The York and Tecumseh inline twin cylinder compressors are still the best automotive and truck compressors ever made. As the professor said, as long as you keep oil in them they will keep on working. There are 60 year old York and Tecumseh compressors that still work like they did when new, because they were maintained. Eventually, after enough years and/or miles (or hours), the front seals will start leaking to an unacceptable degree. A new T/CCI seal kit is about $70, and is fairly simple to install. The rear crankshaft bearing retainer is sealed with a Neoprene o-ring, and sometimes they will leak with age and heat. These are a bit more difficult to replace because the bearing is a press fit in both the retainer and onto the crankshaft. this job is best done on the bench, and the entire compressor should be re-sealed in that case. It is ALWAYS best to re-seal your otherwise well-functioning compressor vs taking the chance on a parts store reman. New compressors are still made in the USA by T/CCI, in the same manufacturing facility where York, and then Borg Warner, made them. There are also cheap Chinese-made clones available. Avoid them at all costs! They have neither the durability nor longevity of the T/CCI or original York units. Many are noisy right out of the box, have excessively leaky front seals, or other issues. Spend the extra money on a real T/CCI. They arent all that much more expensive, and will outlast 10 Chinese clones. If you want a deal, check Ebay. NOS and surplus brand new T/CCI compressors are common on there. Prices range from around $150 to $250 or a bit more. New units are around $300 without a clutch to $450 with clutch. Be careful when shopping, as many sellers will show a T/CCI compressor in their pics when they are actually selling a Chinese clone. If the listing says "T/CCI style" compressor, it is a Chinese clone. If it says "T/CCI (York style)" then it is probably the genuine deal. When in doubt, ask. A real T/CCI compressor will say "T/CCI Manufacturing" at the bottom of the nameplate, with the "T/CCI" part being in the form of their logo. There is usually, but not always, a sticker on the back with a USA flag that says "Made In USA". Again, don't cheap out and get a Chinese clone. You will regret it. You're also supporting the Chinese government rather than hard working Americans. Don't do that. The professor uses a 12pt box end wrench on the service valves. There are square drive ratcheting wrenches available at AC supply houses and online that are designed for these valves, and wont slip if the valve stem has large radii on the corners. When hooking up gauges and opening the valve, do NOT open to the true mid position. You only need ½ to 1 turn off of the back seated position for the gauges to read properly. This will prevent the flow through the valve and into or out of the compressor from being restricted. The only time you want to be to the true mid position is for recovering or evacuating the system. In this case, count the turns between the front and back seated positions, then rotate the stem exactly half that number of turns from either the front or back seated position. Do not let anyone convince you to replace the "old, obsolete, power hungry" York or Tecumseh with a "new whiz-bang modern "rotary" compressor" (usually a Sanden). With the exception perhaps of the "old" part, everything about a statement like that is false. Modern hermetic and semi-hermetic reciprocating AC and refrigeration compressors are the same basic reciprocating design as the York and Tecumseh. You will never find a stationary compressor using a swash or wobble plate driving axially mounted pistons. There are many reasons for this, both economic and engineering. Suffice it to say, the important aspects of any compressor is performance and longevity. Very desirable aspects include servicability/repairability/remanufacturability, efficiency, compactness, light weight, and low NVH. When it comes to performance, longevity, and service/repair/remanufacturability, the York design (and Tecumseh, although parts are no longer made) beat any axial recip, rotary, or scroll AC compressor. They are also very efficient. They arent as compact or light as an axial recip, but that doesn't matter much for their original applications. Same goes for NVH, although with a solid mounting bracket, belt drive arrangement, and mufflers on both suction and discharge these comoressors don't create very much NVH. What the above boils down to is this: if you have a vehicle that was originally equipped with a York or Tecumseh, KEEP