Should I Be Cheap?

[Peter Brown]

...and buy a rebuilt AC compressor at a 50% discount?
Or pay the 200 for a new one?
Any input is greatly appreciated.
All The Best,
Peter

 

[JExpedition07]

Don’t bother with a rebuild. Fly without it until you can buy a new one because they are never done right

 

[thesavo]

Isn't the install cost of either going to be the same? What's that cost, or are you doing it yourself?

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Hamfisted]

...and buy a rebuilt AC compressor at a 50% discount?
Or pay the 200 for a new one?
Any input is greatly appreciated.
All The Best,
Peter

That is one job you don't want to revisit or skimp on parts. A factory new Motorcraft compressor from Rock Auto is about $300. I would spend it.
If you are doing the job yourself remember to swap in the mount hole guide sleeves to the new compressor. Most don't come with them and you need them to ensure the compressor is mounted square with the block so the belt lines up squarely.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...6,heat+&+air+conditioning,a/c+compressor,6628

 

[TomB985]

That is one job you don't want to revisit or skimp on parts. A factory new Motorcraft compressor from Rock Auto is about $300. I would spend it.
If you are doing the job yourself remember to swap in the mount hole guide sleeves to the new compressor. Most don't come with them and you need them to ensure the compressor is mounted square with the block so the belt lines up squarely.

As usual, this is great advice from Hamfisted. This is one of the few components that causes lots of damage to other things when it fails, which makes it among the last things I would go cheap on. You would probably be fine with a rebuilt unit, but I would have a lot more faith in a brand-new one.

I went through this last summer and didn't spring for the OEM Motorcraft unit. I got a brand-new Four Seasons compressor for $100 less and have had no issues so far.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AEUZXO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Plati]

IMHO .. I usually buy the "good" parts, but there are cases where I buy Harbor Freight (for example). Depends on your personal situation. It's a quite aged Expy - how long do you want it to last? Do you plan to sell it soon? How much risk do you like to take? You're not in Florida, so you don't need a/c all year. Are you tight for cash so saving a few bucks is important? Stuff like that. My own 2003 I'm just trying to keep on the road for the next <6 months?> at a time and I put as little ca$h into it as I can get away with. I have no personal knowledge about a/c parts so this is just a generic answer. If I'm going to go to all the time and expense of refurbing a complex system like a/c ... I wouldn't want to be penny wise and pound foolish. If that applies here.

Reminds me of that tire sidewall gash from last week.
Of course that was safety so I ALWAYS err on the side of safety with that kind of question.

 

[rjdelp7]

I paid $190/w a 1 yr warranty. A bad compressor can let debris into the system. Make sure they change the part with the filter.

 

[lbv150]

All my older vehicles get OEM parts where still available. Nothing beats the quality.

 

[CountrySplatt]

I have only purchased a rebuilt A/C once...and it lasted about a month before it started putting shavings in the lines and caused a catastrophic failure. It was in an old Toyota MR2, which doesn't fully apply here...but I learned my lesson. I bit the bullet and paid the extra to get OEM on my Expy about 4yrs ago, and it is still running strong.

 

[TobyU]

Tough call. So many brands are so much worse than they used to be.

I don't just trust Motorcraft because it says motorcraft on it either.

I actually prefer a going to junkyard and pulling an original one myself over a new or re-man one.
This is also even cheaper and I have never had a bad on this way.

You get to inspect what it is on and see if it is original or replacement cheapie and see if inspect other things about the ac system in the car.

I spin then by hand and feel the suction and output from ports and can tell a good strong one.

Fairly quick and easy to replace a compressor.
Make sure you add some oil to it (PAG 46 IIRC) and pump it down well.

I always spin it over by hand or put a 1/4 inch ratchet on the front bolt and turn it 20-30 times to pump oil and allow all air to move so vacuum pump pumps it down to fullest potential.

Then charge up.

Ive done the whole job on some cars in about and hour. Used to get compressors for 35.00. Now at LKQ they aren't much higher than that now.

Worth the risk in my opinion and I have never been burned. I have had lousy 4 seasons and everco ones though.

Also, replace the orifice tube when the system is open.

 

[riphip]

If you buy new, GDP is a good manufacturer. Don't know where they are made but has been good on my '86 Ford Diesel A/C. I quit using 4 Seizins & Evercrap products long ago.

 

[TobyU]

If you buy new, GDP is a good manufacturer. Don't know where they are made but has been good on my '86 Ford Diesel A/C. I quit using 4 Seizins & Evercrap products long ago.

