Tractor a/c compressor

OK,I've changed a couple of air conditioners over to 134a with the kits from the auto parts store,worked fine,no problem,I've added gas when they got low. Now....I've got a 2-135 White that was changed over by the dealer seven or eight years ago. Last week,it was blowing warm,so I put a can in it and it started rattling,won't cool,compressor is no doubt junked. A new one isn't all that expensive from Worthington,but before I tie into it,I've got a few questions. They have oil in them don't they? What kind and is it hard to get? My son said he thought some of the cans of 134a had the oil in them. Should I just get another whole kit and put the oil in from that,or isn't there enough of it in one of those cylinders for a new compressor?
Any tips,like "don't even attempt it" would be apreciated.

comressors usually come with out oil. so you need to add it and add the correct type for 134 freon. You also need to replace the dehydrator/filter as well.

Here's the $64,000 question. What's gonna happen if I swap it out without changing the filter/dryer?

if it failed badly and contaminated the system with mettalic debris you will have further issues. If it uses an orifice tube that will need changed also as the screen will be plugged and keep it from cooling even if the compressor is working. If it uses expansion valve instead it too should be looked at to see of it is full of crap. The accumulator/drier should be changed if there is debris in the system, you can reuse it if old compressor did not blow chunks through the system. A note most places require replacement of drier and orifice tube for the new compressor to be warranted.

I replaced a compressor on my van that was trashed. It was recommended I flush out EVERYTHING with denatured alcohol and replace the dryer and filter. I was glad I did as everything was filled with metal. If you don't clean it out, you will just end up trashing another compressor. You might be able to get away with checking the old filter. If it is clean, perhaps you don't need to flush it, but I don't suspect it takes a lot of metal shavings to trash a compressor.

I don't know that much about these compressors,but my son took auto air conditioning 10 years or so ago at University of Northwest Ohio. He listened to it and said it sounded like it threw a rod? I'm asuming from that that it's a little piston pump? It still turns OK,gets hot,sure,but the whole engine does,the compressor isn't even running unless I turn it on,but when I do,except for the rattling,...what can I say,no smoke,it doesn't and hasn't seized up. It just sounds like a slip clutch,just not as loud.
I TOTALLY smoked one on a 4040 Deere one time. It's been longer ago than the roladex in my memory wants to go with any certainty,but I DO know I went to the salvage yard and got one off a combine. I brought that one home and put it on without changing anything else or flushing anything out. I had the neighbor,who does refrigeration work,recharge that one with synthetic R12. That experience led me to think this might not be too big of a deal.

You are the reason why guys that do every thing by the book and have a issue have to fight for any kind of warranty... sorry but that's the way I feel about it...

The compressor should have directions ask to read them before you buy and know its not as EZ as you think... Personal I very much dislike a loaded (oil) compressor...

At the minimum it would get a new compressor, suction and discharge hose, filter direr/accumulator, expansion device and condenser... I would not even start the job with out a good vacuum pump that will pull it down to 29" of mercury for at least a hour... If you can afford to loose the price of the parts and your labor is worth nuttin go for it...

new compressors come with PAG oil in them. if yours was a conversion, it probably has Ester oil in it. I would flush complete system with DuraFlush, available at NAPA. replce drier accumalator, if orfice tube style control valve replace it, if exspansion valve check it for debri and clean. If you know total system capacity when it ran R12, reduce it by 80% for R134. For oil, use a pag oil , use compressors recommend weight for it. use old R12 system capaicity for oil. split it up, if 8ozs, put 2 ozs in condensor, 2 ozs in evaporator, 2 ozs drier, 2 ozs compressor. Spin compressor shaft by hand after oil is put in so it coats evenly inside compressor so it does't liquid lock when first engaged. Put vacuum on system take it down to 29-30" for 20 minutes or so. The vacuum will boil out any moisture(H2O)in system, make it dry. Shut down vacuum pump, and then wait 5 minutes, and check to see that system holds the vacuum. if doesn't it has a leak. recommend putting 1/8th oz A/c dye in at this time makes it easier to find any slow leaks later in system. If system calls for 3 pounds freon,deduct 80%,(28.8ozs) then charge as close as possible with 12oz cans( 2cans). Ok to be low a bit, but not good to be over charged.First can will be sucked right in by vacuum in sysytem without even running compressor.
Best to get all info you need about old r12 capacities and use them. too much oil it won't cool, too little freon it won't cool well. put pencil thermomter in ducts in cab. if you get it down 45 to 50 degrees idling, and not moving you in the safe range for compressor.Why 80% you ask for freon...R134 compresses into a liquid at higher pressure, and exspands more volume back to a gas than r12.

(quoted from post at 18:42:08 07/13/11) Last week,it was blowing warm,so I put a can in it and it started rattling,won't cool,

Click to expand...

Did you put the can of freon in it with or without using "GAUGES"?? If without gauges I'll bet the rattling is from too much freon. Also several other things besides low freon can cause AC not to cool such as plugged orifice(exp. valve), dirty condenser,cab filter or radiator

I was talking to our captains on the fire department. His day job is working on ambulances for the local Hospital. The subject came around to air conditioners. He said the spec now is to run some eater and pag oil to lube the compressor even when using R-134. I told him I thought ester oil WAS NOT compatible with 134. He said well that is NOT the story NOW. PAG oil was NOT lubing the compressors so it is now recommended to run some of BOTH.

Kent

best way to charge is by weight, buy electronic scale, buy mainfold gage setup, buy freon in 30# jug, hang gages somewheres for evacuating and charging. Leave them there don't move till completely done. After evacuating and it holds, hook up freon jug to gage manifold(yellow), open jug valve crack line to jug at manifold to let residual air out. Now, theres a zero scale button on scale set it to"0". slowly open low(blue) pressure manifold vale connected to A/C low pressure port. then take you hands off of manifold setup, let freon go in till it won't anymore. Now start tractor turn on A/c and turn it to High/ and fan to high. Watch scale till it shows measured amout you want in A/c. turn off low pressure valve(blue) on Manifold gage FIRST, then turn off freon jug, and unhook it from manifold gage(yellow} put line off jug back on gage open port. Your system should be cooling well. If not, then theres a restriction somewhers in system. if it on high side after compressor but before before orfice tube/exspansion valve and the high pressure cut out switch for compressor isn't working you will hammer the compressor(extremely high pressure). if restrictions past orfice tube/exspansion valve, it will just remain as a gas., won't have compressor suction(low suction) of gas to change back to a liquid.