Hey, no ones perfect are they.........

 

Was attempting tightening aux belt tensioner on my Skoda Fabia vrs (2005)  after getting distracted by the kids, I locked onto the air con nut at the top, tightened before hearing a hissing sound. Using debatable thinking process of just turn it back a touch it sheared, resulting in even louder hissing as it emptied its entire contents 😭😭😭 So couple of questions is it ok to drive (obviously without turning the air con on) until I can locate a 2nd user part. Secondly is it a difficult part to fit? Any help would be vastly appreciated, yes I know I’m a complete fool and feel stupid enough already 😡 pictures show actual part that I sheared and it’s location on the part (not mine) 

Should be OK to drive I think. If there's no refrigerant pressure the A/C won't try to turn on even if you asked it to.

What that bit is/does I have no idea though. It's neither of the hose attachment points, right?

It will be OK to drive.

 

That part is a long way away from the auxiliary belt tensioner and looks to be at the rear of the A/C pump.

 

Looking on the bright side you now are the proud owner of your own personal hole in the ozone layer

12 minutes ago, Wino said:

Should be OK to drive I think. If there's no refrigerant pressure the A/C won't try to turn on even if you asked it to.

What that bit is/does I have no idea though. It's neither of the hose attachment points, right?

I think it’s the point where they refill it, by the looks of it 

3 minutes ago, J.R. said:

It will be OK to drive.

 

That part is a long way away from the auxiliary belt tensioner and looks to be at the rear of the A/C pump.

 

Looking on the bright side you now are the proud owner of your own personal hole in the ozone layer

It’s close enough when you ain’t sleeping and not concentrating, stupid error and quite annoyed with myself...... The brighter side comment is a classic 😂

@J.R.its In line with the aux belt tensioner bolt, admittedly on reflection it’s far enough to have know better, but was after a quick fix loads going on in life and a momentary albeit costly error 😭😭😭😭 I think it’s the place where you would refill/gas the system, but that’s a hunch 

My mistake, not knowing your engine I thought the auxiliary tensioner was in the centre of the poly-vee belt run where it takes a turn to the centre around the sprung loaded tensioner pulley. That fitting looks to be on the rear of the pump, I think it might be for refilling PAG oil although the holes have me confused.

 

The system is normally tested and refilled from two different diameter dry break couplings which are usually a tee from the piping and in a high accessible position & should have screw on dust caps.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

My mistake, not knowing your engine I thought the auxiliary tensioner was in the centre of the poly-vee belt run where it takes a turn to the centre around the sprung loaded tensioner pulley. That fitting looks to be on the rear of the pump, I think it might be for refilling PAG oil although the holes have me confused.

 

The system is normally tested and refilled from two different diameter dry break couplings which are usually a tee from the piping and in a high accessible position & should have screw on dust caps.

Must admit I’m no expert, after popping a hole sky, thus ensuring warmer weather 😲

3 hours ago, Whit3Knight said:

@J.R.its In line with the aux belt tensioner bolt, admittedly on reflection it’s far enough to have know better, but was after a quick fix loads going on in life and a momentary albeit costly error 😭😭😭😭 I think it’s the place where you would refill/gas the system, but that’s a hunch 

Something about its visual appearance makes me wonder if it's actually a safety (over)pressure release valve?

Not sure if earlier you were meaning how easy it is to replace that bit, or the whole compressor?

Initially I thought it was a combined filler/breather & then thought that was silly but filler/pressure relief valve makes more sense.

19 hours ago, Wino said:

Something about its visual appearance makes me wonder if it's actually a safety (over)pressure release valve?

Not sure if earlier you were meaning how easy it is to replace that bit, or the whole compressor?

Replace whole compressor, valve sheared I’m looking at second user option as they are darn expensive 

Never done one myself but it's 3 mounting bolts and two hose connections. Space to get tools in may be a bit of a pain as it's quite close to radiator and fans.

19 hours ago, Wino said:

Something about its visual appearance makes me wonder if it's actually a safety (over)pressure release valve?

 

I thought the same thing. It just has that look about it.

I screwed myself and the AC pump shaft when trying to fit a new E/M clutch on my MK1 in 2005 on my job site in France without my decent tools & workshop. Being potless I just had to live without it for a decade.