IT! Don't convert it to a Sanden, Denso, Seltec, or other axial recip. Unless you use a large axial, like an A6 or Seltec TM21HX, or perhaps a Denso 10x20 (where x is a letter code determining the exact style), you won't match the impressive refrigerating capability of the York/Tecumseh. Although the largest York and Tecumseh compressors are 170cc displacement, their excellent valve configuration and wide open internal porting gives them excellent volumetric efficiency. Thats why they can have the refrigerating capacity of an axial compressor with 30-40cc more displacement. They also have very tight piston to head clearances and little dead space, which improves VE even further. As far as power consumption goes, they don't actually use any more power than any other compressor OF EQUIVALENT REFRIGERATING CAPACITY. I put that in caps because it is important. Sure a Sanden SD7H15 will use less HP, but that's because its displacement is 155cc vs 170cc for the York 210 and Tecumseh H1000. Actually, given their relatively high isentropic efficiency they are more efficient than many axial recips. That also gives them more refrigerating capacity per cc at the same input shaft speed. Yorks typically have somewhat larger pulleys than a typical axial recip, so they spin a bit slower. Thus, while their capacity is higher than most axial recips, it's not as high as it would be if it had the same smaller size pulley. As mentioned, these compressors, especially with R-12 (this goes for any AC system - 134a sucks by comparison regardless of the compressor, and R-1234yf is absolute dog's breath), have a LOT of refrigerating capacity and will flat freeze you out on all but the hottest days in the SW or hot, high humidy days elsewhere. Even under those conditions they will do better than any "modern" system. Replace them with a Sanden SD7 and you wont get that kind of performance. BTW, all of the above goes for the Chrysler V2 and RV2 v-twin compressors. The V2 and RV2 have larger bores and a shorter stroke compared to a York or Tecumseh. Displacement is comparable, however. They use more conventional "finger" style reed valves rather than large radial valves like the York and Tecumseh. That said, efficiency is likewise high thanks to the large bore allowing three intake and three discharge reed valves per cylinder. So, like the York and Tecumseh, they breathe well and move a lot of gas.
I forgot to mention one important thing on these compressors: make sure to run them for a few minutes at least once a week. That will keep the front seal lubricated. The seal rides on a very thin film of oil. This oil both lubricates the seal and actually does the sealing. Over time, the refrigerant under pressure in the crankcase will slowly force the oil out from between the carbon and the lapped iron that it rides on, and it will leak. Worse yet, the next time you start the compressor the carbon will be running dry on the cast iron. This will eventually damage the seal and prevent it from sealing, even with oil. This applies to all compressors with carbon face seals, not just the York and Tecumseh. That includes pretty much all compressors made before the 80's. In the 80s, lip seals started widely replacing face seals in automotive AC compressors. The lip seals should also be run for a few minutes every week for maximum sealing, but they are more tolerant of dry starts. They lose their oil much more slowly, and dont leak nearly as much even if the oil is gone. They are good seals, but they have a couple drawbacks vs carbon face seals. First, their overall lifetime tends to be less. Not short by any means, but not as long as a maintained carbon face seal. Second, because they are designed to ride directly on the shaft they will often wear a groove in the shaft, or cause an eroded low area where the seal rides. Eventually this, combined with wear of the seal itself, will result in leakage. And since the shaft is damaged, a new seal wont fix it. The only option, if available, is a Speedi-Sleeve. But, as said, that assumes one is made for the size of the shaft. I doubt that is the case. If the shaft cannot be economically repaired, then the compressor must be replaced, even if it otherwise works fine. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Teflon rings, the bores themselves, and/or the valves are worn enough to leak at this point, so the compressor no longer pumps efficiently enough for acceptable performance. Because these are inexpensive axial compressors they are disposable, so you toss it and get a new one. That's modern economics for you.
