Just at point need to get a rebuilt A6 compressor for my 70 GS and have searched a few threads . I see few guys have had issues/problems with their rebuilt units. Anyone have good luck with certain vendors? I see most sell for $160-$200 for rebuilds. Do you know of any good vendors or repair shops in Ontario or Canada for doing rebuilds or selling rebuilt A6 /exchanges?? I see can buy new A6 units but they are kinda $$$ at $500 bucks. Maybe in the big picture it is better?o No: Your opinion please... Thanx Dave
In my opinion you're probably better off trying to find a good used original. I'm on my third rebuilt unit from Carquest and this one seems to be working fine, but what a PITA is was to get to that point. Good luck finding a new GM unit. I tried that a few years ago only to finally be told there wasn't one anywhere in the country. Year One listed them in their catalog but they no longer had them. Old Air Products now has a replacement that is a direct bolt it for the old A6 but it's aluminum. When my current Carquest unit gives out, that's the one I'll be using next. http://www.oldairproducts.com/catalog/
I think I have my orig and 2 new remans sitting on the shelf. Ive found out all of them seep refrgeration oil around the clutch. all seem to pump well.
I've used http://www.classicautoair.com/ to rebuild originals on two occasions. One was my car which the compresser was in and working 14 years before I sold the car. There was a very small amount of seepage from the shaft seal but it was same as I'd expect when these were new. the leak stayed the same from when it was installed until I sold the car. They all seem to leak a very small amount. The other was on a friends car I did. It was sold a couple years later but worked perfectly during that time. During the rebuild they even saved my original yellow Buick OK Test stamp. I will only use original compressors rebuilt by Classic or Old Air Products. (sorry both in the US) There units are rebuilt in the US by experienced people. I will not buy a compressor from any other source. Toooooo many horror stories. The round trip shipping charges for you would be painfuul though so that could influence your decision. I know this doesn't help you as far as a source for Canada. A/C work is something you only want to do once and if it means spending extra money up front to give you the best opportunity for success the first time around its worth it.
Well I have my original GM compressor maybe I should just send away to Old Air products or Classic Air then for rebuild? Any idea what Classic Air charge for rebuilding? I send an inquiry to Old Air and they do not rebuild compressors themselves according to reply below. So I guess the new A6 he quotes is aluminum case? I wish to keep car looking original as possible within reason. I am kinda a bit uncertain what to do. I don't mind spending the money to make it right. But where is the right direction???o No: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Reynolds" <tony.r@oldairproducts.com> To: Sent: Subject: RE: Inquiry from Old Air Products 1. rebuilt warranty 90 days w/drier 2. new A6 480.00 1 year warranty w/drier 3. freight i need address 4. we send out our compressors for rebuild
Sorry, I don't know what the going rate is at Classic these days. I paid somehwere around $160 plus shipping over 13 years ago. I didn't realize OldAir doesn't rebuild. Thanks for that tidbit. There is always some risk when dealing with rebuilt parts no matter who does them. In your case the stakes are higher than say for me because of the shipping cost issue to Canada. I would call and talk to Classic and tell them your concerns and see if you get a warm and fuzzy feeling. They were always very helpful when I called with questions of any kind. Its been 13 years since I dealt with them for a compressor so a lot can change in that time. Note: I also had them rebuild my original receiver/dehydrator instead of buying a new one that didn't look original.
Yeah Jason, I agree with ya. I will call them Monday and ask the questions. Again thanks for the advice. Dave
Just remember that the shaft seal on an A6 compressor is designed to seep oil. It the nature of the beast. GM always said that if it leaked oil but not a measurable amount of refrigerant, it was normal. You can replace it with a modern, double lip neoprene seal as long as there is minimal play/wear in the compressor shaft. It's worth a try if you want to keep your A6. That being said, I haven't seen a reliable reman A6 in about 2 years. The core stock is getting pretty used up these days. There are new (aftermarket) A6s available but they all use the old, 2 piece ceramic seal and can spit out oil. I can't speak about the quality of the internals, though. I've always been a big fan of the A6 but the bolt in replacements are looking better all the time. There's the Seltec based Pro6Ten and the Denso based CoolPro S6. They are both available in black and well worth looking in to.
Who carries those 2? and do they look like a original? I have a message into Classic air and will see if they can use the Doble lip seal? Thanx Dave
The A6 replacements don't really look original, but since they bolt up to the original mounts I think they look better that a Sanden or other conversion. Here's the Seltec based Pro6Ten. OAP carries it, as do other suppliers. It's also available painted black- http://www.oldairproducts.com/catal...Csid=d6c4aad361e939cc913de9508b5140f7&x=0&y=0 Here's the Denso Based "S6". It looks like Classic Auto Air is a dealer, along with OAP and others- http://www.s6compressor.com/ Here's the info on using the neoprene shaft seal in an A6- http://www.autoacforum.com/messageview.cfm?catid=20&threadid=18683 If you do a forum search for A6 Compressor, there is a ton more info. This thread addresses the A6 oil slinging issue: http://www.autoacforum.com/messageview.cfm?catid=20&threadid=8294 GM said the oil stripe on the hood blanket was normal. It was ok back in the day, but today nobody wants that mess in their detailed engine bay. :shock: Ya gotta remember, these cars didn't start out as "classics".
Just as an addition, I have 2 Pro6Ten compressors in use on customer cars, as a test, for coming up on 1 year. No problems at all, so far. Both cars are 72's, IIRC. One Chevelle and one Cutlass. Both are using the original POA/TXV system and R134a. I've recently heard tell of broken mounting ears on some early Pro6Tens. I need to look closer into this. I get the impression that the issue has been resolved.
Just got done boxing up my A6 to send to Classis Auto Air. We will see what the shipping from Cleveland is to Tampa tomorrow o No: Lenny
Did you talk to them( Classic Auto Air) on pricing for rebuild Lenny? I am bit disappointed I contacted them through their website and asked a few questions On Monday. I got zero back for a response! That is not good for initial customer service. Dave
Dave- They were very, very helpful and informative when I talked to them. Answered every question I asked. Phone may be the best way to contact them. I talked to Don. They said approx $350 for a complete teardown and rebuild. Lenny
This is not uncommon for many companies. I gave up trying to contact companies through their website/email. Despite good intentions, all too often companies do not have the infrastructure to respond in a timely manner to what can be hundreds or thousands of requests. They should remove the email contact if they aren't able to respond but rarely they do. When it comes to something like this, email is no replacement for speaking to someone personally which gives you a much better indication of what kind of service you'll get.
My compressor arrived yesterday. Don at Classic Auto Air let me know that it arrived. Very nice of them! Will keep everyone updated. Lenny
I called and spoke with Chris on the phone.Wow was he helpful with all my questions and concerns was on phone for nearly 30 mins ! Much more helpful then I had with Old Air Products. They do have some on shelf rebuilds ($280) there and can re-do mine($340). Also you should replace drier for sure Original ($90) and very close to original ($70). He asked if mine was original date coded on back of compressor. Does any one know what you are looking for exactly? I know I will be dealing there. Also has anyone bought all 3 hoses from Parts Place ? What are they like? Thanx Dave
Here is a source https://www.ackits.com/pc/20-10649/Buick72Skylark5-7/20-10649+-+New+Compressor++-+Clutch John
