I'm about to replace my A/C compressor for the fourth time. Every 2 years the front shaft seal on the compressor blows out. Each time I've had a new compressor put on, but i've never had one last more than 2 years. At first I thought it was the extreme cold in North Dakota. I've been in VA for the past 2 years, had a brand new compressor put on when I moved here, and it's blown out already. Front of the compressor is wet and oily, and it started cycling more frequently for a day and the next day it won't even turn on.

Question is, what could make this happen over and over? Belts are in line, Belt is the right size with a new tensioner, so there shouldn't be any abnormal wear issues. I'm thinking the first time it blew out that some metal shavings got loose in the system and they've been constantly wearing on my other compressors. All I know to do to counteract that problem would be to replace the lines, condensor, accumulator, and evaporator. Is there any way of flushing the system out? I want to get this problem fixed, but I want to be sure I need a part before I replace it.

 

i just wanted to chime in on this one. i used to work on A/Cs for years and the problem you are having is from when the first compressor locked up. The shop that did the repair probably never flushed the system. The thing that you need to do is take the system apart and actually just put rubbing alcohol down in the condensor, evaporator, and all of the lines unless there is a manifold on the line. Blow all of the lines out with air, you will need a high power compressor for this. Once that is done put a new orfice tube in, new dryer and pull a vacuum for about an hour and charge up. There is metal shaving in the system from the first compressor and it just kept locking up the new compressors.