A6 Identification Numbers
 

The A6 compressor I have for my GTO has these numbers:

On Label
Model 5910662
Code 050482

On Casting
D228
8 28
6555302

Can anyone shed any light on the date of this compressor? Casting date looks like April 22 68?

But I assume rebuilt units were previously used castings so perhaps something on the label supercedes that.


Also, any general way to access the condition? It rotates, draws a vacuum on one pipe, makes pressure on the other pipe. Absolutely silent and smooth in rotation.

The pulley bearing however has rough spots in it, I assume that can be replaced.

Thanks,

5910662, used from 1968-70.
Casting date is April 22nd, 1968.
Assembly date is May 4th, 1968, 2nd shift (code).

Hmmm, appears to be the original from the 68 lemans parts car I bought. Which only had about 60,000 miles on it when I bought it in the early 90's.

I'm tempted to go through it and use it almost as is, didn't appear to be leaking at the front. But will need a new clutch bearing.

I have the 68 AC service manual, I'll have to check that and see if it goes into detail about compressor work.

No idea on the numbers per we. But, there is a new updated double lip seal for the front . It’s better than the older carbon seal, they say. 20.00 from Delco.

Grab one and your new bearings and put it together.

I'm looking at "Old Air" as my source of parts. They seem like the only place left dealing in OEM parts for the old A6 systems.

Pretty sure it's not an "updated seal", they dis-continued the original seal.

I have to check, but I believe this is the R4 shaft seal.

Classic Auto Air can fill you in on shaft seals with A6 compressors.

Directly from Alma when I emailed them a few years ago (I had asked if they had a lip seal to replace the original ceramic in my '66 GTO compressor):

"I had my engineer review your request and he said the service kit 73-027S would absolutely work for you.

The service kit includes the two piece nose cone seal, o ring, snap rings and felt seal.

I have a dealer here in Michigan that can help you get one ordered.

Thermo King Michigan

955 76th St SW

Byron Center, MI 49315

Phone 616-878-4900

Email – [email protected]"

Classic Auto Air does excellent work, send it down to them for a rebuild. And live with the fact the shaft seals will leak.

Mostly from sitting and non-use. About the best I got from an A6 Classic rebuilt was a solid 10+ years. Eventually the car started to sit over the winter and seal leaked more and more.

Remember, there was a reason your system held 3+ lbs of R12 when new. 12 month warranty. And they could leak several ounces for years and still operate.

Re-building a A6 isn't a "take it apart and replace some seals" - they do require machine work.

And........the S6 versions (e.g. ProTen from Old Air and others) can run R134a, but your system will need a new condenser and other adjustments.

Please call Classic Auto Air, they will steer your right.

I'm sure the 'engineer" could look up a part number as well as us.

And yes, the R4 seal fits. Not any way a "new and improved" A6 designed shaft seal.

Just a seal that fits that they currently make.

Like I said, Classic Auto Air can tell you more than you probably every care to know about A6 shaft seals.

They went thru some diligent testing of alternatives back
in the early to mid-2000's.

Pretty much came up that the original seal worked the best.

A6's were used in mining and agriculture I think until the mid 2000's. They work and are rugged "if" they are used. They sit...........not so good.

Bob, Classic seems to be having some inventory issues as the moment, looks like they are combining with another company, Vintage Air maybe? And are sorting out their combined inventory on the web site.

Just looked around, the A6 seal kits don't seem very hard to find (even Rock Auto has them). I see that ceramic type are still available from some sources.

Basically my plan now is to replace the shaft seal, the o-rings and the clutch bearing.

The double lip seal is GM 2724954. eBay has a few.

Consider making a compressor support tool that you can mount on a vise. It helps when you try to keep the front seal in place when you slide the guts in the case as shown in the CenturyAutoAir video. I made mine out of scrap angle iron.

The clutch remover and installer tools can be loaned out from Autozone.

The pulley puller is a little more difficult to find on Autozone's web site.

