Cheap A/C Compressor failure

[retiredat44]

A couple years back I got a real good deal on a new/rebuilt Denco A/C Compressor:
10pa15c. I bought in on eBay from a shop that deals with them. The warranty is out so I had no way to get it replaced. I can't complain because it was only $100.00. One from Toyota or a reputable stores would cost hundreds of dollars.

It just blew last week. I took it apart. A bearing on the wobble plate (it is under a connnecting rod to a piston - has 10 pistons, 5 each side) had disentegrated. The inside of the bearing contains power. I had taken compressors apart in the past that had solid steel bearings.

Note: these bearing on not the shaft bearings, again these are half round, flat on one side the ride the wobble plate.

When it failed it dug into the wobble plate and it seized. The compressor had plenty of oil on the surfaces and on the bottom.

In this type of a/c system, the oil (I use Ester Oil) cirulates as it flows through the whole a/c system as a mist... so it does tnot all stay in the compressor.

I have a spare compressor I am using the heads off the the new one, as they are still good and putting them on another spare compressor I have that has a good wobble plate and pistons and center case. The spare I have is an OEM with higher quality parts.

I am curious about the bearings ont he wobble plate. Since they are not solid steal, but instead are fill with some powdery substance, It is maybe sodium to keep the bearings cool?
I know the valves in some engines are/were made with sodium fill interiors to disapate heat on the old Big Block V8 Engines. While this is a compressor, they either use the substance in a hollow bearing to keep them cooler, either that or maybe these were made in China and they just make really really bad cheap-ass bearings to save money and screw the consumer?

I would post this in the Air Conditioning forum and website, but they would nag me to death for buying the compressor from a store they don't push through through their website.. But am considering it... they are very knowledgable there, but can be very aggressive on people they consider not professionals in the a/c trade.

[toyomoho]

The “bearings’ could have been made from a sintered material, the shape was formed by compression and heat. Sodium ignites upon contact with air. Would think decent lubrication should keep the parts lubed and prevent this type of damage. If the compressor was lubed with the correct oil, perhaps this was a defective part.

[Flashmn]

is it a sanden unit?

Also keep in mind, alot of those chinese compressors dont have any spare parts available to them, so when they break, you can only get a new one.

[retiredat44]

Denso 10pa15c compressor. I bet it's a crappy made parts used ina a rebuild house that rebuilds these and sends them back out. A good OEM Un unit costs about $300 and more. I know I got one with 2nd rate parts. I got what I paid for.. If you do a search on the Internet you will see a few Chinese companies selling the parts for these that the rebuild houses by in bulk. Just really badly made.