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New A6 compressor not spinning

Mikel

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May 20, 2020
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727
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I have bought two new A6 compressors for a friend's 66 Oldsmobile. In both of them the clutch spins normally, but I can't get the compressor itself to turn at all. I have revealed several A6s in the past and I can't think of anything that would do this.

Am I overlooking something?? Thanks.
 
Maybe it was charged with the wrong refrigerant?

I seem to remember seeing it once when someone charged it with 410A???
 
Engine off,


Are you grabbing the inner part of the pulley with your palm and spinning it?


Can you put 12v on the clutch quote and have it clunk into lockup?
 
It's the inner part that won't turn at all, out of the box, with all my might. Clutch spins OK.

Compressor hasn't been mounted, since it seems seized.


I drained all oil, thinking it may be hydrolocked, but made no difference.

This is the second new compressor that does exactly the same.

Thanks.
 
Mikel said:
It's the inner part that won't turn at all, out of the box, with all my might. Clutch spins OK.

Compressor hasn't been mounted, since it seems seized.


I drained all oil, thinking it may be hydrolocked, but made no difference.

This is the second new compressor that does exactly the same.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

That's odd, I'm inclined to call that fucked, but maybe an older mech will chime in some 70s wisdom


Did the oil have any traces of rust?


A WAG is that A6 compressors don't sell much and that thing (and the one before it) might have been on a shelf for a decade and gotten stuck
 
I'd try a little harder to spin it. I've installed 3 different compressors these last two weeks that were difficult to spin. They spun smoothly though. All three old ones spun easily by hand.
 
When I bought mine they called out the need to use a spanner wrench on the front to ensure it rotates BEFORE mounting it.

It is difficult to turn but you have to free it up by manually making it go roundy round..

IIRC it actually said 10 full revolutions by hand.
 
I engaged the counterbores at the front and I used an 18" bar to try to turn the thing and it was immovable. If I kept trying with more leverage, I'm sure at some point it would budge, but I would question the health of the compressor. So we are returning it.

I always use old A6's that I reseal and never had a problem spinning a healthy compressor.

Thank you all.
 
Mikel said:
I engaged the counterbores at the front and I used an 18" bar to try to turn the thing and it was immovable. If I kept trying with more leverage, I'm sure at some point it would budge, but I would question the health of the compressor. So we are returning it.

I always use old A6's that I reseal and never had a problem spinning a healthy compressor.

Thank you all.
Click to expand...
Did it have a pressure or vacuum on it when you received it?
 
Projectjunkie said:
A WAG is that A6 compressors don't sell much and that thing (and the one before it) might have been on a shelf for a decade and gotten stuck
Click to expand...
I've bought rebuilt brake calipers from Rockauto for older vehicles that were seized in the box. I had the same thought for the compressor.
 
New A6 (#3) came today. And won't turn either. We didn't have a thin wall socket to drive the front nut, so I clamped the input shaft in a vise and turned the compressor by hand. Holy cow did it take effort to turn! Eventually it became easier to spin, but still very tight.

My friend insisted on trying it, so we mounted it in his '66 Olds. Works fine.

After a 30 minute drive with the A/C on, we tried turning it by hand, and still won't budge! This will be an interesting one.
 
Mikel said:
New A6 (#3) came today. And won't turn either. We didn't have a thin wall socket to drive the front nut, so I clamped the input shaft in a vise and turned the compressor by hand. Holy cow did it take effort to turn! Eventually it became easier to spin, but still very tight.

My friend insisted on trying it, so we mounted it in his '66 Olds. Works fine.

After a 30 minute drive with the A/C on, we tried turning it by hand, and still won't budge! This will be an interesting one.
Click to expand...
I thought that I had one of these in-stock for a comparison, but I didn't. I'm sure that they are just tight and it will be fine.
 
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