V5 A/C compressor teardown / re-seal...

[davida1_hiwaay_net]

Pictures of teardown and re-seal of Harrison V5 air conditioning compressor. These are very common on the 60°V6 engines. They are very costly as a remanufactured unit. The parts to re-seal them are about $30.

I did this write-up for another forum but figured it would have interest here.

I started with this unit. I had it on my 1972 Chevy Nova until it started leaking around the housing o-rings. It still cooled fine, it would just lose freon over about a 2 month period. It will go on a 2.8 carburetor engine in an older a-body car. I will be changing the pulley to a vee-belt pulley.


First, remove shaft nut and install compressor clutch hub puller.


Remove clutch hub, making sure not to lose the key!


Remove the snap ring that retains the pulley to the compressor.


Install a puller, making sure the puller bolt ONLY presses on the neck of the compressor, NOT the shaft. The socket sits on the neck, protecting the shaft.


The pulley off. I will be changing this out for a vee-belt pulley.


Now use the puller on the clutch magnet.


OFF with the clutch magnet!


Nasty looking. Will need to clean this SPOTLESSLY clean before opening it.


After a few minutes with the Purple Soap and pressure washer, it's all clean!


Remove the external parts. Take out the compensating valve and the oil plug.


Remove the bolts that hold the compressor together.


Use a soft hammer (or block of wood) and drive off the rear housing.




Remove the valve plate and inlet reeds.


Take the old gasket off the valve plate.


Clean the valve plate and reed by hand with red scotch brite and brake cleaner.


Place them in a clean place. Cleanlinss is CRITICAL to this success.


Brace the shaft on a block of wood, then drive off the front housing by hammering down on the mounting ears.


Be careful the shaft doesn't pull out of the barrel and rotating assembly. If this happens, all the pistons will pop out and it will be a pain in the butt to get it all back together.


Note the thrust bearing and thrust races.


The two o-rings on the barrel housing are the ones that were leaking on this compressor.


Clean the o-ring grooves very thorougly and carefully. Place barrel and rotating assembly in a clean place. Do not allow it to get dirty or it will be irreparably damaged.


Now, remove the snap ring, shaft seal, and o-ring.


Out of there!


Next, clean the housings. Pay close attention to the areas where the o-rings slide in and seat. These areas must be free of all dirt, pitting, and damage. The roller bearing must be blown dry with air and immediately oiled before placing the cleaned housings in a clean place.


On the rear housing, the compensating valve bore may be corroded like this.


Use a tube brush, then a tube brush wrapped in Scotch Brite to clean this bore.


Place the new green o-rings on the barrel,lube them with silicone paste. Then install the thrust bearing and front housing.


Housing should push on by hand. If not, the dowel pin may not be lined up.


Now set the inlet reed on the barrel. It only fits one way.


Now the valve plate. The holes in the center only line up one way.


Insert 2 housing bolts. One must be in the SMALLEST hole in the barrel and plates. This is the alignment bolt for assembly. Install the new gasket over the bolts.


Start the 2 bolts by hand. Press the housing together BY HAND allowing the bolts to slide and guide the segments of the compressor. Do NOT draw it together with the bolts.


Should push t0gether like this:


Put thread sealant on the undersides of the bolt heads, and on the threads. Use it very sparingly.


Install and tighten bolts, and your compressor should look like this.


Remove old o-rings from compensating element.


Install new o-rings on the compensating element.


Lube it with silicone paste and pop it in! Then place the snap ring in place.


Now for the shaft seal. First, install the o-ring into the spotlessly-clean compressor neck.


Now, take the CLEAN shaft seal thimble and install on the shaft.


Lube it with silicone paste, and install the seal, LIP TOWARDS COMPRESSOR, using a deep socket. It should press in smoothly by hand.


Should look like this:


Remove the thimble and install the snap-ring. Sealing complete!


Clean and inspect the electromagnet coil. No cracks or broken pins in the connector!


Set it on the compressor, lining the connector up with the flat spot where it was originally aligned.


Drive it down, using a punch or extension.


It should be completely flush.


Now, clean all rust, paint, and grime out of the pulley in the area where the magnet fits. This pulley already has a new bearing or else I would change that too!


Put grease in the bearing bore and on the compressor neck. Tap it on the compressor and isntall snap ring. If it is tight, tap carefully on the bearing INNER race with a brass punch.


Clean and inspace the clutch hub. This is for a V5. You can tell by the triangle-shaped counterweight. The other compressors have a non-counterweighted hub.


Mount the hub installer. NEVER drive hub on with hammer, it will destroy the compressor. Drive it about half way and then take the installer tool off. Inspect to make sure the key is in place. If the key falls out and gets trapped under the hub, it will destroy the new shaft seal, and possibly the housing.


Press the hub on with installer, until there is about a paper's width of gap.


Key is in place.


Install the shaft nut. Not all compressors have this nut. It does not retain the hub, it only keeps the key from walking out.


Vacuum test. All ports plugged except for one. Pulled it down to 30"Hg and it holds vacuum overnight!


New connector. This is going on a carburetor 2.8 engine. I am converting it to this car and need the correct connector. This is also why I put a vee-belt pulley on there.




This is all the old junk! Nothing wrong with the compressor other then the seals and gaskets.


The part numbers of the parts used are:
Santech MT2120 - body seals and o-rings
4 Seasons 440-630 - shaft seal, o-ring and snap ring
The compensating valve o-rings were in my o-ring set but not included in the above kits.

Remember the V5 requires a fill of oil through the port in the side. It takes 9 ounces of PAG 150 oil.

Hope this clearly explains the disassembly and re-assembly of the V5 compressor!

Later,
David

[pocket-rocket]

Very very nice write up. I know I've wanted to avoid that $300 price tag for one of these babies, but I've never priced the parts for one to reseal it.

[davida1_hiwaay_net]

Very very nice write up. I know I've wanted to avoid that $300 price tag for one of these babies, but I've never priced the parts for one to reseal it.

Thanks!

I got the kits off eBay but with the Santech part number, Advance Auto can order it.

Also, the special tools used all came from Auto Zone and Advance Auto. They may still rent them, but for sure still sell them. Same tooling used for V5, HR6/DA6, R4, and most of the newer compressors on the Chevy trucks.

Later,
David

[pocket-rocket]

I've already got the clutch plate puller, I got it off of ebay years ago. Before the Pep Boys in Mishawaka closed down, they had one in stock and I got impatient waiting for one to come in the mail, so I bought one there too. The ones I got off of ebay (one was the V5, the other a Ford) were NAPA brand ones, and I don't recall the brand of the Pep Boys one.

[bszopi]

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