With the help of this forum I have been able to do most of my own maintenance for several years now that would otherwise of required a trip to the local mechanic. Thanks everyone for your help! I've never posted before but have not been able to find any information for this specific AC problem so here goes...

I have a 96 F-250 7.3 PowerStroke w/ 140,000 miles. Recently after several hours of driving in the hot Texas sun my AC compressor locked up and the serpentine belt started smoking. After turning off the AC the serpentine belt and compressor turned freely without any further problems and I was able to make it home. My untrained diagnosis was that a bearing in the compressor had gone bad. The next morning after starting the truck I turned on the AC and was surprised that it seemed to work fine and was putting out cold air. After about 2 minutes of normal operation (no unusual compressor noise) I turned off the AC.

This morning my local parts store guy told me that a new compressor would cost approx $299 and a reman would cost $209. He also recommended that The condensor also be replaced since there was a could chance of metal shavings in the system from the bad compressor.

My question is (1) does replacing the condensor in addition to the compressor sound like good advice ? (2) Is there anything else that should be replaced ? (3) Is this something that a untrained AC person can do themselves or does this require an AC technician ? (4) What would be a ballpark figure for the labor cost of this ?

Thanks everyone!

 

Repair would probably be $1500 to have it done.

I think if I were in your position, I'd start with evacuating the system, flush it, and replace the refrigerant and oil. I'd go ahead and use it till dead as if there's system damage, it's all going to need replacing anyway. It just seems like it's low on oil because of the lockup, and then working again after cooldown.

It would seem if there are metal shavings in the system, they are going to be in more than the condensor.

 

I flush system (they sell stuff in cans) and put on pump. Hey check eBay the pumps are alot less than that and I had good luck . If you live in Pa I can give everything but pump. I just sold pump and rest isn't old and held charge.

 

If the compressor pulley turned freely with the AC off, the compressor is failing internally. Replacing the condenser is very sound advice with a failure like this, along with any lines that have a "muffler" in them. These parts can't be flushed reliably.
You could "run it till it breaks" but if the belt snaps and leaves you stranded....
Like 2000Ford2000 said, the repair would cost about $1500, maybe more inTexas. For that amount you could buy the tools and parts to fix it, and have a few hundred left over. AC repair isn't hard, but it needs to be done correctly, with no shortcuts.

Beware of the cheap compressors on Ebay, the quality is all over the map, usually poor. The compressors from the "chain" parts stores are just as bad. Aerosol flush does work, but you still need lots of compressed air to dry out the parts. I would use lacquer thinner or mineral spirits instead, with lots of compressed air.

If you want to consider fixing it yourself, check out www.autoacforum.com. Do some reading in the Forum and FAQ sections, and decide if it's something you want to tackle. There are lots of folks there, and here, that would guide you through the process.

For parts, I recommend www.ackits.com (The AC forum sponsor). Good prices, great quality, and great to deal with.
For your truck, they list:
NEW FS-10 compressor- $214
Condenser- $74.00
Accumulator- 39.00, etc.
You'll need to call them about any other parts that aren't listed on the website, like the orifice tube or any lines that have a muffler in them.
Check out the DIY starter kits for gauges, vacuum pump, tools, etc.

 

Everyone thanks for your advice! I'm currently checking out autoacforum.com as lsrx101 suggested and seriously considering trying to repair this myself. I will update this thread with my progress.

 

what kind of compressor does your truck use? I have a factory reman fs10 for sale and receiver dryer