Basically how much work is this and what is the cost going to look like?
I have found a buyer for my jaguar, but he lives in Vegas, so his one condition is I help him figure out how to get the ac going. The ac compressor was seized up and removed and bypassed before I ever bought the car, and I don't think it has been converted to R134 yet either, so what all needs to be done and what is the most affordable way to do it. I have heard you can use a GM compressor and save some money, anyone know the part number or a good place to get a compressor and the other parts I'll need like the belt etc.

your advice and suggestions, as always, is much appreciated!

 

Wow! What a loser! Haha, I spelled COMPRESSOR wrong in the title, sorry.

 

Autozone or just about any other autoparts store should be able to get the compressor in a day or two. It's a common GM A6 compressor and its widely considered the best compressor ever made because of their capacity and reliability. One of the unique features is a wet sump oiling system. These compressors are heavy and have a large 2.25 Ton or 27,000 BTU capacity. If yours went south it was probably run dry at some point and may have sent metal into the system...Not a big deal because the filter drier is placed after the compressor so it likely caught any metal. So at a minimum you will need a new compressor & new filter drier. If you car is a series 3 you will need new the green O-rings for use with R134. Series 2 uses flair fittings which tend to leak. You will also need to remove the high side hose and condenser then flush them very well. You can check the expansion valve using compressed air to ensure it's not clogged. There may be significant residual oil in the evaporator core that needs to be removed as best as possible. A few good blasts with compressed air should get enough out but it would be best to remove the expansion valve and flush the evaporator core too. Then you can fill the R4 sump with ester oil which is compatible with and R12 & R134a oils. Reassemble the system, pull a vacuum and make sure it holds 30 in/mg for 30min using A/C gauges and a vacuum pump. Add the rest of the necessary oil quantity. Then recharge using R134 with 75% of R12 specified. So if the system took 4lbs of R12, charge it with 3lbs of R134a. The Jag condenser is way too small for R134 and your A/C performance above 80 degrees will be marginal at best off idle in slow traffic. Off the top of my head I'd say it's 300$ as DIY project.

150$ for the compressor
40$ for flush
60$ for 3 large cans of 134A
10$ for Orings
30$ to 60$ for the filter drier (log style filter/Drier on late 80's will be special order so factor in some lead time)
7$ for 8oz of ester oil.

 

wow very helpful, thank you. that's about what I was figuring on the price. sounds good.

 

Check around cause I found a GM A6 compressor for my Jaguar rebuilt on the internet for $154 with a warranty.
There are some differences among the compressors: superheat switch or not, and some have SAE and some have metric threads, so don't just buy any A6 and assume it will bolt right up.