What Do Most List Members do when their Old R12 Air Conditioning Dies?

[mboucher70 hotmail.com]

One thing I can't understand is how it could be spinning so off-center.  I 
can't see it face-on, given where the compressor is.  But the diagrams I've 
got show that its held in place by screw in the middle.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jason
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2014 3:12 PM
To: mboucher70 hotmail.com
Cc: quattro at audifans.com
Subject: Re: What Do Most List Members do when their Old R12 Air 
Conditioning Dies?

Wow - yeah don't turn the a/c back on till you fix that!  The clutch is
just about ready to fall right off.  The pulley is running true, so find a
used one and swap the clutch over.  Once you take the outer plate off, the
bearing is likely held in with a snap ring.

Jason


On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 2:37 PM, mboucher70 hotmail.com <
mboucher70 at hotmail.com> wrote:

>   Hi Jason and Kneale, that’s what I’m hoping for...that its just the
> clutch.  Mechanic doesn’t seem to believe in changing clutches, told me to
> shop around for a new compressor, and he’d evacuate the system and do an
> R134 conversion.  Hoping to avoid this.
>
> I managed to get some videos of the compressor filmed and up on youtube.
> Here goes:
>
> This is with the A/C turned off:
>
>  http://youtu.be/L1Hvg2vu7tg
>
> This is with the A/C turned on:
> http://youtu.be/FvatcMvrwWg
>
> (ignore the dripping fluids, that’s another problem I’m dealing with).
>
> Also, don’t know if adds to the picture, but the A/C has retained its
> charge.  Then again, the pressures don’t change when the A/C is turned on.
>
>  *From:* Jason <uberhare at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Saturday, July 05, 2014 1:45 PM
> *To:* mboucher70 hotmail.com <mboucher70 at hotmail.com>
> *Cc:* Kneale Brownson <kneale at coslink.net> ; quattro at audifans.com
> *Subject:* Re: What Do Most List Members do when their Old R12 Air
> Conditioning Dies?
>
>  Sounds like you need an A/C clutch assembly.  If the shaft on the
> compressor is OK you could take everything from a used one and not have to
> drain the system.
>
> Jason
>
>
> On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 1:38 PM, mboucher70 hotmail.com <
> mboucher70 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I’m looking for some help to diagnose if the problem is the compressor or
>> just the clutch.
>>
>> The very front part of the unit, which I think is called the “driven
>> plate” spins in an “off balance” way when the A/C is turned on.  Its like
>> its way off-center on the driveshaft and so the resulting off-center 
>> causes
>> a lot of vibrating.  When the A/C is turned off, the front part stops
>> spinning, but occasionally it will do one or two revolutions with a
>> grinding noise and then stop.
>>
>> I filmed it while the A/C was both off and on...going to try to put it up
>> somewhere (youtube?) and post the link on here, though I thought this 
>> site
>> used to block hyperlinks.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kneale Brownson
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 8:49 PM
>> To: mboucher70 hotmail.com
>> Cc: <quattro at audifans.com>
>> Subject: Re: What Do Most List Members do when their Old R12 Air
>> Conditioning Dies?
>>
>> Grinding sounds like a compressor clutch issue. You can replace the
>> clutch without opening the system. Google R12 substitutes.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> > On Jul 1, 2014, at 5:57 PM, "mboucher70 hotmail.com" <
>> mboucher70 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Today was on a nice long run Toronto to Montreal, and the outdoor
>> temperature was peaking at 34C (93F).  The AC was doing its job under
>> difficult circumstances.  An hour from my destination it stopped cooling.
>> Looking briefly at the AC, it appears that something at the very front is
>> spinning intermittently, and making a grinding noise when it does.  If I
>> had to guess, the compressor, or compressor bearings are gone.  Its 
>> parked
>> at the local Audi/VW independent garage and we’ll talk tomorrow.
>> >
>> > However, previously I’d had a chat with the mechanic years ago, and
>> he’d mentioned that if I had a problem with the AC, legally he’s not
>> allowed to “touch” it unless he first does an R12 to R134A conversion. 
>> He
>> outlined what the costs of that is, how many parts need to be swapped out
>> at significant expense, and that its not a very good option because the
>> result has less cooling than the original R12 system which didn’t have
>> great cooling capacity to begin with.
>> >
>> > This list is filled with members who have managed to keep their Audi’s
>> in near showroom condition, or at least running condition for far longer
>> than the average Audi.  Mine is a 1990, which is old, but we’ve had many
>> list members with cars from the 90’s or 80’s.  Thus I’m guessing many 
>> must
>> have already faced this issue.  I know some have done the R134A 
>> conversion,
>> to mixed results.  What about the rest?  Are there any good options for
>> getting an R12 system running again?
>> >
>> > Thanks for any thoughts
>> >
>> > MC
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