A/C Clutch Amperage?

[73k5blazer]

Does anybody have any reliable info on how many amps the old long style GM AC Clutch uses?
I'm wiring, and searching around I see various things rangin from 2.5amps to 18 amps . I'm using it for an onboard air system.
I suppose I could go get a cheap inline fuse holder and a bunch of fuses of different amperages and watch them burn up, but, I figured somebody might know?

 

[AZ79K5Project]

3 amps for the clutch on the longer round compressor. (tested mine)

 

[73k5blazer]

Alright! That matches my calculations.
Well, I dusted off the old brain cells I built up in college, and using ohms law, I measured the resistance of the clutch, at 4.1ohms, using the formula
amps=volts/ohms
14/4.1=3.4amps
Not a perfect number, but a good overall idea of what it could be. Add a couple for saftey.

I guess the 12ga wire I used is overkill

 

[AZ79K5Project]

Alright! That matches my calculations.
using ohms law, I measured the resistance of the clutch, at 4.1ohms, using the formula...

I measured the draw with a meter so your calculations and my measurements, should be pretty darn close.

How are you oiling this compressor???

 

[73k5blazer]

I've an oiler on the inlet side and a de-oiler on the outlet side.
The de-oiler drain will be plumbed to the oiler fill, so it'll be somewhat automatic.
I've an old writeup from a mid 90's Fourwheeler mag on how capable these compressors are, only downfall, they aren't internally lubricated, but the oilder/deoiler should take care of that.
They ran without any lube for many months and didn't report any problems.

 

[MaxPF]

I've an oiler on the inlet side and a de-oiler on the outlet side.
The de-oiler drain will be plumbed to the oiler fill, so it'll be somewhat automatic.
I've an old writeup from a mid 90's Fourwheeler mag on how capable these compressors are, only downfall, they aren't internally lubricated, but the oilder/deoiler should take care of that.
They ran without any lube for many months and didn't report any problems.

If it is an A6, then it is most certainly internally lubricated. The bulge in the bottom is an oil sump, and it has a gerotor oil pump located in the rear housing. Still, the oiler/deoiler is needed because it does tend to discharge a bit of oil along with air (or refrigerant in it's normal use). Not much, but a little bit.

 

[73k5blazer]

Hmm...so I've one from my '73 K5, long style, and it has a bulge on it, and I've one, long style, from an early 80's GM car, long style, but no buldge.

 

[MaxPF]

Hmm...so I've one from my '73 K5, long style, and it has a bulge on it, and I've one, long style, from an early 80's GM car, long style, but no buldge.

The heavy-@$$ one with the bulge is an A6. The other one is probably an HR6. A6's are readily identifiable by the bulge and the cast iron end plates each attached with 4 nuts. That and they weigh a ton

 

[73k5blazer]

Hmm, well, thanks! That's good to know. I was tempted to use the newer one, because, it's newer, I didn't know there was a difference, but now I do!
I'll have to see if the clutches swap though, because the clutch on the 73 one is completely shot, the newer one works though. Those clutches are $100!