Help ac compressor shot
 

My AC Compressor is shot. Bearings are toast, and I actually believe that they have been on the way out for a while.

Anyway, I removed the serpentine belt and spun everything by hand. All of the pulleys and accessories spin smooth and quiet except for the AC Compressor. It sounds like the bearings are missing a ball or two.

My plan is to remove and replace the compressor and drier, flush the lines, and take it to the local garage to be recharged. I am 99.9% certain that there is no charge currently as my scanner is not showing any AC Pressure, that and the AC is not working.

Anyone have any experience doing this themselves? Any pitfalls that I should avoid? Any gotcha's that I need to watch out for? Any help is appreciated.

well id probly go with acdelco parts. iv been told for years that 4seasons are crap. but its not to hard to pull the compressor, just when your takeing the lines out the back. you can just loosen them and wiggle the lines to see if pressure is built up befor you take it completly off and have it all just shoot out. but it dosnt sound like youd have any freon in the system. and the new compressor will have shipping oil in it, id drain that and put about 2oz of pag 150 in it. i dont know the harm in the shipping oil, but thats just what iv been taught.

As suggested, after flushing and swapping out parts, pour the oil into the suction side of the compressor, you will have rotate it be hand as you pour.
Hook up the compressor after chnaging everything out before hand.
Then pull a evacuation on it for a good half hour, shut off the gauge manifold and watch for gauge for keeping a vacuum for a good half hour with no leaks.
Then fill system with freon.

If system does not hold a vacuum, charge with a small supply of freon and sniff the joints/parts to locate the leak.
Some HVAC techs pressurize with nitrogen to 150 PSI and Snoop® the system for bubbles, or lack of bubbles, then evac again, then charge system.