I have also heard good things about GDP. The last I heard everco Four Seasons and Murray we're all the same company. And they were pretty much the conglomerate of low-quality crap.
It's been a number of years ago but I even heard someone who work at Napa say that even Napa air was being remanned buy them.
Now there seems to be a huge amount new ones on eBay and I'm sure Amazon to but the price is really aren't that great.
Percentage wise it's not that much more to buy one from a local Parts House that has a warranty that's you can warranty right there if you have any problems. But as I said oh, I have had the best of luck by just pulling a nice-looking one that had good pumping action when I spend the front of it off of a car at the junkyard.
I don't think you can get as good of a AC unit has the one that came on your car from the factory. Even if you buy one from Motorcraft or whatever, one made today will probably not be as good as one made in 2008 or 10.

 

[Matticus]

I had this same dilemma on an old Subaru. $300 for new vs ~$150 for one from a salvage yard. The other thing you have to keep in mind is, if you are doing this yourself, you are also risking losing $50-$100 on freon (don't know how much your system takes) and the crippling guilt of it getting into the atmosphere if you have to replace the compressor again

 

[Ice Tech 66]

I have had good luck at pull your own part salvage yards. found wrecks with new ac compressors and only cost me $30.00. Did it my self, but was a hvac service tech for37 years. wont hurt to try.

 

[TobyU]

I had this same dilemma on an old Subaru. $300 for new vs ~$150 for one from a salvage yard. The other thing you have to keep in mind is, if you are doing this yourself, you are also risking losing $50-$100 on freon (don't know how much your system takes) and the crippling guilt of it getting into the atmosphere if you have to replace the compressor again

Man, those prices are awful! The most I've ever seen the salvage yard sell a compressor for is $75 and that was before the Pick Your Part places came in and those now are under 40.
You can't buy freon at the auto parts store says they jacked the prices way up. I've seen it for 14.99 a can for just a 12 oz can. R134a is cheap if you get it at places like Big Lots or Rural King or you should even be able to order it online. I get it consistently for 3.99 per can and the most to ever pay is 4.99 for can so there's no way I would have over 20 bucks in a full charge of R134a.

So in all the ones I've done it's kind of a no-brainer to go with the used part because the risk is very minimal and the savings is huge.

 

[Matticus]

So in all the ones I've done it's kind of a no-brainer to go with the used part because the risk is very minimal and the savings is huge.

Yeah, I couldn't believe the cost of the compressor for that thing. I think an actual Subaru compressor was even more at the time...like something to the tune of $400+ vs the ~$300 for whatever aftermarket/rebuilt items I was looking at. Recently, I've seen some pretty good deals on freon online, but never $4.99 for a 12 oz can. The last package of 12oz cans I got I think I was somewhere around $7.99 because it was an overstock/clearance situation on amazon. $4.99 is a great deal

 

[TobyU]

Rural King has it for most of the year for 3.99 per can but occasionally it will be 4.99. Big Lots /Odd Lots usually has it cheap also. Even Walmart was down to 4.88 a can the last time I checked and Meijer was about the same. You should have a Walmart or Meijer in your area so check those. The cans that are larger with stop leak or whatever proprietary extra cold gimmick they claim with the hoses or gauges built on are an absolute rip-off. Buy you an $8 charging hose or side can tap that you can use for years for hundreds and hundreds of cans installation.
I have also bought several of the 30 pound jugs but I just find it more convenient to buy the cans at 3.99 a piece even though it's a little cheaper to buy it in The Jug. I do a lot of work on customers cars and it's just simpler to charge them x amount per can and they see how many cans I'm putting in so there's no questions.
Yes, I do a lot of work with people right there. When they stop by for a quick AC top off its use it only one or two cans and there in and out within 30 minutes

 

[BlackCoffee]

I would buy a new one. The new one comes with a new clutch and that is just as important as the compressor. You can do it yourself with no problem.

 

[Jb14]

Years back my A/C was misdiagnosed so I had the system replaced. Not realizing at the time how particular our vehicles are in some regards to OEM parts (I had owned GM vehicles before and you could pretty much put any aftermarket part and no problems so that was my experience) Bottom line the mechanic ended up replacing a couple more fried compressors until I said enough and bought the OEM part and no more issue.

Your call but I would recommend the Ford OEM compressor. Note not sure your issue but My lower A/C hose had a pinhole leak at the block where 2 hoses connect that no one identifies until many return trips and extra $$ spent so you may want to inspect that as well.

 

[lbv150]

Let's not forget about the OEM parts warranty either: https://www.motorcraft.com/us/en_us...rts Warranty (SPW,, effective October 1, 2013.