Hydraulic Pump + AC Compressor = Useful Unit

[schuylergrace]

I have heard an A/C compressor takes 5-15 HP to run depending on the size of the vehicle. Also should keep in mind, typically an A/C system is not under pressure when the clutch is activated since the refrigerant pressures quickly equalize very quickly after the compressor stops running. There is a circuit in most modern applications that deactivates the clutch if it detects slipping. For example if the belt is loose, or wet, or if the compressor is locked up and cannot turn.

Keep in mind he's only using the clutch, not the compressor. On my first go through, I thought he was reconfiguring the compressor pump to pump hydraulic oil, but I never saw the piston assembly go back together. Instead, he's adding a hydraulic pump on the back of the essentially empty compressor shell. Things weren't adding up, and I realized what was going on at the very end. I don't know if you thought the same. I'm guessing his hydraulic pump is a rotary, which would likely be more mechanically efficient than the piston pump in the compressor.