Hey guys!

Haven't been around for a few months, My XJS has been getting repainted in a effort to solve a paint problem that has extended over several years and two shops and a couple of strip to bare metal jobs. All I want is a blemish free, flat, orange peel free finish. Am I reaching for the stars?....anyway, it is looking pretty good now. We shall see how it looks in a year.

My other problem always seems to be A/C ---lots of work.

Anyway, my A/C was actually working the best it had when I dropped it of a couple of months ago ....., when I picked up the car from the shop and A/C was warm. Had to add two cans of R134 to get it to work. So I added some dye and I see some glow add a metal hose juncture (probably an o ring) and sadly also by the compressor pulley. Not a lot, but very small amounts. The compressor is OEM, only a couple of years old.

So should I get a new compressor, or is there any reason why freon would be purging from that area?

Thanks

 

Spike
It depends on the extent of the compressor leak. The seal has dried out through lack of use, this being a real problem with all aircon compressors if not used regularly. In your position I would leave it until the car is being used regularly, then, replace it as soon as the gas pressure drops by 30% from spec.

No need to explain how I know all this!

Greg

 

Thanks for your reply--and the car was actually at the shop 3 months-during which the A/C was never turned on.

So are you saying there is a change the seal will actually seal again? Like a said, there are very faint traces of "glow dye" but it's definately leaking.

 

Yes, there is a good chance, no more, that once you start using it assuming that is from now on, the seal will stop leaking and aircon will work Ok. Just a matter of how long it takes to lose 30% or so of the gas. At that point it is a new compressor, sad to say. In the winter if the car is not used, it is a good idea to start the car and run the aircon for 15 minutes once a month. The seal dries out somehow, apparently if not used.

Greg

 

Very odd and unusual indeed.

When I bought my 2nd 96 XJS, the a/c didn't work. I replaced the comdenser, which ended up being the cause of the leak as well as the drier and an expansion valve.

I have had no problems with it whatsoever and I probably only use the a/c a couple of times a year. I know I should run it more often, but I don't often get to it.

It is a daily driver, so perhaps that has something to do with it? In any case, I think a new compressor should have outlasted a couple of months of non-use. You probably got a leaky compressor.

I would definitely replace that hose when your refrigerant discharges in the future, and look for a new compressor in the meantime. I wouldn't limit myself to the OEM this time.

I know you already know this, but a leak sealer should not be considered.

 

Thanks Vee.

Do you have any type of climate control on? If you have the heat on and the "manual" button of, it could be that your compressor is running anyway to keep your cabin at the desired temperature.

Anyway, I probably need to get underneath the car and see if the compressor if leaking a lot from underneath to try and gauge how to proceed. Some people swear by having their compressors rebuilt at a local place, so that is also something I will have to figure out

 

I assume the compressor only comes on when I have the AC button on. When heat is needed in the winter, sometimes I press the AC button as well.

I rarely use the Manual button.

 

Hello Spike,
Painting isn't Rocket Science. If the preparation has been carried out correctly, the spray equipment being used is in good condition and appropriate for the material being used, then a good, long lasting paint finish should result. Many shops use the least costly methods and material, and in general car repair situations, when the job is turned over fairly quickly, they get good results. However, when a full respray is concerned, particularly when a full restore is being carried out, then the selection of material and the way its handled is important.

For example, Etch Primer over bare metal is OK if its covered within a short time period. However, if Etch Primed and then let sit uncovered for weeks whilst other work on the vehicle is carried out, then you could have trouble down the track. I prefer to use Epoxy Primers from the start on such jobs to avoid these issues.

Regards,

Brent

 

Thanks for your reply.

My problem always seems to be that the paint looks wavy. Two reputable shops have stripped the car to bare metal and I still don't have that perfect flat mirror reflection from every angle that I want. They have wet sanded and wet sanded even the base coat but to me it doesn't look like it should. It's no orange peel but almost a like tiny waves. I have now given up. If two very reputable/high end shops can't get it right, then I am going to assume that I am wanting something impossible. I am definately not taking it to a third shop unless I win the lottery or something. Just gotta
Learn to live with it

 

[QUOTE=Vee;1261787]I assume the compressor only comes on when I have the AC button on. When heat is needed in the winter, sometimes I press the AC button as well.

I rarely use the Manual button.[/QUOTE
If you don't have it in "manual" then the compressor is probably still kicking on to regulate the internal temperature. I bet your compressor is kicking in pretty regularly.

 

Hello Mark,
Good panel and paint finish is not a dream. I do metal finish restoration work, mostly on E Types, but have the occasional XJS in the works. The shape of an E Type is a little more forgiving than the sharp angular shapes of an XJS, but we still sand primer coast using long flat backing for the abrasive paper, on all of the long straight panels, and backing that somewhat matches the shape of the highly shaped components of the body, when sanding these areas. What you're describing sounds like panels that have been rubbed using hands only to back the abrasive paper and finger grooves have been rubbed into the surface.

Its stands to reason that if flat backing is used with the abrasive paper, any minute high in the surface will be brought down to corresponding lows to produce a flat, ripple free surface. This is particularly important with panels as flat as those of an XJS. Even though we get the panels very correct before primer is applied, we still use long, flat boards to back the abrasive so that minute ripples aren't created in the primer and subsequent coats.

Regards,

Brent

 

I thought the purpose of the manual button was to disable the temperature sensor that corrects the temperature of the output air to meet the temperature setting on the dial.

I thought the purpose of the AC button was to turn the compressor on to aid in the temperature call.

What does the manual button do?

[QUOTE=Spikepaga;1262108]

 

A friend of mine in south Florida, who owned a restoration shop (Roy Sines Antique Autos, Ft. Lauderdale 70's & 80's),once told me could paint a car with a brush and wet sand it to a show car finish. It was all in the preparation before the first coat of color was shot. I saw many of his customer’s cars completed, never a run, orange peel, wavyfinish, or dull spot. Some colors look so deep it was almost 3D. He only used red oxide and gray primers alternating for each layer, with multiple layers and wet sanded each layer and the finish color coats again multi layers with wet sanding between each layer before the final buffing. The key is the foundation on which the color is applied. This was way before clear coat finishes...

 

Hey there guys.

As far as the paint is concerned, the car has been to two high end shops in Houston that do lots of high end cars and have been in business for a long time.

I can't possibly imagine that my luck both of these places are just posers that do bad prepping and bad work. Add to that the fact that almost every car show I go to I see tons of cars with the same problem, it seems like my expectations are that of a 30k paint job that will take many many many hours to perfect. This is the best that I can get for under 15k. Either that or I have been made a fool twice.

They are going to wet sand the car one more time to see if that helps, but if the pat is any indicator I probably won't be completely happy with the outcome.

 

Perhaps these pictures capture some of my grievances :

 

Paint job is looking good. as for /C, like Greg said it may go away and seal once in use. Even with my everyday cars I run the A/C in the winter at least once a month to keep the seals from drying out. as far as my XJS since I have been cleaning, checking and rewraping and relocating wires, and cleaning parts and ALL connections, (a job since last OCT) I am replacing my AirCon compressor and hoses and such

 

The more I look at the car, the more disturbed I am. It's really a terrible paint job, IMO. It seems that only a 35k dollar paint job will do what I want