I've pulled the entire scroll compressor system plus brackets off of 80s vintage salvage yard B vans. It's not as difficult as you might think. Surprisingly few parts, and most are quite accessible. Getting the dual v-belts loosened up and out of the way was my biggest challenge.

I had one of those clutch bearings freeze up on my vans RV2 compressor. It spun the compressor (which requires 15 HP for an RV2!) for who knows how long. Fortunately I don't drive it much.

Your vintage of scroll compressor should take about 8 HP, so the fact your belts shredded would lead me to believe your compressor has failed severely and locked up internally, in addition to the clutch bearing failure.

If you do pull it, be sure you thoroughly clean the hose fittings beforehand so no dirt can drop into the hoses, and cover them with plastic bags with rubber bands or wire ties right away just to be sure. And have new O-rings, manifold seals, and a new drier on hand. You should always replace the drier anytime you open up a system. The seals and O-rings are considered one-time use.

You won't want to leave much time between installing the new drier and pumping the system down to a hard vacuum. That tiny bit of moisture in the air can do nasty things inside an AC system, even with a new drier in place. If you need to have a shop do your recharge, schedule it with them well in advance so you're not left hanging for weeks.


-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van


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