Case 580K A/C compressor locked up

[caver]

Last week when it was in the low 50's I visited my property and discovered the A/C compressor seems locked up on my cabbed backhoe. I started it up and heard something start to squeal under the hood. I may just cut the belt as it looks like I may have to take the cooling fan off and the belt is old anyway. That belt only runs the A/C. This A/C system didn't work that well so I never used it. I would like someday to get it going again if it doesn't run into crazy money. I really don't know what refrigerant is in this unit. I never was a freon guy.
I'm posting this to see if anyone has been down this road with older machinery (1992)

 

[Harry in Ky]

Sounds like your problem is more likely a seized pulley bearing than a compressor "locked up". Unless the A/C is turned on, the clutch engaged so the compressor is actively trying to operate you would never know the compressor was "locked up".

 

[caver]

The part that freewwheels is not moving. There are no pulleys. This has its own belt. The serpentine goes to everything else.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Then you can remove the belt for now, and deal with it later. If you knew for sure the system (and compressor are sound) you MAY be able to locate and replace the pulley/bearing assembly down the road. Since it wasn't working well to begin with, I'd suggest you go with the "crazy money" option later on or forget the AC entirely.

 

[caver]

I'm curious as to what freon they would have used assuming this system was never serviced.

 

[flyerdan]

There should be a label on the pump saying what to charge the system with.

 

[caver]

There should be a label on the pump saying what to charge the system with.

I'll have to look at the tag I think I saw on the compressor. The problem is it may be weeks until I'm back at the property.

Funny to me as the year before I bought this TLB I had looked at a 900 hour Kubota KX 121-3 Mini Ex. The dealer owner had used it on his property. $28K seemed high to me at the time. I should have grabbed it knowing what I know now. This was maybe 2010.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Tag or no tag, look for the service ports. That will tell you. R12 systems used 1/4" SAE male service ports. R134A systems used a fitting similar to a male hydraulic coupler but much smaller, One is larger than the other so high and low pressure gauge connections cannot be swapped. (installed backwards)

 

[Billrog]

It probably didn't appear to work well because the fins were plugged that the fan blows the cool air threw. You have to pull the head liner to get at and clean it. Right after you replace the ceased bearing.

 

[caver]

Agreed Billrog. I just never got around it. It seems like I'm always replacing cylinder seals.