Sanden compressors

mattdavis11 · 03-30-2009, 05:37 PM

This for those of you who switched from the Nippondenso 10P15E or the 6E171 (early car) to the Sanden, I'm curious. Did they turn out to be the bomb or do they suck? Seeing as how I can get myself into one for around $120, I'm thinking of experimenting just for the hell of it. There is nothing wrong with my system, and I do a/c work, so it's just something to fuch around with.

If I could find a 6E171 in a China product, I'd like to test one of those too, but I haven't been able to find one.

So, are the Sanden units worth the time? Sending out crap doesn't do anyone any good, it's a waste of time for everyone.

TexasBlake · TexasBlake's Garage

I've never had a problem with any Sanden compressor. The ones I have had won't die.

For example, my 1994 Jeep Wrangler had a Sanden compressor. Well, on a Jeep a/c is worthless. I converted the a/c compressor to breathe the atmosphere and discharge into a small 18 wheeler brake tank. This gave me a mobile air compressor which is handy when on off road trips miles from anywhere. Ran air tools on it, but it was mostly used to air up tires on the trailer, other people's 4x4s (we air down off road for more tire traction), and also reset the bead on tires that have blown due to low pressure without beadlocks.

Anyways, Sanden compressors don't have an oil crank case like the York compressors that most people use for the application. Sandens (and many others) use the actual refrigerant for lubrication. Honestly, i used the piss out of that compressor, and the only lubrication it got was the occasional shot of WD-40 in the intake.

I ended up breaking my air compressor when a rollover broke a motor mount and cracked the compressor, but I replaced it with ANOTHER Sanden from a 5.0 Mustang. It still gets the same twice a year WD-40 lube treatment. I've only had issues with the pigtail on the 5.0 one. Sometimes I have to wiggled the pigtail to get the clutch to engage. But then again, my Jeep gets much more abuse than any vehicle that's allowed on the street (The Jeep isn't street legal).

It has yet to fail....

IMO $120 is way too much for a used compressor though. Is this a special Sanden that has ear mounts like the stock 944 compressor? What application does it come from? Is it a R134 or R12 unit?

75ohm · 03-31-2009, 05:39 AM

Just replaced my Sanden as the reed valves were screwed up... had a really hard time getting solid information on it so I went ahead and bought a new one outright from 944online.com.

mattdavis11 · 03-31-2009, 02:14 PM

It will be brand new. My thinking is they are cheap for a reason. I sell compressors, and I don't want to sell stuff that isn't reliable. I see many of the places that were selling Sanden years ago do not have them on their web page, instead they have the remanufactured nippondenso's, for the 944's at least.

I'd have to modify all the stuff just like everyone else, but I have the all the stuff to do it, so it's not going to be a pain in the arse like some have had.