86 prelude 2.0SI A/C gone

Just bought an old 86 prelude 2.0SI for next to nothing. The reason it
was next to nothing was that this is Southern Louisiana and the A/C is
gone. The compressor is still there but I just got off the horn with
the mechanic and he says that when old honda a/c's went bad they fouled
up the whole system. He says a new compressor will only fail again as
it'll get gunked up with the crap from the first failed compressor. He
also says Honda used to put out a kit to do the repairs but that
all-told it was going to be around 2K to fix. That's 4 times what I
PAID for the car and so I'm wondering if anyone here knows of any other
cheaper options.

Other than no a/c it's a lovely car and I like the hell out of it.

Thanks,
Bill

 

Well - you can:
1. Open the windows, and sunroof if you have one or
2. Move way north where it's cooler.

Seriously - I had an '89 Si I picked up used and the a/c was always flaky.
It eventually died. Places I took it too wanted lots of $$$ to fix,
althought it was not has high as 2k. It was a great car, and fun.

Don't think you'll really find a cheap way to fix it, unless you know a
friend or can do it yourself. Also used R12 back then which is more $$. If
you fix it, may as well look into converting it to R134. Of course you can
try other shops to get different estimates and opinions and see what they
say.

Good luck,
-Dave

 

Labor for this repair will be about half the cost. Your mechanic is right
about debris in your sealed AC system, but you can overcome this. The
reciever dryer has a filter in it and should be replaced. Many experts
also say the expansion valve in the evaporator should also be replaced
because debris in it can kill the system.
Lines can be blown out and the correct amount of oil added. Total
refigerant oil capacity for your car if using R-12 is 7.9 oz. Always use
new O rings, Honda puts a high price on these. I had good luck buying a
new compressor from Manchester Honda ($370) with only a $10 shipping
charge for my 95 Civic. Becoming savey in AC is not that hard to do. The
Haynes Techbook titled automotive Heating & Air Conditioning for under $20
can sure help! Make sure you purcase the 2000 or newer edition which also
covers R-134a conversions. Good Luck.