swap to a different AC compressor?

[hotghias]

I wouldn't mind spending a little cash and labor fixing my AC someday, but I don't want to put in another used e30 compressor that was designed to work with r12, nor do i want to put in a 20 year old compressor of any type, for that matter. New/rebuilt e30 compressors are way too expensive to even consider.

Has anybody ever looked at putting in a compressor from a different car? A newer one that was designed for 134a? Seems like this could be a reliable solution. The mounting brackets for the e30 look really robust, so a little machineshop work might take care of mounting hardware. A compressor from a car with a similar V-belt would be preferable, which may be sort of hard to find since lots of modern cars have switched to serpentine systems. Otherwise the pulley and clutch from the e30 compressor would need to be grafted on somehow. Lastly, custom AC hoses would probably be necessary to integrate the new compressor into the old system.

Thoughts?

[jlevie]

Unless you got real lucky and/or have a sweetheart deal with a machine shop I suspect that the labor costs to adapt a different compressor could make the adaptation more costly than a rebuilt compressor. And when done you'd still need to change all the seals to those suitable for 134a. R134a really needs larger evaporators and condensers for optimal performance.

I think I'd use a rebuilt compressor and charge the system with one of the R12 replacements.

[emi325i]

I had a sanden compressor fitted.. it wasn't too bad.. i paid $300 for the new lines. It doesn't perform any better. I will probably switch back to an oem compressor (i have one sitting around)

Find a good used compressor for $100, and fill up the system with r134a. easy. don't use r12 replacements.