I need to replace my leaking shaft seal on my a/c compressor. What is the easiest way to get the seal out?

I have the pulley and clutch off and can look down the shaft, but there is a metal clip in the way.

I took off the top cover and there is a snap ring inside the compressor that would need to be removed to get to the seal.

What it boils down to is: Does the seal need to be installed from the outside of the compressor, or from the inside?

I attached a pic of my compressor setup (Denso). Thanks.



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This looks very much like the Hadsys compressor I have on my 94Ex. I removed and replaced the seal externally. I removed the seal by removing the snap ring and briefly slightly pressurizing the compressor internal body w/ shop air. Only a little is enough to eject the old seal.

I installed new seal by rolling a short section of thin 2-litre plastic soft drink bottle wall material into a tube and inserting through the seal. Note, the seal has a preferred insertion direction to avoid "rolling" the flap seal backwards. I lubed outside of rolled tube and shaft seal w/ AC compressor oil and slid the tube and seal down the compressor shaft, pushed the shaft seal into place, and then pulled the plastic tube out while holding the seal in place. This avoids sliding the shaft seal over the threads on end of compressor shaft and damaging the shaft seal lip on the shaft.

If your overhauling the compressor, I would suggest pulling the evaporator and replacing all the orings on the expansion valve as they tend to leak w/ age. I replaced receiver/drier and all connection orings also. Nylog oring lubricant is good to insure good seals.

good luck

 

I was planning on replacing all of the o-rings and the receiver/dryer. Should I replace the expansion valve while I am doing this, or should it be ok?

I just called ackits.com to order the seal, and they told me that I have to remove the upper cover of the compressor to install a new shaft seal on my Denso model (10PA17C).

There is a metal clip that looks impossible to remove from the outside of the compressor. I will try to take some pics when I get home to illustrate.

 

I'm assuming that the metal ring you are talking about is #4 in the picture? if so you can remove that by using two small screwdrivers, insert one into each hole and push them together to compress the ring this is known as the hard way in your back yard.... the other option is to buy a set of snap ring pliers, they're fairly cheap and they look like a normal pair of "needle" nose pliars except on the end is two little "prongs" that go into each side of the snap ring then you can compress and remove it... here's what they look like (this is a set of 5 for like $12.00...)

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SNAP-RING-PL...QQcmdZViewItem

 

If system was cooling OK before problem arose, no need to replace the expansion valve, but the rings that join expansion valve to the evaporator may be leaking or may begin to leak in future. W/ system open it's a good time to do this for many years of reliable AC. Also you can remove the inevitable debris and dirt inside the evaporator. If you see a large dirty, oily spot on the backside of the evaporator, it is likely a signal of leaking orings and not an evaporator leak if near a connection.

I used snap ring pliers to remove the snap ring retaining the seal.

good luck

 

SirNasty, the ring I mentioned before was circled in the pic that I thought was the shaft seal (it wasn't).

That ring slid out along with a cotton-like ring.

The shaft seal came out, but i had to open up the compressor and remove a snap-ring not pictured holding the seal from the inside (I have snap-ring pliers). On my Denso model, the hole going through the casing that holds the shaft seal isn't straight. There is a big lip in there and the shaft seal must be pulled in from the inside the compressor housing.

I put some pics of it.


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[quote]ORIGINAL: PAhonda

SirNasty, the ring I mentioned before was circled in the pic that I thought was the shaft seal (it wasn't).

That ring slid out along with a cotton-like ring.

The shaft seal came out, but i had to open up the compressor and remove a snap-ring not pictured holding the seal from the inside (I have snap-ring pliers). On my Denso model, the hole going through the casing that holds the shaft seal isn't straight. There is a big lip in there and the shaft seal must be pulled in from the inside the compressor housing.

I put some pics of it.

This is a different seal, a rotating carbon or ceramicelement that seals against a very smooth steel face on the compressor internal surface. No way to install externally. You should also consider new body orings or seals to insure no leaks from compressor body.

good luck

 

I'm getting ready to put the A/C system back together.

I am confused about how much oil to add to my original compressor. The shop manual does not give the total volume of oil needed for the compressor. It has a calculation to figure out the amount of oil to drain from the new compressor based on the volume of oil in the original.

Since my compressor was leaking, I have no idea how much was in there to start with. How much oil should I add?

 

Bump.

Should I just put 160 mL (~ 5 US-oz) in the compressor?

The calculation at the end of the shop manual is confusing.

Here are the details from my shop manual.

Condenser .................................. 25 mL (5/6 fl-oz, 0.9 Imp-oz)
Evaporator .................................. 40 mL (1 1/3 fl-oz, 1.4 Imp-oz)
Line or hose ................................ 10 mL (1/3 fl-oz, 0.4 Imp-oz)
Receiver/Dryer............................ 10 mL (1/3 fl-oz, 0.4 Imp-oz)
Leakage repair............................ 25 mL (5/6 fl-oz, 0.9 Imp-oz)
Compressor................................. For compressor replacement, subtract the volume of oil drained from the removed compressor from 160 mL (5 1/3 fl-oz, 5.6 Imp-oz), and drain the calculated volume of oil from the new compressor: 160 mL (5 1/3 fl-oz, 5.6 Imp-oz) — Volume of removed compressor = Volume to drain from new compressor.

 

Sorry for the delayed replies. I've been overseas on extended business trip and vacation and just back in town. I added all the individual amounts and got about 7+ oz. I used 8 oz as a round-off value and that amount has worked fine for me. I added a small amount in the compressor but most in new receiver/drier and condensor. It doesn't matter where you put the oil as long as you get it all in the system. It will redistribute w/i a minute or so.

good luck