@@WTFChuk Hey Chuck, i even had to login to congratulate to you, that you nailed so many actual background info into this one little post. For example our government (with ours i mean the German stupid politicians) doesn't care for that damn LowFrequence noise of wind turbines that are robbing quiet sleeping.. And you just mention it - as a fact in a sideline - that really makes my day 🙂 Beside i like using the RV2 compressors (also as a retrofit in non AC cars) for years
Great informative video Professor. I love that you mentioned the york compressor on your 85 Grand wagoneer I have the same one on my 86 GW but not blowing any cold air and looks like it was never converted to r134 Do you recommend a conversion kit I can use that will not break the bank? Or if I decide to have a shop do it what should I make sure the do or use? Thanks in advance 🙏🏼
Dear professor, thanks for these interesting videos. I am from Germany owning a 67 Mustang with OE cast iron A/C compressor and looking for a kind of how to maintain these parts. Beginning from what type of oil to lubricate the compressor, intervals, but also what bearings I should look after from time to time, anything an owner should know to be able to do maintenance to keep these old parts working... Thanks a lot in advance Joerg
The oil depends on the refrigerant you are using. If you are using R-12, then you should use a naphthenic type mineral oil with a viscosity of ISO100 (500-525 SUS). The standard oil would be Suniso 5GS. Calumet RO50 and Nu-Calgon C-5s are direct replacements for Suniso 5GS. Now, all that said, these compressors are pretty insensitive to oil viscosity and type. So, an ISO68 mineral oil like Suniso 4GS, Calumet RO30,Nu-Calgon C-4s, Texaco Capella WF68, or similar would also be fine. R-12 systems can also use alkylbenzene oils, which are synthetics that are designed to work with HCFCs and CFCs. BVA makes an ISO100 AB oil for Bitzer screw applications that works very well. However, the more common ISO68 viscosity AB oils will also work fine. If you're using R-134a, then you need to use either a PAG or POE (ester) oil. Again, you typically want ISO100, but a high quality ISO46 like the excellent Idemitsu Hermetic Oil 134a or Idemitsu Hermetic Oil 1234yf (which is fine for 134a use according to Idemitsu) will also work. There are various ISO100 PAG oils available. You can even use an ISO125 PAG. As I said, these compressors arent very picky when it comes to viscosity. I've seen them used for stationary low temp use running ISO32 mineral oil (Suniso 3GS) and R-12, and they were decades old. PAG oils are great as long as the system is completely clean of chloride residues. If not, or if you aren't sure, then its not a good idea to use regular PAG oils. You can use double-end-capped PAGs like the Idemitsu product, but most if not all ISO100 and ISO125 PAG oils are single-end-capped, which leaves a reactive uncapped molecule that chlorine can attack. In these cases, you are better off running a POE oil. Typically, the POE (ester) oils sold for automotive use are all ISO100, and so dont usually even list the viscosity on the bottle. Of course, they usually don't list the manufacturer either, as pretty much all of them are just repackaged product made by a big lube oil manufacturer. For these reasons I prefer to use Emkarate RL100H. Unfortunately, that oil is only available in gallon (or 4 liter on your side of the pond) containers, making it quite expensive. The RL68H is available in quarts over here, so it may be available in liters over there. Otherwise, Im sure there are other brands of POE oils available to you. If you dont want to go to the trouble to source the stuff from a refrigeration supply house you can always get the automotive stuff. If its a reputable brand it should be OK. As for intervals, there is none. In theory the oil is good for as long as the compressor lasts. Mineral oil, in particular, undergoes interesting chemical changes in the presence of CFCs or HCFCs, catalytic metals (mainly iron), pressure, and heat. These changes actually create chlorinated hydrocarbons which have excellent AW and EP properties. So, mineral oil that has been in use for some time is actually better than virgin oil. Alkylbenzene doesnt do this to much of an extent, and of course HFCs like 134a don't contain chlorine so no such reaction is possible in such a system. POEs can be used with R-12, but again because of their specific chemistry they wont react with chlorine in the way that mineral oils do. Now, all that said, if I were replacing a front seal, I would first run the engine at 1500RPM for 15-20 minutes to sweep most of the oil back to the compressor. Then, id either isolate the system with the service valves or recover the refrigerant, change the seal, and then drain as much oil as possible from the compressor and refill it to specs. This can be done on or off the vehicle, whichever is easier. Otherwise, unless for some reason I have to open the system AND its been running for at least 10 years or more, I would not change the oil. Remember, AC systems dont get contaminated with combustion products like engine oil does. And they experience very, very little wear as long as they have adequate oil in them. Mineral oil will degrade at high temps, and the synthetics will do so at even higher temps, but as long as your condenser fan is working and condensing pressures are in the OK range then the oils will be fine. Mineral oil will slowly darken due to several reasons, but this is normal. If it gets black, then it is breaking down due to excessive discharge temps. Molasses color or lighter is fine as long as it doesnt smell burnt. Again, this will only happen if discharge pressure, and this discharge temps, get too high due to a faulty fan clutch, dirty condenser, or extreme ambient temps (think Middle East or North Africa with 120+ temps and a marginal condenser and/or fan setup). Of course, none of this is relevant for R-134a, since PAG and POE oils are extremely stable even at high temps. The main thing to watch for with these oils is moisture in the system. This will cause POE oils to hydrolyze, and isnt great for PAG either. Make sure the system is evacuated to at least 1000 microns of vacuum, with 500 microns being much more