Porsche 993 AC Compressor Replacement

As mentioned in this previous post, Ella's AC compressor was suspected of leaking r-134a refrigerant and needed to be replaced.  The repair quote from the mechanic was absolutely ridiculous, so I felt free to buy tools and equipment as well as the parts. :-D

For an excellent how-to article, check-out http://www.pcarworkshop.com/index.php/993_-_A/C_Evaporator_Replace.  Although the title says "evaporator" replace, it also covers the compressor and the receiver/dryer.  Rather than re-create the DIY here, I made a few small contributions to the article on pcarworkshop. Ella even makes a cameo appearance!

In this post, I will cover some of the special circumstances and considerations from my install.

Porsche 993 AC Bracket Repair

Broken Piece of Porsche 993 AC Compressor Bracket

As I was lifting the AC compressor off its base, I heard something metallic falling into the engine bay.  My first thought was that I had missed a bolt or nut somewhere, but I was very careful about that. I looked down into the engine bay to find a piece of the AC compressor bracket.

You could see from the changes in color along the break that it had been cracked for sometime.  I also know of one other 993 owner who experienced the same issue.