How many E fans? Turned AC advice!

[CDeeZ]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
The fans are offset in relation to one another and I don't have a ton of room to add another fan so if I do, it will have to be small, and a supplemental shroud wouldn't hurt.
I just had a new compressor and drier installed, the system flushed, evacuated, recharged to the tune of about $450 bucks not including the cost of the compressor and drier. I monkeyed around with this A/C system last summer and got it working good for a while. But the original compressor from 1990 crapped out so I opted to pay somebody to put it all together for me this time around, I just didn't want to mess with it.
Soooo, all this money later and I still have been forced to buy a set of manifold gauges and vacuum pump, plus I still have to buy a new compressor as well, or at least a clutch for this one.
I purchased the compressor from RockAuto and it has been nothing but trouble so far. The compressor clutch was billowing out smoke just the other day, and since then it's been hot enough at the compressor clutch that it broke my belt, AND melt the electrical connector that plugs into the compressor itself
This is not my picture, but it shows where that plug is. If I test this plug with my meter for some reason I have about 2 volts less than the battery, so I need to figure out what this means. I'm assuming that this kind of voltage drop is signifcant? Not sure where to begin on this one here?

[CDeeZ]

The week old A/C compressor on my truck bit the dust on me last night: smoked the compressor clutch, broke the belt, melted the plug on the compressor clutch…. yeah…….

I get about .3 volts of voltage drop at the end of that plug when it's unplugged from the compressor. But, plug it onto the compressor and the voltage drop is over 2 full volts!!!! And here I thought I was doing good by getting a AC Delco unit that is SUPPOSEDLY made in the states. A cheap chinese unit probably would have lasted.. Oh the irony……..

It seems to me like the obvious culprit is the compressor, for whatever reason it's causing the voltage drop and other problems. What do ya'll think?

[bentrod]

Sounds like you need a new compressor LOL.

But yea I guess it happens. I went through a similar thing with starters. Never again will I give in a factory starter. From now on they are just getting rebuilt forever.

[CDeeZ]

Yep and that's exactly what I thought as well. I just bought this compressor from RockAuto nearly a week ago and they have been EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL regarding customer service over this issue with their faulty compressor.

I would think that .3 volts of voltage drop is acceptable by the time the current flows through all the wires, connectors, relays etc. What do you think?


But over two volts of voltage drop at the compressor itself is just ridiculous. That's definitely the problem.

[EagleMark]

Keep bitching to RockAuto and they will make it right.

[CDeeZ]

You really think so? This time last summer I monkeyed with my A/C and got it working pretty well but the original compressor from 1990 failed shortly thereafter. Since it was getting into the cooler months I let it go. Then, about a week or so ago, I bought a compressor and drier and paid one of my mechanic friends to install it all because I honestly didn't feel like messing with it again this time around.

Long story short the only thing RockAuto was wiling to do was refund or replace the compressor. I felt like they should at least help with the cost of evacuating, and charging the system AGAIN since their compressor was the point of failure that necessitated servicing the A/C system again, merely days after the install. They weren't willing to do that so I told them to just refund it and that I was done with them. I wrote them a pretty nasty email after trying to reason with them several times since it was their compressor that caused all these other problems.

I said screw it, went out and bought a set of manifold gauges and a vacuum pump from harbor freight. The gauges are actually pretty nice for a mere fourth the cost of the more expensive name brand gauges. I'm going to get another compressor from a local store, and do it all myself this time.

It's just maddening, RockAuto's stupid compressor failed and caused all these other problems and they won't honor anything except the compressor. And what good would that be anyways, they'd probably just send me another junk compressor. Their compressor not only failed, but their stupid compressor also destroyed my belt, melted that electrical plug, and has caused me all this agravation and wasted money for nothing.

[xtreamvette69]

a few questions and comments come to mind..
first off if things are as you describe with the voltage dropping while connected it would seem you have high resistance on the a/c clutch coil, did you check it? would be nice to know for comparison to your new one. doesnt sound normal but idk what the specs would be for resistance of the coil and drop when hooked up are truely supposed to be.

i'm going to assume that the a/c was all working "properly" (have to assume because you only say it was working "pretty good"). could the clutch have been slipping and not turning the compressor all of the time from the compressor turning too hard under the load of compressing? possibly overcharged system? but that probably wouldnt have melted the plug but high resistance in the coil and even the melted plug could have been secondary from the cause of the clutch slipping and getting hot and cooking everything. other things to consider as errors would be..where was the a/c oil added?(what components and how much in each or was oil just added with charge) how much a/c oil was added?
just because it was hired done dosnt mean it was done right.

could just have been the compressor but my point is to not always blame the new part before looking into it further, i have seen alot of people replace the same "bad new part" over and over only to later find the true issue or just get lucky enough to cure the issue by accident. there are many times multiple possibilities of causes for problems.

and onto fan/fans depending on fitment(your radiator size) look into the lincoln mark 8 2-speed fan and volvo relay.. more fan then you could ever need and a very nice efficiant shroud assembly.