A/c failure...of sorts

[dhirocz]

So Ive been saving new a/c parts, waiting until the inevitable time came when I needed to service the system. It always worked...just not great.

So I found my A/C no longer working last week when it got a bit hot in the afternoon. I found a big oily spot on the front of the condenser, oil from freon sprayed all around it. Somehow, on top of that, the a/c compressor clutch also quit.

What baffles me is how much oil sprayed out of the system. Its getting a new condenser, dryer, high and low pressure switches, expansion valve, fan switch and seals while Im replacing the compressor. What im curious about is the oil level...it had a TON of oil in the system, and an abnormally high amount of dye to boot which might explain why it was marginal at best.

Ive got a large vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the system. I figure in this situation, with no idea of the oil level in the system, I should flush the whole system to remove all the oil(lines, evaporators), drain the compressor, and start with a fresh charge of oil and get it as close to the 56oz my service manual specifies?

Im pretty familiar with automotive a/c, and have gauges and a good vacuum pump. I don't have access to an a/c machine though.