I've got a 1994 SVX used primarily by my sons. The compressor belt started squealing and the ac compressor looked to be smoking when we had a chance to stop and pop the hood on a recent trip.

 

From what I've read, either the compressor clutch and/or the compressor itself are toast. Couple of questions:

 

1.  There are no longer any compressors available from Subaru (they were about $570 if available) or the repair shop providers, so this narrows the replacement choices to recycled (junk yard) or re-manufactured compressors. Has anyone installed used ac compressors from recycle yards? How about re-manufactured units? My mechanic doesn't want to go the reman route as he has had bad luck with reman compressor failures and the concomitant finger pointing. 

 

2.   If I used junk yard or reman parts I may end up doing this myself. If the compressor itself failed, other parts may be needed as I've read that metal bits come out of failed compressors and clog up the downstream and possibly the upstream bits. Does this make sense?  How do I check to figure out if I need to replace the condenser and the dryer and the low pressure input pipe?

 

If it's just the clutch on the compressor and the test for a bad/clogged condenser and/or bad dryer shows no need for replacement I'm inclined to try a junk yard compressor?

 

Any ideas on how to proceed with determining the extent of the damage and part sourcing steps? What to look for when requesting a recycled compressor? Any recommendations on used or re-manufactured sources which have been successful?

 

 

not sure what you'll find, but folks seem happy , in general, with  www.car-part.com . you might try LKQ or even ebay and Craigslist.

 

 

maybe call around some local shops and find-out if there's a local shop that does rebuilding - maybe yours can be rebuilt?

My old AC compressor was seized, and eating drive-belts.

Found a used one on www.car-part.com and went to pick it up from a local junk-yard.

It came with a 3-month warranty, so I wasn't too worried about the condition.

But it worked just fine.

Not sure what is involved with rebuilding. It always seemed to be more of a clean room type of operation. Definately not suited to my not-so-clean garage :-)

 

Thanks for the advice, did a search on car-part and sent out a request on LKQ. Good to know that there might be a warranty available. Are there any questions I should be asking when I call about the used compressors? I assume lower mileage is preferred. Perhaps less time since the removal from the original vehicle is better also? Anything to look out for which would indicate the compressor is compromised?

 

Most folks recommend replacing the dryer at the same time as the compressor. The dryer is around $40 or so, so not too expensive, so this makes sense. 

 

How would I check and know to see if a condenser is needed? Is there some tell tale that is obvious? Do I need to take the compressor apart to see anything?

 

I'm leaning towards doing this myself, given the cost of having it done at a mechanic with brand new parts. Still a bit overwhelming as there are gauges, vacumes, oils and refridgerents non of which are familiar to me.

First need to take that belt off and try to spin the compressor pulley by hand. Most often, a pulley bearing can be replaced with no actual AC work needed.

 

If you do need a compressor you'll probably also be doing an R-134a conversion if that hasn't been done before.

It's that or take it to a shop to have it charged with R-12 (common refrigerant used until 94) which is horribly expensive and can't be bought by an individual.

 

Two main parts of the pulley assembly are the pulley itself and the clutch hub on the front face of the pulley. Try to Spin each part individually, and see if there's any roughness. If they won't turn separate of each other there is something jamming the two together which is most often parts of the clutch, and that usually causes the compressor to fail internally.

 

If the pulley doesn't spin or spins rough, but the hub spins smoothly, it just needs a pulley bearing which can usually be bought online.

 

The hub won't spin freely because it's what drives the internals of the compressor, but it should feel smooth when turned.

Just FYI. The 94 SVX should be factory filled with R-134. At least my 94 was.

 

Also, I think I might still have the compressor kicking around somewhere

I think you may also need to add a little oil with parts like a compressor being replaced - research that.

 

if you suspect leaks elsewhere in the system, put dye in there too. Or let an a/c specialist shop use their sniffer.

I would caution against using any 25 year old AC parts. What color is the oil dripping out of the compressor?  Check out the links below.  I completed a full AC rebuild.  There are other parts you should replace at the same time.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/163981-98-outback-ac-work-compressor-dryer-and-evaporator/

 

Reman  for $300

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Reman-AC-Compressor-A-C-Clutch-Fits-Subaru-SVX-1992-1993-1994-1995-1996-1997/312063228912?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150817211758%26meid%3Dae9dc79dbba44b68a8960eb7f9983512%26pid%3D100507%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D312063228912&_trksid=p2045573.c100507.m3226