desirable. And make sure you have a good receiver/dryer installed. The Chinese receiver/dryers seem to be pretty variable. If possible, I go onto Ebay and look for a NOS Parker receiver/dryer that will work in your application. The exact part is most desirable, of course, especially if you want your car to be 100% factory appearing. But often you can find a Parker unit that is the same diameter, and close enough in height to work. As long as the fittings match, other minor variations like a service valve or pressure relief valve dont really matter. The thing that matters most is that the desiccant inside is bone dry. This is where receivers with a "dry eye" that changes color depending on moisture is really nice. As for bearings and such, you should never need any internal parts as long as you keep oil in it. Remember, compressors only lose oil if there is a refrigerant leak. In this case, you're losing expensive refrigerant as well. So, find and fix all leaks, then make sure the system has the proper quantity of oil in it, evacuate, and recharge. Typically the only part that eventually wears out on a properly maintained compressor (besides the clutch and clutch bearing) is the front seal. New ones made by T/CCI are the best. You can get generic ones on Ebay. Sometimes you can find real T/CCI ones on Ebay as well (part number is 488-25274). Another place to get them is any place that sells Cessna or Beechcraft airplace parts, as these manufacturers both used York and T/CCI compressors for their planes equipped with AC. I think they used the York type compressors because they wont stall and lock up the engine if the clutch or clutch bearing seizes. If that happens, the compressor simply runs. This isnt the case for most types of compressors where the clutch bearing rides on a stationary boss rather than the crankshaft. Anyway, over here the airplane parts houses actually have better prices on the T/CCI seal kits than auto AC parts outlets do!
@@abdul-kabiralegbe5660 Thank you! I probably got carried away with my reply, but I wanted to be thorough. Information on older recip compressors is surprisingly scarce on the internet.
Hi I have 1964 lincoln Ford compressor. The small snap ring that hold the inner bearing does it have to fit into a groove or does it just snap tight to the shaft?
I have a 1970 Ford with a Tecumeh compressor that has a small leak on the side opposite the valves. Looks like it is secured in place with a C clip. Know where I can find that seal?? Thanks in advance.
Teslas, like all EVs and hybrids, use semi-hermetic electric compressors that are designed to run off of the vehicle's battery voltage. It is probably a scroll, although it could be an axial recip. They are all variable speed to control evap temperature and maximize efficiency. While the compressor itself is quite efficient, the R-1234yf refrigerant isn't. Thus, the overall system efficiency is pretty mediocre. Of course, any newer vehicle with an IC engine also runs R-1234yf and thus has the same disadvantage. In their case, however, they directly use the mechanical energy generated by the combustion to drive the compressor, whereas an EV uses energy that has been fairly inefficiently stored in batteries whose rare metals were mined by child slave labor in Africa, which was in turn manufactured by slave Uyghur labor in China (or is that iPhones? Probably both?). That electricity was in turn delivered over a lossy power grid after being generated by a large AC alternator which is most likely driven by either a natural gas fueled gas turbine engine or a steam turbine driven by steam that is generated by boiling water using the combustion of coal. Of course, there is a 21% chance that the steam is generated by splitting of U-235 or Pu-239 atoms in a reactor. Or, a couple percent chance that it came from a "renewable" source. Like a Chinese-made solar panel in a solar farm that permanently casts hundreds of acres of land in shade, making it useless as a habitat. Or perhaps from a Chinese-made wind turbine, as it chops up birds and generates LF acoustic energy that causes illnesses in any creature within range of the sound, and is a blight and eyesore on our landscape. Eventually it wont be a problem though, as slowly increasing EV sales and their need for large amounts of electric power coupled with nuclear power plant and coal plant shutdowns and an overtaxed electrical grid will probably perpetuate a blackout or dozen. Or, at the very least, "rolling blackouts", just like every supposedly First World country should enjoy so as not to appear snobbishly superior to their third world counterparts. Until then, at least we can enjoy AC using our new, low-GDP, "mildly flammable", trifluoroacetic acid creating, astonishly expensive "Climate Friendly" refrigerant R-1234yf!
@@WTFChukI appreciate your comment. Unfortunately I don’t believe majority of the voting populace has the mental acumen to do anything beyond regurgitate the basic engineered talking points parroted in main stream media, and will ultimately fail to realize they themselves are the true enemy to freedom.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 87 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องชัย vs โชคปรีชา"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YN6e7HVnekw/mqdefault.jpg)
The York and Tecumseh inline twin cylinder compressors are still the best automotive and truck compressors ever made. As the professor said, as long as you keep oil in them they will keep on working. There are 60 year old York and Tecumseh compressors that still work like they did when new, because they were maintained. Eventually, after enough years and/or miles (or hours), the front seals will start leaking to an unacceptable degree. A new T/CCI seal kit is about $70, and is fairly simple to install. The rear crankshaft bearing retainer is sealed with a Neoprene o-ring, and sometimes they will leak with age and heat. These are a bit more difficult to replace because the bearing is a press fit in both the retainer and onto the crankshaft. this job is best done on the bench, and the entire compressor should be re-sealed in that case. It is ALWAYS best to re-seal your otherwise well-functioning compressor vs taking the chance on a parts store reman.
