A/C Compressor

While attempting to recharge my A/C we have found the compressor to be defective. I'm sure that other owners have faced this same problem. Do I want to have the compressor rebuilt? Are rebuilt replacements available from some company, or is there an acceptable new replacement unit owners have had success with? I have a R12/R134 valve attached, and I believe what is a York brand compressor. Please advise.
Thank you,
Frank in Florida

 

How does the problem manifest Frank? Does the compressor leak? Or not provide compression? New seals are available from MIE along with valves etc.
If you are using R134 not R12, have you got suitable seals, hoses and compressor oil??
in extremis whole new York style units are available, but they will probably be R210 size not R206 like the originals.

Cheers.
Mark

 

Hello Frank...

Not sure this will help, but on Ivan's site (thecarnut.com) there is a York Compressor manual.
I believe it may be applicable to both the R206 and R210 models..

Mike

 

My a/c specialist pumped in a small amount of R134 and there is no compression. What's the difference in size between the R210 and the R206?

 

Morning Frank. The last figure of the 3 in the York naming convention is the capacity in cubic inches. So an R206R has a capacity of 6 and R210R has 10. There is a mid size R209 also…The first R denotes Rotoloc fittings, can also be (F)lange or (T)ube-O,and the last letter, either R or L is the suction side when looking at the compressor from the shaft end view.

a bit more detail here.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/328-york-compressor-r206r.38835/

I have seen a Sanden conversion somewhere for Maserati too, which is rather smoother running apparently, but really obviously non original. I see you are in Florida, so this is important stuff!


cheers. Mark

 

This is an important point Frank. You need to make a decision as to which is more important to you an original look or great long term functionality.
I don't know how original looking your car is at this point and if competition at a concours level is important to you?
The Sanden set up with all new hoses, fittings and valves will most likely give you the best performance but it's an immediate fail in a concours. You can always keep the original equipment stored separately for the next owner. I would recommend doing that.

Your "specialist should have never put R134 in the system unless it's knowingly and properly already been converted for it. The original charge is R12.

Research the newly manufactured York style compressors if you want to maintain that style but it is a now inferior type of compressor, time march on and way past that style of compressor. Even R134 is obsolete.
If you're going to try and have your existing compressor rebuilt find a specialist, not a local shop, who knows these compressors well.Replace the expansion valve and all hoses. You can also flush and pressure check the condenser and evaporator interdependently of the rest of the system so that you know what you're dealing with is in sound condition and contaminate free. Contaminates will kill any new system very quickly.
If your old compressor failed catastrophically (metal particles) then that's likely gone everywhere. The evaporator is in the dash, very specialized and likely to be the hardest to replace whereas the condenser typically sits ahead of the radiator in the engine compartment. Those are easier to have made and don't readily show in a concours inspection. You can also assiduously flush both of these devices. The receiver/dryer is also meant to catch and trap contaminates so make sure you replace that.

Good luck and success with your refurbishment because a beautiful exotic car with no AC is an enormous disappointment and one your mate and friends are less likely to want to travel in.

 

On my Bora I plan to install a Sanden compressor. Especially since the engine cage is down making it ease to get to the compressor. A Ghibli has a completely different setup as the compressor drives the water pump. I've heard of a Sanden compressor on a Ghibli but have never seen it myself. Given how important it is to make sure the cable that pulls the water pump does not wiggle, I would stay with a York unless the conversion kit has been fully tested.

I had my York compressor rebuilt by a company that specializes in vintage ACs but have not been able to get the AC to work. Since the car is a spyder I have not spent the time to debug it.

Ivan