Type-$$ AC compressor grenaded.

[William Ng]

Damn, what can possibly be next!

short version:
Need a 'new' compressor for a '90 200q. What's the average price on one?
Chris?

And an Audi mechanic in Boston area that really knows his Audis.


Reader's Digest version:
Couple weekends ago, back at my family residence, I finally swapped out my
rear differential.  
After stipping numerous socket head cap screws, and snapping an easy-out,
(yeah, sure!)
cutting/replacing rusted nuts and bolts for the rear crossmembers, 
(they were installed in the reverse direction at the factory, and couldn't
be pulled out of the way due to hitting the gas tank! Crossmembers needed
to be dropped along with the final drive.)
and having Redline GL-4/5 eat through the seals of my suction pump,(WTF do
 they put in this stuff??!! Mobil gearlube didn't do this!)
I managed to get the car back on the road for a dead-of-night dash back to
Boston. I was hoping for a nice and quiet drive after all my efforts, but
was greeted with the same, if not louder, drivetrain grinding noise. :-\
Perhaps the replacement was just as defective as the original. But now I
could tell that the front of the car is also emminating a drivetrain
groaning.  Perhaps my front diff is shot as well, afterall she did get
towed a few months ago. (Noise almost disappears whenever I turn left, now
only if I'm in NASCAR)

During the trip, once I hit CT, I noticed a horrible sound coming from the
front of the engine. In the darkness at a rest stop along the Merritt
Pkwy,
I could only tell it was not coming from the engine internally, but it was
belt driven related. I did my timing belt a month ago, and feared it may
have been on too tight and took out the water pump bearing somehow.
It was a loud metal on metal hollow crunching sound! It was 3am so I had
no choice but to soldier on at 50mph. Luckily I made it back with no
snapped timing belt. The car has sat since yesterday. Weather was cool and
dry, finally.
I had the chance to remove the cover to see if the timing belt and pump
pulley was all loose, but they were tight. Hmmmm. I started her up, that
racket was still there, drowning out the engine's idle! Kinda like
combining machine gun fire and kicking a metal bucket down a flight of
stairs. ;-)
I started probing the best I could with a long screwdriver against each
component and its handle against my ear. Ah hah! the AC compressor must
have broke a bearing race/cage somewhere, or twisted its shaft. The noise
exists whether the compressor had its clutch engaged or not.
After cutting my new AC belt with a pair of dykes, it was all quiet again.
So, it's 'new' compressor time, and no more AC. Too bad, I just replaced
the CC head to get my cool air. |-(

So:

1. 
what do these things run $$? And is it the Denso unit? I have access to
R-12, gauges, and a vacuum pump, so I just need a replacement compressor.

2.
I'm holding on to the off chance that my drivetrain is OK and my troubles
are worn CV joints and wheel bearings. These I can do or expense out, but
if the tranny/torsen is shot, then I'm ending my Audi love affair.
I need a local Audi specialist that can tell me which it is. Any
recommendations?

Thanks in Advance.
Will, the worn-out.

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