Is there a "How to" on AC compressor removal?

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d0nkeyxpunch

d0nkeyxpunch

10 Year
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Threads
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Location
Los Angeles
Looking to replace my AC compressor on my 1fz (LX450) and was wondering if there was a DIY on it. I tried searching and did not find anything. I'm trying to see how hard of job it is. If it's alot of work then I rather pay a shop to take care of it for me.

Thanks in advance.
 
It's pretty easy, one plug, 2 hoses, 4 bolts and a belt...

Do you have freon in the system?

If not, it's a simple as:

1 loosen the tensioner for the belt..

2 remove the hoses (high and low pressure)

3 unplug the harness

4 remove the 4 bolts that hold it to the bracket (very long ones approximately 6" or so long)

Then throw the new one in, and take it to a shop to pull a vacuum on it and charge it...
 
Pin_Head said:
Yes. It is very detailed and it is called the Factory Service Manual or FSM.
Click to expand...

Ahh yes, the default Mud reply for "how to" threads.

I don't have a FSM and this is a forum where people can ask/request for things. If you have nothing useful to say, please refrain from posting.

@95ToyCruiser - Yeah, I still have freon in the system. Thanks for the steps. I'm just glad there are enough room on that side of engine bay.
 
You'll need a vacuum pump and r-134 hoses from harbor freight. You'll probably just vent to atmosphere of you don't have a collection tank. It's not too complicated but it probably won't cost you a whole lot extra to have a reputable shop do it. By the time you buy the pump, refrigerant, hoses, and compressor you'll probably have more in it than having a shop do it.

I only know because my AC went out in July (in South Carolina) and after pricing it out with about a dozen shops I found its cheaper to have them do it. The only place you really save money is if you have to replace your evaporator core - I definitely wouldn't want them disassembling and reassembling my dash with an hourly rate.

Just my $0.02
 
I recently replaced my compressor and found it to be a very simple job. It is illegal to vent refrigerant into the atmosphere so the "right" way (and best way for the health of your A/C system) is to take it to a shop and first have the system evacuated.

After that, remove the two bolts that attach the A/C lines to the compressor, loosen the A/C belt tensioner (very easy to access from the bottom with the splash panel removed), and then remove the four bolts that hold the compressor to the bracket. Disconnect the single compressor wire and reverse procedure to install the new compressor. Make sure new compressor has proper oil in it. (Denso compressors usually ship with correct oil already in them.)

Take the truck to a shop and have the system recharged professionally. To me it is worth the money to not fool around with cheap cans of R-134..

Of all the underhood tasks on the 80, A/C compressor replacement is one of the easiest since the access is so good.
 
168

168

  • Media owner Cass007
  • Date added

Confirming these are the bolts to remove and the harness clip? Going to attempt a rebuild while it's still stupid cold outside. Belt is already cut off since the tensioner nut is being an asshat. Hoping to remove that after compressor is out and likely while doing the radiator swap.
 
Sorry to thread jack, but I'm having a related issue... how do I turn my AC on? I know there's an owners manual in the glove box, but I'm just too fu
cking lazy to look it up and want you guys to spoon feed me.
 
Cass007 said:
168

168

  • Media owner Cass007
  • Date added

Confirming these are the bolts to remove and the harness clip? Going to attempt a rebuild while it's still stupid cold outside. Belt is already cut off since the tensioner nut is being an asshat. Hoping to remove that after compressor is out and likely while doing the radiator swap.
Click to expand...

Yes, those are correct. Be sure your system does not have any significant pressure in it before removing the high and low side lines.

If you aren't already familiar....the tensioner has a nut (for the pulley) that must first be loosened before you can work the adjustment bolt (long one on the bracket). The long bolt moves the pulley up or down and the nut on the pulley then locks it in place.

There is only one harness clip that goes to the electric clutch on the compressor, so yes...you have that correct as well.
 
Mandrake said:
Sorry to thread jack, but I'm having a related issue... how do I turn my AC on? I know there's an owners manual in the glove box, but I'm just too fxxxing lazy to look it up and want you guys to spoon feed me.
Click to expand...


^^^^^^^^ Come on guys. I get the 'sarcasm'...but this is 'MUD', lets not let it turn into 'Pirate'. ;)
 
*sigh* ... thanks for the answer, was just confirming. Had the refrigerant captured already. It is the locking bolt that is stripping out on the tensioner, I forgot that since it was a few months back that I changed the belts.

@Mandrake ... I can only hope to one day be as great a person as you. Until that time comes, please feel free to eat a bag of d1cks. :flipoff2:
 
I'm sorry, but I can't find the part in the service manual that covers eating di
cks. You seem to be the expert; perhaps you can do a diy for me? Be sure to take lots of pictures because I'm a real look/do kinda guy and I can't be bothered to do the reading myself, so you'll have do it for me, if you get my drift.

