Coming home from a recent road trip in our 1987 Cutlass, the AC compressor squealed... smoked... and threw the belt.

Got a new belt just to verify the compressor was the culprit and engaging the clutch it sounds more like an ice maker now.

So if the compressor is shelled, I'll assume the worst and figure the whole system could have metal particles so the system will need evacuated and flushed.

A) Is there an accepted procedure for flushing the A/C system? Figure garden hose probably isn't a good idea.

B) Do I also need to replace the Receiver Drier and Accumulator or can those be flushed?

Thanks for any input!

 

When the compressor goes like that, yes, it does probably blow some crap all over.

Flushing can be done with commercially available A/C flush solvents - they are probably behind the counter at the auto parts store. There are some that are aerosols, but others are supposed tobe used with purpose-built pump units.

The receiver / dryer and the accumulator are the same thing in slightly different locations. Your car will have an accumulator.
You should replace the accumulator and the filter screen in the fitting that goes into it. Once the system is opened, the desiccant inside the accumulator will absorb moisture from the air, and since it's 25 years old, it may reach its limit.

I don't recall the first year for R134, but if you've got an R12 system and want to convert, now would be the time, as you will have it disassembled, and have a chance to replace the relevant parts.

- Eric

 

Just my opinion, but you should probably replace the whole system. Usually when the compressor scatters, it pushes shrapnel through the system since it most likely did not fail and stop instantly. Even with flushing, its very hard to get everything out of all the small passages in the evaporator. It would suck to spend all the time and cash replacing the pump and recharging the system to just have it fail again due to a little left over contamination.