New compressors are still made in the USA by T/CCI, in the same manufacturing facility where York, and then Borg Warner, made them. There are also cheap Chinese-made clones available. Avoid them at all costs! They have neither the durability nor longevity of the T/CCI or original York units. Many are noisy right out of the box, have excessively leaky front seals, or other issues. Spend the extra money on a real T/CCI. They arent all that much more expensive, and will outlast 10 Chinese clones. If you want a deal, check Ebay. NOS and surplus brand new T/CCI compressors are common on there. Prices range from around $150 to $250 or a bit more. New units are around $300 without a clutch to $450 with clutch. Be careful when shopping, as many sellers will show a T/CCI compressor in their pics when they are actually selling a Chinese clone. If the listing says "T/CCI style" compressor, it is a Chinese clone. If it says "T/CCI (York style)" then it is probably the genuine deal. When in doubt, ask. A real T/CCI compressor will say "T/CCI Manufacturing" at the bottom of the nameplate, with the "T/CCI" part being in the form of their logo. There is usually, but not always, a sticker on the back with a USA flag that says "Made In USA". Again, don't cheap out and get a Chinese clone. You will regret it. You're also supporting the Chinese government rather than hard working Americans. Don't do that.
The professor uses a 12pt box end wrench on the service valves. There are square drive ratcheting wrenches available at AC supply houses and online that are designed for these valves, and wont slip if the valve stem has large radii on the corners. When hooking up gauges and opening the valve, do NOT open to the true mid position. You only need ½ to 1 turn off of the back seated position for the gauges to read properly. This will prevent the flow through the valve and into or out of the compressor from being restricted. The only time you want to be to the true mid position is for recovering or evacuating the system. In this case, count the turns between the front and back seated positions, then rotate the stem exactly half that number of turns from either the front or back seated position.
Do not let anyone convince you to replace the "old, obsolete, power hungry" York or Tecumseh with a "new whiz-bang modern "rotary" compressor" (usually a Sanden). With the exception perhaps of the "old" part, everything about a statement like that is false. Modern hermetic and semi-hermetic reciprocating AC and refrigeration compressors are the same basic reciprocating design as the York and Tecumseh. You will never find a stationary compressor using a swash or wobble plate driving axially mounted pistons. There are many reasons for this, both economic and engineering. Suffice it to say, the important aspects of any compressor is performance and longevity. Very desirable aspects include servicability/repairability/remanufacturability, efficiency, compactness, light weight, and low NVH. When it comes to performance, longevity, and service/repair/remanufacturability, the York design (and Tecumseh, although parts are no longer made) beat any axial recip, rotary, or scroll AC compressor. They are also very efficient. They arent as compact or light as an axial recip, but that doesn't matter much for their original applications. Same goes for NVH, although with a solid mounting bracket, belt drive arrangement, and mufflers on both suction and discharge these comoressors don't create very much NVH.
What the above boils down to is this: if you have a vehicle that was originally equipped with a York or Tecumseh, KEEP IT! Don't convert it to a Sanden, Denso, Seltec, or other axial recip. Unless you use a large axial, like an A6 or Seltec TM21HX, or perhaps a Denso 10x20 (where x is a letter code determining the exact style), you won't match the impressive refrigerating capability of the York/Tecumseh. Although the largest York and Tecumseh compressors are 170cc displacement, their excellent valve configuration and wide open internal porting gives them excellent volumetric efficiency. Thats why they can have the refrigerating capacity of an axial compressor with 30-40cc more displacement. They also have very tight piston to head clearances and little dead space, which improves VE even further. As far as power consumption goes, they don't actually use any more power than any other compressor OF EQUIVALENT REFRIGERATING CAPACITY. I put that in caps because it is important. Sure a Sanden SD7H15 will use less HP, but that's because its displacement is 155cc vs 170cc for the York 210 and Tecumseh H1000. Actually, given their relatively high isentropic efficiency they are more efficient than many axial recips. That also gives them more refrigerating capacity per cc at the same input shaft speed. Yorks typically have somewhat larger pulleys than a typical axial recip, so they spin a bit slower. Thus, while their capacity is higher than most axial recips, it's not as high as it would be if it had the same smaller size pulley.
