split_window

The original compressor in my factory AC 63 has gone belly up again. I've had a local shop try to rebuild it unsuccessfully. Classic Auto Air in Tampa rebuilt it, but I only used the AC system a handful of times before the compressor went solid.
I know the housing ID is out of round, so the shop I send it to will have to be able to correct that problem.
For what it is worth, I live in Texas, but am willing to ship the compressor to whatever shop can get the job done right.

Any suggestions?

Slick64

Vintage Air http://www.vintageair.com/contact.asp in SA

or

Classic Auto Air in Richland Hills http://www.classicautoair.com/Contact.asp

split_window

Despite their name, Vintage Auto Air deals with NEW systems of their own design. From their Contact page:
* Please Note: Vintage Air, Inc. does not provide replacement parts, repair information, or retrofit data for Factory-installed or Original Equipment (OE) Air Conditioning systems.

Classic Auto Air has already taken me for a couple hundred bucks without fixing the problem.

Silver '65

If someone has a recommendation for a good one in the Central Texas area, I'd sure like to know about it, myself.

I've spent well over $3K trying to get my factory A/C to blow cold, and about given up.

Powershift

Another place to try is Old Air Products in Fort Worth, Texas. They have been around for many years, and have been a long-time advertiser in Hemming's Motor News. However, I do not have personal experience with them. They sell older AC products, custom systems, and also offer a rebuilding service.

Phone (817) 531-2665. Website is http://www.oldairproducts.com

Larry

67vetteal

Old Air is an excellent choice as they enjoy an a very good reputation. I spoke with the owners at length at the SEMA show two years ago and they are very knowledgeable as to the workings of our systems. They are the only company I know of that sells the correct Expansion Valve for our cars.
I recommend a complete flushing of all components when a system is evacuated and opened to the environment. It's a simple procedure and as with anything it helps to start with a clean system. Do yourself a favor and Google "ACForum.Com". Do some time studying R-12 systems and use the search term "Mitch". Al W.
(Fred, Premature Compressor failure is most often caused by "Black Death" or contamination of the system. Search this term at the ACForum.com).

split_window

I have gotten a couple of votes for Old Air Products, so I am going to give them a shot with my compressor. I emailed them and was told to be sure to send the clutch with the compressor because they bench test their rebuilds before they are sent back to the owner.

This is good to hear because I seriously doubt that Classic Auto Air bench tested my compressor. The local shop that installed it warned me that the assembly seemed overly tight to them. Since they did not do the rebuild and because they had had problems attempting to rebuild it, they just went ahead and installed it anyway.

To your point Al: They did evacuate the system, then vacuumed for 30 minutes and held it for about 45 minutes. They normally don't vacuum or hold the vacuum for nearly that long, but they wanted to be sure that their work was NOT the reason that the system failed. Let's just say that they had a sneaking suspicion that something was not right.

My car is getting an extensive refreshening starting in the late fall, so I am going to hold off on getting the compressor rebuilt until the time is right. I don't want the compressor sitting on the shelf developing flat spots on the elastomers.

Thanks to all for the input!

67vetteal

Fred, Evacuating and Flushing are two different functions. Flushing removes debris from failed components such as your compressor. Evacuating is a test for leaks and it removes moisture. I leave my system in vaccuum overnight to test it. 45 minutes may be good for the shop but I'd recommend a bit longer. Al W.