Noisy A/C

[Darrell_Walker]

Well, my TR8 has been going strong for nearly 3 weeks, but yesterday when I got home there was a horrible grinding noise. I isolated it to the A/C compressor, in particular, whatever bearings are in action when the compressor clutch is disengaged. When the A/C is on it is OK.

I took the belt off, and it actually feels and sounds worse turning by hand than when it was running on the car. So I think I need new clutch bearings.

Checking the ROM, which dedicates quite a few page to the A/C system, it says:

COMPRESSOR CLUTCH
Remove and refit 82.10.08

Triumph spares supply the compressor and clutch assembly complete to be used as a replacement unit.
Clutch remove and refit is therefore not detailed in this Manual.
The four components of the clutch -
hubdrive plate
rotor and bearing
pulley
coil
- may be removed using special tools available from-

Robinair Montpelier Ohio U.S.A.

I'm going to check with a local AC/radiator shop, since it is a fairly standard Delco unit, they may be able to replace the clutch bearings.

 

[TR3driver]

Should be no problem. It's actually not a terribly difficult process, but does require a few special tools.

 

[Darrell_Walker]

Should be no problem. It's actually not a terribly difficult process, but does require a few special tools.

Thanks, I hope they can do it in place. There isn't much room in front, and I don't know how much the hoses should be flexed. But maybe evacuating/refilling the system isn't a big deal (for a properly equipped shop).

 

[TR3driver]

But maybe evacuating/refilling the system isn't a big deal (for a properly equipped shop).

It's not (assuming you don't want R12), but they'll likely tack $100 or more onto the bill for doing so. Getting into some seriously specialized tools (mostly the recovery unit & vacuum pump), plus time for a licensed technician. I dunno what freon costs these days, but I'll bet it's not cheap either (and most likely they will refuse to put back your old freon).

 

[Brosky]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]but I'll bet it's not cheap either (and most likely they will refuse to put back your old freon)[/QUOTE]

Which I would never do back in the day either, simply because, as you know, the oil is in suspension in the freon and if either are depleted or contaminated, there could be trouble down the road.

Today, with the EPA stuff going on, it's much worse for shops to handle this stuff.

 

[TR3driver]

No argument from me, Paul. I wouldn't expect a shop to do it on someone else's car.

But I've done it several times on my own and never had a problem. There's always some loss, so after putting back whatever I could save (including whatever oil got carried along with it), I always topped up with an ounce of oil & enough freon to partly fill the receiver.

 

[Darrell_Walker]

Stopped by an auto A/C shop. They of course don't have any listings for the TR8, nor does the DelcoAir part number cross-reference to anything. According to them, the main differences between the various R4 compressors is in the pulley, which of course is what is wrong with mine!

They can send the compressor out to be rebuilt, depending on what needs to be done (aside from the clutch bearing), it could run from $200 to $350. It will also be $175 to evacuate the system, and refill with R12. So $4-500.

 

[DNK]

That's bogus
IIRC the pulley can just be pressed on to a new one that is not that expensive


This from my files from a guy named Jay Snavely

I have just gotten the A/C on my 1980 TR8 fixed. All the PN references I had gotten seem to be invailid now. I located both the compressor and dryer at Pep Boys, of all places. They are as follows:

Compressor - New Delco #2406N - $279.99
Reman Delco #2233 - $158.99
I bought the new one, and it was almost a perfect replacement with the original. The fasteners may have been different.


Dryer - Visteon #540027 - $32.99
Again, a good fit. It does have a built in switch that the original does not have, but otherwise an exact replacement.

 

[TFB]

Refill with R12?Must be outlaw shop with old stash,R12 not made or sold since mid 90's,and I beleive illegal in all states.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

Nope, not illegal, just expensive. All shops are required to capture any "old" R12 and recycle it, so the recycled R12 is available. Looks like it's currently running around $40/lb:
https://www.southsidecontrol.com/acatalog...12_30_1088.html

 

[Darrell_Walker]

He also said they could take the pulley/clutch apart, and try to match the bearing. But that could run up near the low end of the rebuild cost.

 

[TFB]

Hey Randall,apparently you are quite correct,and I should have said no new R12 available,which would also be wrong as your $40/lb estimate got me thinking,and a quick look at ebay suprised me how many people are selling new cans of r12.
Time to dig out that 30# can I have somewhere in the basement as I no longer have any r12 systems.
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

$400 to change a bearing ?? Time to look for another shop!

Not sure how yours works, but on the last compressor where I had to change that bearing, there was a female thread in the center of the pulley, that the special puller threaded into. Remove the nut, thread on the puller, tighten the screw until the clutch pops off. I made the puller from a chunk of pipe & some bolts.

Then undo the big circlip on the other side (or maybe it was two of them), and use a small 3-leg puller to pull the bearing out.

 

[Darrell_Walker]

$400 to change a bearing ?? Time to look for another shop!

I think they were comparing it to the low end ($200) rebuild. And with the $175 charge to evacuate and refill (can't pull the pulley in place), don't want to do it again.

So far I'm not having much luck finding an auto a/c shop aside from this one. All of the listings are for places like Firestone and Meinke.

 

[DNK]

Get the compressor yourself. Have anyone do the refill.

 

[Darrell_Walker]

Get the compressor yourself. Have anyone do the refill.

I would, if I could find a part number!

The ROM says it is DelcoAir 1131063, but I can't find any listing for that. And I couldn't find the two you listed, either (New Delco #2406N, Reman Delco #2233).

 

[HerronScott]

I found that original post Don from June 2004.

Scott

 

[DNK]

I didn't join until Sept of 05

 

[HerronScott]

Sorry Don, I didn't mean here. I was searching for the part numbers and I found the original post to a team.net mailing list (see below).

Scott

///
/// buick-rover-v8@autox.team.net mailing list
///


From buick-rover-v8-owner@autox.team.net Tue Jun 8 09:39:40 2004
From: "jay snavely" <jays@paonline.com>
To: "TR8 List" <tr8@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>, <buick-rover-v8@autox.team.net>
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 11:20:52 -0400
Subject: A/C - new Part Numbers

I have just gotten the A/C on my 1980 TR8 fixed. All the PN references I
had gotten seem to be invailid now. I located both the compressor and dryer
at Pep Boys, of all places. They are as follows:

Compressor - New Delco #2406N - $279.99
Reman Delco #2233 - $158.99
I bought the new one, and it was almost a perfect replacement with the
original. The fasteners may have been different.

Dryer - Visteon #540027 - $32.99
Again, a good fit. It does have a built in switch that the original
does not have, but otherwise an exact replacement.


Jay Snavely
1974 TR6
1980 TR8

 

[Darrell_Walker]

I did some more searching using the two part numbers from that old post, and found a cross reference on the Delco site for the reman part (2233), it was listed as Delco 15-2232. That comes up as "COMPRESSOR ASM,A/C (REMAN)".

From that I found an application list, among them an 81 Buick Century. I looked that up at Napa, and came up with BRG 5908VAW as a part number for the "A/C Comp Clutch Bearing":

https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=BRG5908VAW_0075357425&An=599001+101981+50008+2008006&Ar=AND(P_RecType%3aA)

I also found that cross references to SKF 5908-VAW ($19.28 at Amazon).

So, does that look like the part I need?