As mentioned, these compressors, especially with R-12 (this goes for any AC system - 134a sucks by comparison regardless of the compressor, and R-1234yf is absolute dog's breath), have a LOT of refrigerating capacity and will flat freeze you out on all but the hottest days in the SW or hot, high humidy days elsewhere. Even under those conditions they will do better than any "modern" system. Replace them with a Sanden SD7 and you wont get that kind of performance.
BTW, all of the above goes for the Chrysler V2 and RV2 v-twin compressors. The V2 and RV2 have larger bores and a shorter stroke compared to a York or Tecumseh. Displacement is comparable, however. They use more conventional "finger" style reed valves rather than large radial valves like the York and Tecumseh. That said, efficiency is likewise high thanks to the large bore allowing three intake and three discharge reed valves per cylinder. So, like the York and Tecumseh, they breathe well and move a lot of gas.
Hi Chuk, thanks for the great comments and thanks for watching.
@@ProfessorPentane Thanks!
I forgot to mention one important thing on these compressors: make sure to run them for a few minutes at least once a week. That will keep the front seal lubricated. The seal rides on a very thin film of oil. This oil both lubricates the seal and actually does the sealing. Over time, the refrigerant under pressure in the crankcase will slowly force the oil out from between the carbon and the lapped iron that it rides on, and it will leak. Worse yet, the next time you start the compressor the carbon will be running dry on the cast iron. This will eventually damage the seal and prevent it from sealing, even with oil.
This applies to all compressors with carbon face seals, not just the York and Tecumseh. That includes pretty much all compressors made before the 80's. In the 80s, lip seals started widely replacing face seals in automotive AC compressors. The lip seals should also be run for a few minutes every week for maximum sealing, but they are more tolerant of dry starts. They lose their oil much more slowly, and dont leak nearly as much even if the oil is gone. They are good seals, but they have a couple drawbacks vs carbon face seals. First, their overall lifetime tends to be less. Not short by any means, but not as long as a maintained carbon face seal. Second, because they are designed to ride directly on the shaft they will often wear a groove in the shaft, or cause an eroded low area where the seal rides. Eventually this, combined with wear of the seal itself, will result in leakage. And since the shaft is damaged, a new seal wont fix it. The only option, if available, is a Speedi-Sleeve. But, as said, that assumes one is made for the size of the shaft. I doubt that is the case. If the shaft cannot be economically repaired, then the compressor must be replaced, even if it otherwise works fine. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Teflon rings, the bores themselves, and/or the valves are worn enough to leak at this point, so the compressor no longer pumps efficiently enough for acceptable performance. Because these are inexpensive axial compressors they are disposable, so you toss it and get a new one. That's modern economics for you.
@@WTFChuk
Hey Chuck, i even had to login to congratulate to you, that you nailed so many actual background info into this one little post. For example our government (with ours i mean the German stupid politicians) doesn't care for that damn LowFrequence noise of wind turbines that are robbing quiet sleeping..
And you just mention it - as a fact in a sideline - that really makes my day 🙂
Beside i like using the RV2 compressors (also as a retrofit in non AC cars) for years
Have a York on my 67 Ford XL convertible works great other then you know when it kicks on and the belt can vibrate it works fine
This video was very helpful, thank you!
Great informative video Professor.
I love that you mentioned the york compressor on your 85 Grand wagoneer I have the same one on my 86 GW but not blowing any cold air and looks like it was never converted to r134
Do you recommend a conversion kit I can use that will not break the bank? Or if I decide to have a shop do it what should I make sure the do or use?
Thanks in advance 🙏🏼
Dear professor, thanks for these interesting videos. I am from Germany owning a 67 Mustang with OE cast iron A/C compressor and looking for a kind of how to maintain these parts. Beginning from what type of oil to lubricate the compressor, intervals, but also what bearings I should look after from time to time, anything an owner should know to be able to do maintenance to keep these old parts working...
