AC quit - clutch replacement or compressor/condensers?

My AC quit. I live in Florida. This is a problem! Checked and it seems the compressor clutch is the culprit. I realize this is a fairly straightforward repair with a rebuilt clutch unit but...My car has 155k miles on it. I have complete records of the car since new and it still has the original compressor. I'm inclined to bite the bullet and replace the compressor (even dealing with the dreaded 3rd bolt), but let's go another step further. Replacing the compressor would require replacing the condenser coils (to do it right). So ultimately, I'm curious if anyone has sourced a condenser off ebay. A rebuilt compressor is fine in my mind, but I won't touch a "cleaned and flushed" condenser. Too much risk of having to go through and do the same repair twice. I'm seeing a lot of the usual imported stuff selling for about $35/coil, a CSF for about $65, and go ahead and run $500+ each for OEM. So rennlisters, chinese build condenser coils or go with CSF for twice the price? Either way, it's cheap, but is super cheap the way to go or spend a bit more for some confidence?

Why dig a hole when it's not necessary? I replaced the clutch assembly on a couple of my vehicles. Relatively easy to do. Problem solved for several years.

"Rebuilt" compressor ? I would have to ask what did they rebuild. Kind difficult to add metal when it wears away. Does your compressor have steel sleeves and ringed pistons, a steel wobble plate? Most Denso's today do not. Typically all that can be done is new bearings and seals. Why do you want to replace the condensers? Has the compressor tossed particles in the system? Have the condensers started to deteriorate? If your compressor has started to break down you'd want to AC liquid flush the system: condensers, lines, evaporator, however not the drier or expansion valve. Usually clutches fail due to overheating or simply excessive mileage. You will need to replace the drier. 155k miles is a lot on a compressor driven in a warm climate.

If the AC system still works as intended, just replace the clutch.

Need more info. How was this diagnoised? What exactly failed? How did it fail? Are we talking just the clutch failed but the compressor is still holding refrigerant? If it needs a clutch, you are better off just replacing the entire compressor with your mileage. Denso makes the OE compressor for Porsche and they can be had for about $250. If the compressor came apart internally there is a major different direction to be taken. Unless the compressor internally failed there is no reason to replace the condensors. Whenever the system is open you should replace the drier (stupid simple) and its not a bad idea to replace the expansion valve with your mileage ( also simple).

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How many miles do you have? I'm thinking at 150+ the compressor wear has to be reducing efficiency.

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rebuilt meaning a low mileage unit (55k) that's had all the gasket work and clutch work done. 155k miles the wear on a any mechanical part is pretty substantial. Where there's metal to metal contact you're bound to have wear in the system. The condensers, and the tiny fluid channels that allow them to work, can act as a sort of "filter" for these particles. After flushing, they may come loose and enter circulation in the system. They're cheap enough and worth the investment for peace of mind that an old metal shaving doesn't scar up the compressor or foul another system component. Not to mention that 150k miles worth of road debris striking them could easily make them a potential failure point.

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Initially determined by me (no action on the clutch when engaging it). Diagnosed by my mechanic (he's good, I trust him). System holds 134a but does have a slow (very, very slow) leak. Nothing inherently wrong with the compressor apart from the overall mileage of the car. it's a wear item, might as well. And yes, naturally a flush, drier and expansion valve will get worked in.

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Most rebuilts do not have clutch work done. What you find often is the clutch has been painted, has the original bearing and the pulley to clutch plate surfaces have not been cut or ground, just cleaned up. The compressor will probably have, at best, a new nose seal and case o-rings. The outer body will be painted. Frankly, this compressor is used on so many different model vehicles the cost of a new Denso is simply such a low cost its not worth nickel and dime'n this; if you get a 'rebuilt', toss it on the car, evacuating, charging, testing, find you have issue with it, you will be recovering refrigerant, sending the unit back, getting a new one, and then evacuating, charging and testing again. Yup! Yup!, especially on this model vehicle and its cousins; lots of stick and stones and broken bones. If you are going through all of this effort you might as well toss in a new evaporator. The plate and fin units typically fail by now and the foam on the metal flap doors is probably shot.

A couple of years ago my AC stopped working, the compressor was not engaging. Never even bothered to try and determine if the problem was the clutch. Went on line to a Rockauto.com and bought a new Denso compressor for about $265, the list price at a dealer is almost $1,700. I did the work myself and the compressor I bought was the exact same as the one I took out without the Porsche tax. I also bought a drier, a set of o-rings and an expansion valve, then a vacuum pump and gauges at Harbor Freight. Fixed the system and it produces at about 37 degrees consistently for 3-4 years now.