On a serious note... my point is not to be like pirate for all the snowflakes here because we all don't want hurt feelers and everyone gets a prize for logging in, but rather to bring to light the pointlessness of this thread. The godd
an fsm is free to download and would have not only answered his question, but provided him a wealth of info for future use. I get coming on here to ask how to do something if you've got the manual out and still don't get it. Hey, not everyone is a superwrench like me, but to make a thread asking for a diy that's already outlined in the fu
cking tech data is just willful laziness and borderline entitlement. There's tons-TONS- of stuff I don't know, but I do know that just about every piece of recorded human knowledge is available to me on the internet, and that if I take a minute to, hey, I dunno... fu
cking do some research, I'll find the answer. And if not, at least I did the legwork so I don't look like a pussy when I come here asking for help.

But hey, that's my take on it. Maybe I'm old school, and maybe I'm an assh
ole because I earned what I know the real way- by taking initiative.

You guys want to give him a fish; I want to teach him how to bare knuckle box a shark.
 
Mandrake said:
I'm sorry, but I can't find the part in the service manual that covers eating dicks. You seem to be the expert; perhaps you can do a diy for me? Be sure to take lots of pictures because I'm a real look/do kinda guy and I can't be bothered to do the reading myself, so you'll have do it for me, if you get my drift.

On a serious note... my point is not to be like pirate for all the snowflakes here because we all don't want hurt feelers and everyone gets a prize for logging in, but rather to bring to light the pointlessness of this thread. The goddan fsm is free to download and would have not only answered his question, but provided him a wealth of info for future use. I get coming on here to ask how to do something if you've got the manual out and still don't get it. Hey, not everyone is a superwrench like me, but to make a thread asking for a diy that's already outlined in the fxxxing tech data is just willful laziness and borderline entitlement. There's tons-TONS- of stuff I don't know, but I do know that just about every piece of recorded human knowledge is available to me on the internet, and that if I take a minute to, hey, I dunno... fxxxing do some research, I'll find the answer. And if not, at least I did the legwork so I don't look like a pussy when I come here asking for help.

But hey, that's my take on it. Maybe I'm old school, and maybe I'm an a****** because I earned what I know the real way- by taking initiative.

You guys want to give him a fish; I want to teach him how to bare knuckle box a shark.
Click to expand...
Well, you have clearly put a lot of thought into this and I am not one to believe that changing a person's mind is possible unless they want to change. I kinda like the fact that we keep things cheery and generally upbeat around here. What's the big deal if someone asks a question that seems kinda dumb? It's not always easy to understand how everything works just by looking at it and I don't understand what your beef would be even if it was. If you think the thread is dumb and beneath you, why even waste the kilocals that it takes to click on the thread, much less the time it took you to churn out the offensive screed that is prompting me to address what you are doing?

This isn't some carefully curated library. People ask the same questions over and over because there are only so many parts on any one given model of car. The search function scoops all of these up and the future will be brighter because of it.

Just take it easy, man.
 
Mandrake said:
I'm sorry, but I can't find the part in the service manual that covers eating dicks. You seem to be the expert; perhaps you can do a diy for me? Be sure to take lots of pictures because I'm a real look/do kinda guy and I can't be bothered to do the reading myself, so you'll have do it for me, if you get my drift.

On a serious note... my point is not to be like pirate for all the snowflakes here because we all don't want hurt feelers and everyone gets a prize for logging in, but rather to bring to light the pointlessness of this thread. The goddan fsm is free to download and would have not only answered his question, but provided him a wealth of info for future use. I get coming on here to ask how to do something if you've got the manual out and still don't get it. Hey, not everyone is a superwrench like me, but to make a thread asking for a diy that's already outlined in the fxxxing tech data is just willful laziness and borderline entitlement. There's tons-TONS- of stuff I don't know, but I do know that just about every piece of recorded human knowledge is available to me on the internet, and that if I take a minute to, hey, I dunno... fxxxing do some research, I'll find the answer. And if not, at least I did the legwork so I don't look like a pussy when I come here asking for help.

But hey, that's my take on it. Maybe I'm old school, and maybe I'm an a****** because I earned what I know the real way- by taking initiative.

You guys want to give him a fish; I want to teach him how to bare knuckle box a shark.
Click to expand...
Go spend some time in the 100's and 200's series forums, 80's Tech won't seem so bad anymore ;).
I too often find myself being pushed to the limit on some tech threads here, so I choose not to respond to them. I instead go over to the Chat and sChat and enjoy the shenanigans there for a while I let the threads here die on the vine before coming back.
The search function here is a little spotty at best, but if folks actually try to use the internet, e.g.: Go to Google.com and type

remove AC compressor site://forum.ih8mud.com

it makes life way more easy... for newbs and veterans. And then instead of answering questions like this we could be looking at pictures of b**bs in sweaters or yoga pants :cheers:
 
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