Thanks a lot in advance
Joerg
The oil depends on the refrigerant you are using. If you are using R-12, then you should use a naphthenic type mineral oil with a viscosity of ISO100 (500-525 SUS). The standard oil would be Suniso 5GS. Calumet RO50 and Nu-Calgon C-5s are direct replacements for Suniso 5GS. Now, all that said, these compressors are pretty insensitive to oil viscosity and type. So, an ISO68 mineral oil like Suniso 4GS, Calumet RO30,Nu-Calgon C-4s, Texaco Capella WF68, or similar would also be fine.
R-12 systems can also use alkylbenzene oils, which are synthetics that are designed to work with HCFCs and CFCs. BVA makes an ISO100 AB oil for Bitzer screw applications that works very well. However, the more common ISO68 viscosity AB oils will also work fine.
If you're using R-134a, then you need to use either a PAG or POE (ester) oil. Again, you typically want ISO100, but a high quality ISO46 like the excellent Idemitsu Hermetic Oil 134a or Idemitsu Hermetic Oil 1234yf (which is fine for 134a use according to Idemitsu) will also work. There are various ISO100 PAG oils available. You can even use an ISO125 PAG. As I said, these compressors arent very picky when it comes to viscosity. I've seen them used for stationary low temp use running ISO32 mineral oil (Suniso 3GS) and R-12, and they were decades old.
PAG oils are great as long as the system is completely clean of chloride residues. If not, or if you aren't sure, then its not a good idea to use regular PAG oils. You can use double-end-capped PAGs like the Idemitsu product, but most if not all ISO100 and ISO125 PAG oils are single-end-capped, which leaves a reactive uncapped molecule that chlorine can attack. In these cases, you are better off running a POE oil. Typically, the POE (ester) oils sold for automotive use are all ISO100, and so dont usually even list the viscosity on the bottle. Of course, they usually don't list the manufacturer either, as pretty much all of them are just repackaged product made by a big lube oil manufacturer. For these reasons I prefer to use Emkarate RL100H. Unfortunately, that oil is only available in gallon (or 4 liter on your side of the pond) containers, making it quite expensive. The RL68H is available in quarts over here, so it may be available in liters over there. Otherwise, Im sure there are other brands of POE oils available to you. If you dont want to go to the trouble to source the stuff from a refrigeration supply house you can always get the automotive stuff. If its a reputable brand it should be OK.
As for intervals, there is none. In theory the oil is good for as long as the compressor lasts. Mineral oil, in particular, undergoes interesting chemical changes in the presence of CFCs or HCFCs, catalytic metals (mainly iron), pressure, and heat. These changes actually create chlorinated hydrocarbons which have excellent AW and EP properties. So, mineral oil that has been in use for some time is actually better than virgin oil. Alkylbenzene doesnt do this to much of an extent, and of course HFCs like 134a don't contain chlorine so no such reaction is possible in such a system. POEs can be used with R-12, but again because of their specific chemistry they wont react with chlorine in the way that mineral oils do. Now, all that said, if I were replacing a front seal, I would first run the engine at 1500RPM for 15-20 minutes to sweep most of the oil back to the compressor. Then, id either isolate the system with the service valves or recover the refrigerant, change the seal, and then drain as much oil as possible from the compressor and refill it to specs. This can be done on or off the vehicle, whichever is easier. Otherwise, unless for some reason I have to open the system AND its been running for at least 10 years or more, I would not change the oil. Remember, AC systems dont get contaminated with combustion products like engine oil does. And they experience very, very little wear as long as they have adequate oil in them. Mineral oil will degrade at high temps, and the synthetics will do so at even higher temps, but as long as your condenser fan is working and condensing pressures are in the OK range then the oils will be fine. Mineral oil will slowly darken due to several reasons, but this is normal. If it gets black, then it is breaking down due to excessive discharge temps. Molasses color or lighter is fine as long as it doesnt smell burnt. Again, this will only happen if discharge pressure, and this discharge temps, get too high due to a faulty fan clutch, dirty condenser, or extreme ambient temps (think Middle East or North Africa with 120+ temps and a marginal condenser and/or fan setup). Of course, none of this is relevant for R-134a, since PAG and POE oils are extremely stable even at high temps. The main thing to watch for with these oils is moisture in the system. This will cause POE oils to hydrolyze, and isnt great for PAG either. Make sure the system is evacuated to at least 1000 microns of vacuum, with 500 microns being much more desirable. And make sure you have a good receiver/dryer installed. The Chinese receiver/dryers seem to be pretty variable. If possible, I go onto Ebay and look for a NOS Parker receiver/dryer that will work in your application. The exact part is most desirable, of course, especially if you want your car to be 100% factory appearing. But often you can find a Parker unit that is the same diameter, and close enough in height to work. As long as the fittings match, other minor variations like a service valve or pressure relief valve dont really matter. The thing that matters most is that the desiccant inside is bone dry. This is where receivers with a "dry eye" that changes color depending on moisture is really nice.
