ive heard of this ac term= the black death. i know this efers to compressor failing and contaminating the system. which years are **** to this, and which compressor is the black death compressor.

 

Most of the time the term Black Death is used when you do a conversion on your A/C system. If your running R-12 and you buy one of the conversion kits to change the system over to 134-A. The oils that the compressor use for lubrication are not compatible and the compressor burns up sending a black film through the system. This can happen to any system that is not converted correctly. It can also happen to a system if is contaminated.

 

i was told that it was a certian compressor that used some new type of pistons or seals, and when it failed it contaminated the system. ive never heard of doing a conversion to 134 and having any big problem, other than it not working as good as the r-12.

 

Hey there 55-******! The good news....well there isn't any. All compressors are prone to "The Black Death". Age of the equipment is sometimes a factor, but HEAT is the major cause. The refrigerant oil does break down due to blockages on the exterior of the condenser, evaporator coil and the compressor itself. The more the refrigerant breaks down, the more it becomes an acid and internal damage begins. There are some claims to reverse the acid process, but's even then it's just a band-aid.

Proper maintenance is required. Just like your home A/C system needs it. All exterior components should be cleaned. The pressures/temperatures should be checked at the beginning of the spring season or every 6 mo. in the south. Leaks in any system are required by law to be repaired, if the leak is 5% or more within the system for a 1 year period. Proper records must be kept by whomever adds any refrigerant to your system. There are acid test's that can be performed to check the status and condition of the oil in the system, but should be done by an A/C Tech or Shop. Having the test done 1-2 times a year should give you a heads up, before burn-out occurs.

Sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I feel that there are enough people being taken for granted these days and the more information available to the public, the better we'll all be....
Talk with you later buddy.....

 

thats good news to me. i thought it was a certain compressor that ford used. i was afraid that i might have one of thoses compressors.

 

Ford FX15/FS-10 These are the compressors you are referring to. The 10 was the first and was replaced by the 15 which is better but poor compared to other modern brands. They originally used black teflon rings and that is where the term came from. I don't think you can even get new or rebuilt 10's any longer. If your system does take a dive, get a replacement 15 and a new condenser. Take all the components apart and flush properly. If you don't, you will trash all over again in a day or in a month but it will happen. Check a/c specific sites on the net for detailed instructions. If you want the best system convert to a parallel flow condenser and something like a Sanden compressor. It's a lot of mods but worth it. No matter what you use add a pusher elec fan to the condenser. It will add a lot of life and cooler temps to your system

 

how can i tell if i have one of these compressors with the teflon rings. do you recommend one of the pusher fans to work with the stock fan.