All, The AC in my '87 328 is dead. Filled it with R12 and it worked for a while but leaked out about 24hours later. I'm going to redo the whole system (Compressor, Dryer and hoses). Can anyone recommend an AC shop in the Bay Area (preferably the Peninsula - Palo Alto, Redwood City)? I'm looking to either have them do everything or source the parts (specifically the hoses). If there's a shop someone has worked with and can recommend for F-Cars, I prefer to give them my business rather guess and hope for the best. Greatly appreciated. Craig
You have a leak somewhere. Best to go to an AC shop and use a sniffer to pin point the leak. Once the leak is fixed then evac and refill the system. I use this dinky shop in Belmont a few times with excellent results. They have R12 and R134. HowardAveRadiator auto repair heating and air conditioning service Price is good and only $45 for a diagnosis, which can be used towards a repair. The shop looks dirty but they are quite good about not marking your interior. The tech is honest and they are up front. I saved a little money by finding parts online myself and installing it at home. Their prices are reasonable but AC parts are definitely not cheap.
most likely its the seal on the nose of the shaft.... I've been using Bill for 30 years... he's done radiators-for me- ranging from the 166MM to 330P cars...in more modern cars...several 288s, and all cars metal tanked until full plastic tank implementation. A/C can be as complicated and expensive as you wish...practical realiries will be explained to you by Bill...just because you spennd a ton and change everything, doesn't insure anything other than a huge invoice/bill! FWIW..
That shop on Howard is in San Carlos, up the road from Redwood City. Work is of good quality and prices are fair not great. Bill made an AC hose for me for about $100. Cleaned and pressure tested an oil cooler for $150. For your problem, I would take it there and tell them to FIND the leak, fix it, and recharge it. Expect $150 if just a seal, and $500 if a hose or two is needed.
@craiggo Did you find a good A/C shop in the Bay Area for your 328. I am looking for a shop that can check out my '89 328 a/c.
Probably overkill, but if you're in a total bind, try ISSIMI Mechanica. Gianluca is a former service manager at FSV and his team are all pretty amazing.