As for bearings and such, you should never need any internal parts as long as you keep oil in it. Remember, compressors only lose oil if there is a refrigerant leak. In this case, you're losing expensive refrigerant as well. So, find and fix all leaks, then make sure the system has the proper quantity of oil in it, evacuate, and recharge. Typically the only part that eventually wears out on a properly maintained compressor (besides the clutch and clutch bearing) is the front seal. New ones made by T/CCI are the best. You can get generic ones on Ebay. Sometimes you can find real T/CCI ones on Ebay as well (part number is 488-25274). Another place to get them is any place that sells Cessna or Beechcraft airplace parts, as these manufacturers both used York and T/CCI compressors for their planes equipped with AC. I think they used the York type compressors because they wont stall and lock up the engine if the clutch or clutch bearing seizes. If that happens, the compressor simply runs. This isnt the case for most types of compressors where the clutch bearing rides on a stationary boss rather than the crankshaft. Anyway, over here the airplane parts houses actually have better prices on the T/CCI seal kits than auto AC parts outlets do!
@@WTFChuk Thanks! You truly went above and beyond!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@@abdul-kabiralegbe5660 Thank you! I probably got carried away with my reply, but I wanted to be thorough. Information on older recip compressors is surprisingly scarce on the internet.
I'd be interested in how to convert the york compressor to 134a. thanks for the video!
Can you add oil using the bleeder port?
Hi I have 1964 lincoln Ford compressor. The small snap ring that hold the inner bearing does it have to fit into a groove or does it just snap tight to the shaft?
I have a 1970 Ford with a Tecumeh compressor that has a small leak on the side opposite the valves. Looks like it is secured in place with a C clip. Know where I can find that seal?? Thanks in advance.
Professor, where might I get a seal kit for a 1973 inline Tecumeh?
I’m wondering how a Tesla model Y compressor works and how much more efficient it is.
Teslas, like all EVs and hybrids, use semi-hermetic electric compressors that are designed to run off of the vehicle's battery voltage. It is probably a scroll, although it could be an axial recip. They are all variable speed to control evap temperature and maximize efficiency. While the compressor itself is quite efficient, the R-1234yf refrigerant isn't. Thus, the overall system efficiency is pretty mediocre.
Of course, any newer vehicle with an IC engine also runs R-1234yf and thus has the same disadvantage. In their case, however, they directly use the mechanical energy generated by the combustion to drive the compressor, whereas an EV uses energy that has been fairly inefficiently stored in batteries whose rare metals were mined by child slave labor in Africa, which was in turn manufactured by slave Uyghur labor in China (or is that iPhones? Probably both?). That electricity was in turn delivered over a lossy power grid after being generated by a large AC alternator which is most likely driven by either a natural gas fueled gas turbine engine or a steam turbine driven by steam that is generated by boiling water using the combustion of coal. Of course, there is a 21% chance that the steam is generated by splitting of U-235 or Pu-239 atoms in a reactor. Or, a couple percent chance that it came from a "renewable" source. Like a Chinese-made solar panel in a solar farm that permanently casts hundreds of acres of land in shade, making it useless as a habitat. Or perhaps from a Chinese-made wind turbine, as it chops up birds and generates LF acoustic energy that causes illnesses in any creature within range of the sound, and is a blight and eyesore on our landscape. Eventually it wont be a problem though, as slowly increasing EV sales and their need for large amounts of electric power coupled with nuclear power plant and coal plant shutdowns and an overtaxed electrical grid will probably perpetuate a blackout or dozen. Or, at the very least, "rolling blackouts", just like every supposedly First World country should enjoy so as not to appear snobbishly superior to their third world counterparts.
Until then, at least we can enjoy AC using our new, low-GDP, "mildly flammable", trifluoroacetic acid creating, astonishly expensive "Climate Friendly" refrigerant R-1234yf!
@@WTFChukI appreciate your comment. Unfortunately I don’t believe majority of the voting populace has the mental acumen to do anything beyond regurgitate the basic engineered talking points parroted in main stream media, and will ultimately fail to realize they themselves are the true enemy to freedom.