chargin my A/C - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

muscletruck · 04-28-2004, 03:37 AM

hey guys and gals... anyone ever get this done.... the guy i bought the truck from said the a/c works all its needs is the belt and to be charged so ill get that done this week it been freaking hot these past few days! and windows aint cutting it.... so ya... aybody know how much im gonna be paying to get this done... not sure what refridgerant it is... r12 134a???

DrMaserati · 04-28-2004, 04:16 AM

If you're talking about the '78 it will use R-12. It's VERY expensive. But there's probably a reason it needs to be charged, so plan on spending some money to have the leaks repaired. I would also be concerned about why the belt was removed. There would be no reason to remove the belt if it was nothing more than low on refrigerant. Usually that indicates the clutch is frozen or the compressor is bad. Neither of those is inexpensive.

Put a belt on it and turn on the A/C. If the clutch doesn't engage the refrigerant level may just be low. Try energizing the clutch with a jumper to a 12 volt source. The clutch should engage and turn the compressor. If the compressor turns freely and is quiet, you might be OK, although that won't tell you if the seals are still good. If it does all that and gets cold too, things are looking up.

Those are just the most likely things that go wrong. It could be something as simple as a compressor cut-off switch or clutch cycle switch that has gone bad. But the missing belt is not a good sign.

When you take it in to have it checked, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. But be prepared for some bad news.

**76sierraclassic** · 04-28-2004, 10:21 AM

I just had my A/C redone on my 76 GMC, and it cost me over $650...and that was from one of the most reasonable mechanics in my area whose a "friend of the family" so to speak.

If it really only needs charging, you're probably looking at 3 lbs of R12 which is about $40-50 a lb, but I'm like DrMaserati in that I would question why the belt is not there.

I went ahead and had mine converted to R134a since I had to have the compressor, drier, and orafice tube replaced anyway. Then when they started charging it, there was an "unknown" leak in the evaporator core and it had to be replaced too.

Not knowing about the evaporator core, I had been quoted $600 at two other places to have the work done, and the guy that actually did the work for me had originally quoted me $375. But after adding the evaporator core and the additional labor, it came out to $666.12.

Good luck with it. I hope it only needs to be charged.

Mike W.

04-28-2004, 03:37 AM	#1
muscletruck Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: anahiem,ca,usa Posts: 201	chargin my A/C hey guys and gals... anyone ever get this done.... the guy i bought the truck from said the a/c works all its needs is the belt and to be charged so ill get that done this week it been freaking hot these past few days! and windows aint cutting it.... so ya... aybody know how much im gonna be paying to get this done... not sure what refridgerant it is... r12 134a??? __________________ i think i found me truck! 78 Crew Cab Dually 454/TH400, Dual Flows, Edelbrock Intake, Cam, Lifters, Billet Grill, K&N Airfilter, Grant Steering Wheel, A/C, soon to be power windows and locks, lots of plans for this... ....gas prices go down please

04-28-2004, 04:16 AM	#2
DrMaserati Village Curmudgeon Join Date: May 2003 Location: Salem, OR Posts: 75	If you're talking about the '78 it will use R-12. It's VERY expensive. But there's probably a reason it needs to be charged, so plan on spending some money to have the leaks repaired. I would also be concerned about why the belt was removed. There would be no reason to remove the belt if it was nothing more than low on refrigerant. Usually that indicates the clutch is frozen or the compressor is bad. Neither of those is inexpensive. Put a belt on it and turn on the A/C. If the clutch doesn't engage the refrigerant level may just be low. Try energizing the clutch with a jumper to a 12 volt source. The clutch should engage and turn the compressor. If the compressor turns freely and is quiet, you might be OK, although that won't tell you if the seals are still good. If it does all that and gets cold too, things are looking up. Those are just the most likely things that go wrong. It could be something as simple as a compressor cut-off switch or clutch cycle switch that has gone bad. But the missing belt is not a good sign. When you take it in to have it checked, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. But be prepared for some bad news. __________________ 78 Chevy K30 duallie, 454, TH400 78 IH Scout II, 4X4, 345, 727TF 76 IH Scout II, 4X4, 345, 727TF 65 IH 1200C pickup, 4X4, 345, 4 spd 48 IH KB-8-F, RD-450, 5 spd, 35,000 GVW (a REAL truck) "Life is too short to drink cheap beer." Harry S. Truman

04-28-2004, 10:21 AM	#3
76sierraclassic Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: White Hall, AR Posts: 316	I just had my A/C redone on my 76 GMC, and it cost me over $650...and that was from one of the most reasonable mechanics in my area whose a "friend of the family" so to speak. If it really only needs charging, you're probably looking at 3 lbs of R12 which is about $40-50 a lb, but I'm like DrMaserati in that I would question why the belt is not there. I went ahead and had mine converted to R134a since I had to have the compressor, drier, and orafice tube replaced anyway. Then when they started charging it, there was an "unknown" leak in the evaporator core and it had to be replaced too. Not knowing about the evaporator core, I had been quoted $600 at two other places to have the work done, and the guy that actually did the work for me had originally quoted me $375. But after adding the evaporator core and the additional labor, it came out to $666.12. Good luck with it. I hope it only needs to be charged. Mike W.



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