Ben got it.
Yes it’s an R4 seal. Better than the carbon ceramic seal was. That was the “upgrade”.

If you can read the factory shop manual and can follow the directions, with a little handful of parts either new old stock or from a couple good used compressors this ain’t rocket science by any stretch.

These days how do you guys think the pros are doing it? Yeah they’re building good ones from multiple cores.

They did sling oil back in the day…. Cadillac had a sheet metal shield for theirs to block the oil from being slung in the hood insulation and pissing the old folks off about the mess…

Thanks guys, ordered that seal off ebay.
So at least I will have "a" seal in the inventory. I'll check on the other options also.

Thanks for the links to the tools, very helpful.

Any chance one of my various other pullers will work?

I was going to try to just put the AC mount in a vice as a work stand.

I "suspect" my compressor is in pretty good shape if "mileage" has anything to do with it, it came off a 50k lemans that was driven in upstate NY where AC is required maybe three months a year.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...4&d=1748482678

Don't remember a Cadillac shield, but Buick certainly did. I welded two of them together about 35 years ago on my GTO. The stock Buick shield consisted of the vertical members and curved around the top by an inch or so. I added the upper horizontal part:

I ordered a clutch removal tool, and a seal remover/installer.

I should have a puller that will work for the pulley.

I've got the clutch off (with the proper tool), and the pulley off (using a standard gear puller) no drama.

So I've got an OEM lip seal kit. But I need the "seal protector" thingie that usually comes with "re-seal" kits but not with an OEM lip seal.

Can anyone recommended a good quality complete A6 seal kit (orings etc) that comes with the seal protector?

I've got a "seal installation and removal tool" on the way also. And will be ordering a quart of the proper mineral oil.

It's been a long time since I looked for the kit and tool. The tool is highlighted in red and eBay has one as part of this kit.

ben, yes, that's the tool I need.

I see a couple of them on ebay, no idea what the quality or origin is.

So far what I'm seeing is the same Chinese kit everyone sells that has the seal protector tool, and I see Four Seasons has a kit but it has no seal protector.

There are some AC tool kits that have a metal seal protector along with other tools but it's $80+.

I've hit a snag with the front seal.

Can't see how to get the OEM seal out of the compressor. The original seal appears to have a sleeve or bushing in it. This prevents the seal removal tool from engaging the seal. The sleeve doesn't seem to want to come out with a magnet, can't get a grip on it with anything else.

I'll check the manual thoroughly, just had time for a quick pic.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...0&d=1749561541

Did you remove the snap ring? I can't tell from your photo. I had to modify a long pliers to make a snap ring tool to do the job. J-9392 hooks onto the seal assembly and you pull it out. If it's stubborn, it can be pushed from behind as shown in the video after the front head is removed.

Snap ring is out.

The problem is that the tool fits an ID/cavity in the seal, then you expand the tool, it grips the seal and pulls it out. I can't fit the tool onto the seal with the bushing/sleeve or whatever it is filling the cavity where the tool is supposed to go.

Note how the seal in your photo has a recess in the center, this is where the tool gets a grip, mine has a bushing or something in that recess.

I kind of thought the project would end up requiring the disassembly of the case.

The part in question is the "Seal Seat" shown in the exploded parts diagram of the A6 in the service manual. The service manual shows a special tool to remove it (different tool than the other seal installation/removal tools). Even has a picture of it being removed.

I have not seen this part addressed in any of the A6 "re-seal" videos. I haven't looked at the instructions yet for the new AC Delco seal set I have, perhaps it address whether I will need to reuse it. It's all metal, like a very short "hat" that fits between the seal and the snap ring.

After really digging found a guy on ebay selling Sunair o-ring kits for the A6 and he sells the "seal protector" separately.

Doesn't appear the compressor o-ring kit is much of a "consumer" product, I did see them listed by wholesalers. 98% of the kits on ebay and Amazon are no-name Chinese products being shipped from China or their US warehouses.

So it looks like the compressor will be coming apart.