed the belt for the compressor when it started to rattle/vibrate. You may be able to see the rusted metal ring is 'riding low', spins freely until it hangs up and makes a horrible noise. I don't know much about AC compressors. Perhaps it can be fixed, but since the cooling wasn't great, I somewhat assumed it was the old/failing compressor. (perhaps a bad assumption - hence the request for opinions from the experts here)

Thanks for your input.

-IrieReggaeMan

[gmachinz]

R134 is fine as long as you increase the amount of airflow through the condenser i.e. electric fans would help a lot here. Odd AC conversion for sure-and it is R134 judging by the blue adapter fitting on the drier. However, if that's an OEM A6 compressor odds are it shelled out as a result of too high head pressure using the newer freon. If it were me it wouldn't be a cheap solution but I would convert to serpentine GM style and gonwith a newer R6 compressor instead-its much more efficient....then add a big electric fan if room allows-if not, grab a HD 7-blade fan from any serpentine equipped mid 90's truck.

[iriereggaeman]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

R134 is fine as long as you increase the amount of airflow through the condenser i.e. electric fans would help a lot here. Odd AC conversion for sure-and it is R134 judging by the blue adapter fitting on the drier. However, if that's an OEM A6 compressor odds are it shelled out as a result of too high head pressure using the newer freon. If it were me it wouldn't be a cheap solution but I would convert to serpentine GM style and gonwith a newer R6 compressor instead-its much more efficient....then add a big electric fan if room allows-if not, grab a HD 7-blade fan from any serpentine equipped mid 90's truck.

Thanks for your expertise and feedback gmachinz!

Just to be sure, did you mean "Odd" AC conversion, or "Old" AC conversion? If "Odd", would you expand on why it's odd? If I'm looking at other potential problems not too long down the road, it may influence my decision.

Thanks Again!

[ranger danger]

I have front and rear Vintage air A/c. It does not work anywhere near as well as the factory original did. If I had to do it over, I'd stay factory and upgrade it.

[gmachinz]

The elimination of the POV and all is odd looking. I don't care for VA either....I prefer OEM GM systems and they are not hard to overhaul/restore.

[iriereggaeman]

Update: Weighing all your feedback, and the weight of my wallet, I chose to attempt to fix what I have.

Thanks to Bigdav160 for the tip of the A6 directly compatible FourSeasons compressors. Initially, I ordered a "Four Seasons 58096 AC Compressor", with clutch from Amazon. After pulling the purchase trigger, I noticed a 1-2 MONTH (!) delivery timeline. No Thanks...it's getting hot in Florida. Found a local Advance AutoParts store with one in stock for about $10 more.

Took it to my mechanic who installed the compressor, replaced the belt, and charged it up with R134a. Bada-bing! I'm back in business. Ice cold air from the dash. I don't notice much of a drag on the engine either.

The rear AC isn't blowing cold at all. I assume this is an entirely separate system that I'll have to deal with now? (sorry for the newb questions )

Here are a couple shots of the new compressor:



Once again, this forum has made my day!