Frigidaire A/C Compressor

[Chris Codd]

My compressor seized up today. Made some great smoke on the highway. Do they reproduce these. I'm looking for something original, or at least close to it. 

[Christian Doerk]

Thanks Paul. It's a completely rebuild A6 compressor. Even my original system in already converted to R134a. I'll use PAG 150.
So my AC will be ready for the trip to the GE2013 in Holland (http://www.cadillacclub.nl/ge2013/). Will you be there too?

I love this forum :)

[Christian Doerk]

Thank you for your help, guys. Paul, are you sure PAG 150 is the correct lubrication oil for the compressor, filled with R134a?

[Christian Doerk]

Hi guys, I have to change my compressor too. Now we can't find out what lubrication oil should be filled in the compressor when using R134a. Does anybody know it? When using R12 the manufacturer only writes 'mineral oil'. No information about using R134a and no specification like PAG-46, PAG-100 or PAG-150 etc. But in the paper which comes with the compressor, R134a is approved instead of R12.

[Chris Codd]

Jason, thanks for the heads up on the R134a. I didn't realize that they were phasing it out. Kurt, I can't argue with those details. That s6 compressor sounds like a pretty good product. It looks like I can order it in chrome, black, or natural too. Thanks for all the information everyone. 

[Jason Edge]

Good discussion on a topic that has not been covered much in the past.  I've added the following tags to the original post: compressor, "air compressor", "A/C compressor" "compressor repair", refrigerent, "compressor refrigerent", HFO-1234yf, HFO1234yf, R-134a, R134a, R12, R-12

[Jason Edge]

Yeah, I had meant to mention that the price for R134A  is starting to rise. If you remember right before R12 started really going up some of us had the forethought to stock up on it.  I bought a few cans, but thought back man I wish I had really stocked up on it when you could still get it everywhere for well less than $10 a can.

 Now is probably the sweet spot (or maybe semi-sweet spot) to stock up on the R134A since most newer cars we now drive use it and the switchover is really still early on in the US. With that in mind, and seeing the pending switchover to HFO-1234yf, I think I'll make sure I have a few extra cans of R134A on hand before it becomes very expensive like R12 did in what seems now like very short time.

[Kurt]

I'll throw out that there is also a drop in replacement for the A6 compressor: The S6 http://www.s6compressor.com/

I have never used one but a friend has one in his 79 LeSabre and swears by it. It is 1/2 the weight and 1/2 the drag of an A6. It looks very similar, just the clutch looks a little different.

I did not know that R134A is being phased out, That does explain why it is $15 a can now.

[Jason Edge]

Just keep in mind that R134a is being phased out and is being replaced by HFO-1234yf.  R134a has been deemed too harmful to the environment and was banned in Eurupe in 2011. It is my understanding that some GM cars have or will be switched over for the 2013 model years.

Point being, yes the R12 is expensive, but R134a is going up in priced, and not sure if spending a lot of time and effort to switch over in the late stages in "its life cycle" is the best course of action. There was good discussion on this at the Grand National Seminar that I had posted on YouTube. Might be worth watching again. Here's a link on Wiki discussing the new stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HFO-1234yf

[Jason Edge]

No difference in function,(or casting #) but difference in model #'s between the years and the fact they were on an embossed raised metal plate on the 63's and on a sliver sticker label in 64. I just threw this out in case you wanted to stay original. As you will see form the list other later & different year model #'s were used as replacements for the original 5910438 and 4910485.

[Chris Codd]

Hey Jason, is there any difference regarding the model #'s? I'll be there on the 15th, and check those out. Tony, is that an expensive switch to convert to 134a freon? I know the 134a freon itself is cheaper. What parts did you have to change to make it work?