72 AC compressor rebuild

[Melissa N.]

Any recommendation on who can rebuild a leaking '72 Vette AC compressor?

[Mark E.]

For years former member Domenic Tallarita was the go-to guy for A6 restoration. He restored mine and did a beautiful job. You can check but I don't believe he does that anymore.

Few have the skill to properly restore these properly so hopefully someone will share a recommendation.

Does it just need a clutch or front shaft seal? That's a relatively straight forward job a local mechanic or you can do without tearing into the unit.

If something more serious, consider a new one with a lifetime warranty from your FLAPS and a reproduction sticker. It will look original until hard to see codes stamped on the back are checked. Keep the old one for posterity if original to the car.

[Melissa N.]

Thank you. My compressor is leaking.

Do you have contact info for Domenic? Where can I get a new one that is correct in appearance?

[Mark E.]

Where does it leak? Again, if it's the front seal that is a relatively simple repair.

If you decide on a new one, I suggest a local auto parts store so you can check it out for appearance on the counter. Some offer better warranties than others.

New A6 compressors have hit or miss quality (like just about all other parts today) so the warranty is important. But that doesn't cover labor and refrigerant. So the best outcome is if the old one just needs a front seal.

[Melissa N.]

Not sure where the leak is, but I don't have the skill set to repair it. I want a correct compressor to keep the car stock.

[Gary C.]

Melissa,

Why not take it to Gordon Andrus' shop and let him check it out. As Mark said, might just be a seal.

Gary
....

[Melissa N.]

Hi Gary, I appreciate the suggestion and may end up doing that........moved away and not nearly as close to his shop as I used to be.

[Larry M.]

Melissa:

Three things you could do:

1. Find a local shop that can repair your compressor like Gary C. says. It is probably leaking from the front seal (they will ALL do this at one time or another).

2. Call and send compressor to Old Air Products in Dallas/Fort Worth area. They have been around for many years and recently I heard they have a person/shop that can do A6 compressor repairs and rebuilds. However, I do not know their success or satisfaction rating for this work.

3. Purchase an ALMA (or APCO) NEW A6 compressor. Old Air Products or Zip or NAPA or ?? should be able to help you to locate one. You can also call ALMA Products directly and see who they retail through. This is an almost identical compressor to the original A6 except for date code and decal and metric threads (which do not affect mounting or usage or visuals). This new A6 has been around for many years and everyone that I know who bought one is very VERY happy. It has additional internal bearings and a modern double lip seal so it is robust in performance. ALMA (also called APCO or Alma Products Company) bought the original tooling from GM and has been making new A6 compressors for the market including old GM cars, John Deer tractors, and Jaguar cars. Put a reproduction decal on the compressor and almost no one will know it from the original.......except it will last for years without issues.

Dom Tallarita is a friend, but last I heard he was just getting back into rebuilding the A6 compressors and had a 9-12 month backlog (or more). But you can call him. His phone is 760-831-2095.

The ALMA compressor for the 1967 Corvette is #51-16262A. It has a 5-5/8 inch diameter clutch and a 10:00 coil location connection. Not certain if this is the same for 1972.........so you need to check. But they make many many models. It is just tough now days to find a retailer who sells them. The demand for these compressors on a large scale manufacturing basis is dwindling down rapidly, so finding someone who still sells them is getting harder. I would put a new ALMA on my own show car if I had to do a replacement.

If all else fails, Old Air Products also sells the Pro6Ten compressor that is a modern looking compressor that fits the A6 frame and performs well. A number of folks have used this compressor when waiting on Dom to rebuild theirs. This was years ago when Dom was still fully into this rebuilding business. But the Pro6Ten is still available. Looks okay (but just okay) if painted black.

Larry