Installation of New AC Compressor & Components

How did the old compressor fail? Some kind of internal failure or is it leaking?

The compressor in my '04 2WD started leaking last summer, and my replacement was relatively painless. From the shop manual:

2004 Workshop Manual said:

NOTE: Installation of a new receiver/drier is not required when repairing the air conditioning system except when there is physical evidence of contamination from a failed A/C compressor or damage to the receiver/drier.

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Mine was working fine until replacement, but was on borrowed time because it was leaking oil. I replaced it before it failed, and didn't bother with any of the other components. This was just over a year ago, and it has been working great ever since. I paid a shop to evacuate the system, replaced the compressor, use of borrowed vacuum pump and manifold gauge to pump the system down for an hour, and recharged.

The job took most of the afternoon once everything was done, but the compressor itself was swapped in about an hour.

Compressor is just leaking, no internal or clutch failure, you can see/feel oil at the seam that's towards the back and away from the pulley. It's the orig compressor, so 17 yrs is pretty good. Per the manual (and thanks TomB985), it's not necessary to replace the other components since it was just leaking. I was being influenced by the fine print located in the "info" portion on RockAuto. You've really got me thinking of doing just that, replace the compressor only.

TomB - did you have to make any shim (or other) adjustments to the compressor? How about oil, did you add any additional? I'm planning to buy the Motorcraft one and it's my understanding they come pre-filled but obviously I'll check that carefully.

BITUSA said:

Compressor is just leaking, no internal or clutch failure, you can see/feel oil at the seam that's towards the back and away from the pulley. It's the orig compressor, so 17 yrs is pretty good. Per the manual (and thanks TomB985), it's not necessary to replace the other components since it was just leaking. I was being influenced by the fine print located in the "info" portion on RockAuto. You've really got me thinking of doing just that, replace the compressor only.

TomB - did you have to make any shim (or other) adjustments to the compressor? How about oil, did you add any additional? I'm planning to buy the Motorcraft one and it's my understanding they come pre-filled but obviously I'll check that carefully.

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I bought a Four Seasons compressor from Rockauto.com, which also came pre-filled with oil. I filled the system with a 3-oz oil charge can when I recharged, and haven’t had any issues. I have no way of knowing how much oil leaked out of the system, in the shop manual recommended disassembling the entire system and measuring the amount of oil in each component. I have a couple of friends in the repair industry, and they told me it didn’t need to be that precise.

13 months in, no issues. You certainly want to avoid using the A/C until you get it fixed… Sooner or later you’ll lose enough oil to cause a failure, at which point you would have a much bigger problem.

BITUSA said:

TomB - did you have to make any shim (or other) adjustments to the compressor?

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Sorry to have completely missed this first time around.

Nope, I didn't do a thing the compressor other than bolt it in place and connect the lines. It was one of the easiest belt-driven accessory installations I've done, but I had more access from underneath than you would with a four-wheel-drive.

Thanks for the info, TomB. And thanks, too, 91Fox, for sharing your thoughts regarding a/c components. The main reason why I am planning to buy Motorcraft is because a few years ago I replaced my window regulator and went with a non-OEM part. I purchased Dorman, and it lasted just 13 months. But 91Fox is right, and I appreciate his perspective - Ford isn't manufacturing the component. I'll have to decide if the savings outweigh my prior poor experience.

Are there torque spec's or should I just tighten the compressor securely using blue thread locker? Same with the manifold/lines that attach to the compressor?

What about the expansion valve -- is that an easy remove/replace swap out if I decide to replace it?

Thanks, all. You're being a huge help to me.

BITUSA said:

Thanks for the info, TomB. And thanks, too, 91Fox, for sharing your thoughts regarding a/c components. The main reason why I am planning to buy Motorcraft is because a few years ago I replaced my window regulator and went with a non-OEM part. I purchased Dorman, and it lasted just 13 months. But 91Fox is right, and I appreciate his perspective - Ford isn't manufacturing the component. I'll have to decide if the savings outweigh my prior poor experience.

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That’s a tough one. I’ve had bad experience with aftermarket components, but sometimes the price difference seems worth the gamble to me. But like you, I’ve been burned in the past. Using my normal rule of “is it worth my time to replace this thing again if it fails” I would have picked Motorcraft. But I was also in a different financial position a year ago.

Are there torque spec's or should I just tighten the compressor securely using blue thread locker? Same with the manifold/lines that attach to the compressor?

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What about the expansion valve -- is that an easy remove/replace swap out if I decide to replace it?

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That is something I can’t speak to.

Thanks for the torque spec's TomB985!

I go with 91Fox here with the aftermarket. I believe the MC quality might be better but replacing my Escape compressor with aftermarket saved 100's of $ and 7 years later it all seemed to work very strong. Vacum is important to keep the compressor from failing, and take your time when making all the connections. I did find some videos on youtube that show the exact process and should help in the decision making process. My wife till today (9 years now) gives me some grief for working on the cars. It does get better the more you do yourself.

Hamfisted - thanks for the manual, greatly appreciated!

Go back to the shop with the AC machine. Tell them you bought all the parts and have second thoughts about doing the job yourself. They may do the job for the labor and new refrigerant. A Expedition has rear AC and almost 4lbs of refrigerant. My compressor went. The shop was able to save 2.8lbs. This stuff is not cheap. Oil has to be added also. The shop that did mine gave me a 90 day warranty and 1yr on the compressor. You may go through all this work and it could fail. Then you will be back at the same same shop, with an empty wallet. Sometimes in life, you have to pay the freight.