 

Then I found that the car was so old that my breakers didn't even have any of them left on the pile!!! And that I could get a second hand pump from E-bay for £30 delivered, I fitted it (not too hard a job at all) had a regas and had cold air for the first time in 10 years

1 hour ago, Whit3Knight said:

Replace whole compressor, valve sheared I’m looking at second user option as they are darn expensive 

 

Looks to me like the lid it's screwed into simply unbolts and can be removed, thereby enabling snapped thread removal using a stud extractor and a vice.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

I screwed myself and the AC pump shaft when trying to fit a new E/M clutch on my MK1 in 2005 on my job site in France without my decent tools & workshop. Being potless I just had to live without it for a decade.

 

Then I found that the car was so old that my breakers didn't even have any of them left on the pile!!! And that I could get a second hand pump from E-bay for £30 delivered, I fitted it (not too hard a job at all) had a regas and had cold air for the first time in 10 years

Gives me some hope, not a mechanic but will have a go 

1 hour ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Looks to me like the lid it's screwed into simply unbolts and can be removed, thereby enabling snapped thread removal using a stud extractor and a vice.

Good shout that!!!! 

2 hours ago, Wino said:

Never done one myself but it's 3 mounting bolts and two hose connections. Space to get tools in may be a bit of a pain as it's quite close to radiator and fans.

I’ll have a look on the second unit when I purchase tomorrow, like posted below too I’ll try and unscrew the part that’s snapped on the old one if it’s sat there and a load of springs etc don’t come flying out it could be a quick fix........ Never usually works out like this in my limited experience 

38 minutes ago, Whit3Knight said:

I’ll have a look on the second unit when I purchase tomorrow, like posted below too I’ll try and unscrew the part that’s snapped on the old one if it’s sat there and a load of springs etc don’t come flying out it could be a quick fix........ Never usually works out like this in my limited experience 

 

It'll be ok, it's a radial variable stroke swashplate pump, not a cartoon acme box of busted springs 

12 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

It'll be ok, it's a radial variable stroke swashplate pump, not a cartoon acme box of busted springs 

Amazing stuff, not entirely sure what it all means! But thanks so much for the input 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

 

If you can't get the broken piece out, you could just swap that whole lid bit from the used pump you are getting.

Edited 26 May, 20215 yr by TMB

20 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

It'll be ok, it's a radial variable stroke swashplate pump, not a cartoon acme box of busted springs 

 

Thats exactly what mine turned into when I tried to reassemble it, I had replaced the modulating valve twice but it still didn't work, I dismantled it in hyper clean conditions and it was in pristine condition, re-assembly was a challenge trying to keep all the pistons engaged in the swashplate while trying to enter them into their bores, I really needed to be an Octopus.

 

On the final attempt it just seemed to explode and bits bounced across the dirty dusty workshop floor in all directions exactly like a cartoon, I barely found half of them and had to resign myself to buying a Chinese pump, a then another when the hub stripped on that one, & then an aftermarket hub when the same thing happened yet again

 

I enjoy working on AC but wont be rushing to dismantle a pump again.

9 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

Thats exactly what mine turned into when I tried to reassemble it, I had replaced the modulating valve twice but it still didn't work, I dismantled it in hyper clean conditions and it was in pristine condition, re-assembly was a challenge trying to keep all the pistons engaged in the swashplate while trying to enter them into their bores, I really needed to be an Octopus.

 

On the final attempt it just seemed to explode and bits bounced across the dirty dusty workshop floor in all directions exactly like a cartoon, I barely found half of them and had to resign myself to buying a Chinese pump, a then another when the hub stripped on that one, & then an aftermarket hub when the same thing happened yet again

 

I enjoy working on AC but wont be rushing to dismantle a pump again.

 

I can only imagine but the OP is taking the lid off held on with two bolts which looks like a plenum chamber where high pressure gas exits the pump, I imagine it'll be full of PAG oil but the gas is all gone now.

16 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

It'll be ok, it's a radial variable stroke swashplate pump, not a cartoon acme box of busted springs 

Classic sepulchrave comment that