This is for my 1991 LX 5 spd 2.2, 180,456 miles. I have an inoperative A/C system. It appears to have been inoperative for some time, as it has never been converted to R134. A poke of the valve stem revealed no gas at all in the system. I have converted several systems, so I plan to do a total reseal - o-rings and gaskets, receiver drier and expansion valve. This car appears to have the original compressor, and I'm debating about using it, or just replacing it for the sake of a complete system refresh. Keep in mind, I'm a cheap bast-rd, but Iunderstand spending enough money to do the job right. I feel like it's probably better to start with a new compressor plus the other parts, but what do the experts think? Convert and try the original, or deep six the original compressor and start over. Also, do the evaporator and condensor hold up ok?

Furthermore:
Who offers the best new/reman compressors? I work at Advance, and I don't think too much of our reman compressors. A new"Factory Air" brand replacement is about $260

 

why replace all those parts if they are ok ????? ( sounds like system is empty ) could be a hose .. add freon and some dye to locate where the leak is at .......I would repair only what is needed ..If you need to replace the compressor then i would replace the drier as well .and retrofit to R134a best time to do it when replacing the compressor ,.. . but not the exp valve if working ok ..i have seen several evap leak , if yours leaks then i would replace the exp valve while it is apart ,, condensor hardly ever go bad .
as for reman compressors i have had bad luck ,, after several months they go bad or leak,we tried to save customers money but it bit us on the butt ,,,,,, we have been using nothing but honda compressors because the non-hondas use to go out while still under warranty that we offered the customer on labor ( 1 yr-12k miles) and we had to redo the job free of charge on 1/2 dozen occasions ..But if you do the job yourself some of these non-honda compressors are lifetime warranty ,and i will be surprised if you find a complete compressor much cheaper than $200-250...
So to sum it all up .. first step, find out where the leak is at and go from there

let us know ..

 

I agree w/ DH. Honda compressors are tough, and you need to first test to see where the leaks are, and confirm compressor works. Even if compressor shaft seal leaks, there is a replacement seal that can be installed externally. I would definitely replace receiver-drier since system is at atmospheric pressure. You might pull the old receiver/drier and pour out the oil to check for metal contamination. This would indicate the compressor has or is failing.

I would replace all system orings at this time, even those on the evaporator expansion valve. I've had two Accords begin to leak by the evaporator expansion valve at around 12-14 yrs age. Orings on the brass/aluminum connections are damaged by a powder corrosion product that gradually accumulates and distorts the oring. Also removing the evaporator case allows you to clean the insides, which will have a substantial amount of dirt, leaves, hair, etc by this time.

If the compressor is bad, and you want to save some bucks go w/ a used compressor. Check ebay or car-part.com for good buys. I've done this 3-4 times w/ great success. Cost has been <$100 on all. I had one bad compressor from ebay and seller made good w/ a replacement.

If you need a compressor rotating seal, check ackits.com. They are also a good source for orings, nylog oring lubricant, and R134a lubricant (PAG orester oils). I've used the BAV-100 lubricant on two of my cars (Accord and Subaru) w/ excellent performance. They also have a double-end capped PAG, but I haven't tried that product.

I would be tempted to stay w/ R12. It is still readily available and would cool best on your Accord. Cost of R12 will not greatly affect your overall repair cost, perhaps $40-60 for R12 (check ebay or local auto parts store). You will need to get a EPA Section 609 "license" to buy the product. This cost $25 when I got mine to take a simple, open book test. Cost has gone down to $15. See link http://macsw.org/certification.php.

good luck