96 855 Did they toast my AC compressor?

[JimBee]

I've had mostly good experiences with the local indy, but I'm wondering if they overcharged and blew out my other 96 compressor (I have two 96's). They have a machine that can be set for a specific vehicle, then it automatically services the a/c, supposedly.
It did blow cold for a couple of months last summer that I drove it, but in September when I was working underneath I noticed green dye around the long pipe connection at the condenser, and also where it connects to the compressor. Also there is dye on the compresser housing near the clutch end.
I told the tech about this last fall and said I'd deal with it next summer, which is now. He's going to look at it on Monday.
Today I asked a dedicated ac shop tech to look at it. He just took a quick look and said he thinks the front seal is probably shot.
Is anybody at fault? Were all those seals going to blow out anyway, regardless of level of service?
Can the front seal be replaced?

[abscate]

It's going to be tough to prove what killed a 20 year old AC system. Make sure you are ready to spend 500 bucks in parts before diving into repair AC, though.

[Ozark Lee]

I doubt they overcharged it in the first place if they used a machine that weighed in the charge. It is actually hard to overcharge a Volvo system unless you keep dumping in cans that are upside down and force feed it liquid. With vapor off of the top of a can it is actually difficult to get it fully charged in the first place.

A compressor seal leak is not as common as some of the other typical ills but it happens. My Suburban has slow seal leak and my old XC had a compressor seal leak. In both cases it cropped up, perhaps not coincidentally, after the cars had not been started for about a year.

...Lee

[JBC2565]

I had a small leak on one of the shrader valves. It had backed out a bit so I just snugged it up. Sometimes they don't seal back up properly either.

[JimBee]

This car hasn't been run much over the several years I've owned it, so maybe Lee has id'd the cause.

I actually have a compressor in inventory that I pulled from an 850 last summer, it looked newish. It wasn't especially fun getting it off, but if need be I can use that as a replacement.

However, since it could easily be placed on my workbench might it be possible to install a new seal before putting it back in service? What's involved in that?

[Ozark Lee]

Like you, I had a spare and I just swapped it on the Volvo so I don't really know what is involved on a Zexel. On my Chevy it isn't difficult but it requires a $80.00 tool called a peckerhead (when you see it you know where the name came from) that screws onto the shaft and allows the seal to slide into place without tearing it.

I think I'm just going to order a kit from Rock Auto for $130.00 with a new compressor, accumulator, and an orifice tube rather than buy a $80.00 tool that I will use once in my life. I never have let the system go all the way flat so I really don't need to change the accumulator or the orifice tube but after the dye and stop leak that I have added it is probably a good idea.

...Lee

[JimBee]

Thanks, Lee: Helpful suggestions. Hopefully, the garter spring on this one will yield to the tool a little easier than the last one.
The system on the one I pulled was fully charged so hopefully it would last a while.

Is it worthwhile trying stopleak to maybe get through the summer?

[Ozark Lee]

Is it worthwhile trying stopleak to maybe get through the summer?

I have used it with some success. It won't really help with things like a leaky evaporator but on seals it helped a bunch and I could go two or three months between charges.

...Lee

[tryingbe]

Stop leak is probably the worst thing you can put in any system. Think about it, you are intentionally clogging lots of tiny pathways in the hope the clogging agent will clog the external leak. Clogged pathway will hurt condenser and evaporator efficiency and you will NEVER get all the clogging agent out of the system.

[Ozark Lee]

The stuff I use is a "Seal and O Ring Conditioner" which is another way of saying a seal softener. It doesn't use particulates to try to do its job. I agree, something with a particulate would promptly clog the screen on the orifice tube and bad things would happen.

...Lee