OK. Got a new York compressor, dryer, expansion valve and O rings. I'm gonna flush the entire system before installing said parts. So. Does anyone have reference as to how much system oil is required in a virgin A/C system? Not the oil that goes in the York crank case, but the oil added to the system to lubricate the compressor valves etc. The crank case oil is separate and doesn't really mix in the system. Maybe a minuscule amount but not much. My service manual doesn't really address this question. Any help is appreciated.
No additional oil should be added to the system beyond what is required in the compressor itself. Adding any oil in excess of the compressor's oil capacity will reduce cooling efficiency and raise system pressure. A new compressor may or may not have oil in it when you receive it. The instructions should state whether it does or whether you need to add it (and the amount/type).
This is interesting as there is a kit available for specifically adding oil to the A/C system. Not the crank case but the system. Mind you the amount is only a couple of ounces or so. So now I'm confused (which isn't hard to do)!
I just went through this on my '87 328. Attached is the service manual for the York compressor(s). It gives specific guidance on what to do about oil: "If the quantity of oil is unknown, the compressor oil level must be checked at the time of installation and again after the system has been fully charged with refrigerant and the system has been operated and balanced out to the desired compartment interior temperature." I feel like it's easier to land the SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage than it is getting these right. Craig
A USA 328 would have a York. As the instructions state, oil is added to the compressor, NOT injected into the system. If the compressor has the correct amount of oil, adding more oil will cause problems. The only way to know the oil level in the compressor is, as per York, checking the level in the compressor. You can't add oil to the compressor by injecting it into the system.
Holy Cow! Thanks Craig. I am replacing my York on my BBi. The original Aspera was not on the car when I purchased it. I see the manual you provided (thanks again!) is from TCCI who now manufacturers the York compressor in Illinois. I got a TCCI R210R (original compressor was an R206 as in the 308 and 328 I would suppose) for my car only to find the crank case oil fill was located on the wrong side of the compressor. After installation it would be on the bottom vs the top as it should be. So, I returned it. I then sourced a Valeo (yeah, made in China) R210R but it was identical to the old York I removed with oil fill ports on both sides! I emptied the PAG oil out of it in a measured container and replaced it with Mineral Oil for R12 which I'm going to use. The BBi owners manual called for approx 22 mm (not cc's or a liquid amount!) of oil when the sump is sticked with the compressor on its side. The York was filled to this level. However, the new "York" had 1 pt. in it from the factory, so that's the amount I replaced with the mineral oil. Perhaps the excess(?) is the amount that finally lubricates the entire system. With that in mind I'm choosing not to add any extra oil to the "system". Again, thanks for the info.
