Any recommendations A/C compressor

[RPOLS3]

Anybody have a recommendation on a place to buy a replacement A/C compressor for my 1972 Chevelle other than the standard local parts houses or Vintage A/C places? Compressor that is on the car now is not original so I am not replacing a numbers matching unit.

Thanks

Jake

[njsteve]

I've gotten mine at Rockauto.com.

The only problem with the GM A-6 compressors is that they <span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span> leak oil from the front seal which leaves a spray pattern under your hood. In 30 years of playing with these cars I have yet to get a new, rebuilt, remanufactured or original one that didn't leak oil. (if it doesn't leak oil it usually means it has none left).

[RPOLS3]

Thanks Steve - I've had pretty good luck with Rockauto over the years getting parts for the daily drivers.

The oil seal is exactly the problem with mine now - it has gotten so bad that it is time to replace. I installed a GM shield on the top side of the compressor (from a Buick I think) to minimize the spray on the underside of the hood but there is so much oil on the front frame rail that it drips a little on the floor. I guess that is the problem when you actually drive them - stuff wears out.

Jake

[njsteve]

Actually it's the opposite problem - the ceramic seals go bad from the compressors sitting on store shelves and the lubricant dries out and then from not getting burnished in correctly when finally installed. Since our cars don't get driven like they were when new (consistantly like a regular car) the seals don't ever seat and then leak from then on. Kind of like never running in a new set of piston rings and then the car burns oil forever.

[RPOLS3]

So we should drive them more! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif

[njsteve]

It's funny that the only one I got over the years that doesn't leak is the one I got from Rockauto for my Grandmother's '75 Firebird. (The one with the greasy original engine compartment). Typical - the one that doesn't need to be clean, stays clean.

http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr24/nk15268b/firebird75001c-1.jpg