So, after a couple years of not using the A/C, i replaced the orifice tube and drier. Then I had a shop do a vac/recharge with dye to check for leaks. It blows very cold for a couple of days until it all leaks out from around the compressor.

So today i replaced the seals at the compressor and recharged it. It blows cold now, but i can still hear a leak at the compressor when the engine is off. I expect it to leak out again in a couple of days.

How would the compressor itself leak? Is that a common problem?

 

common? Unsure, but I would've replaced the entire compressor and o-rings around the connection that meets the compressor. Alot of leaks wont show themselves until the system is fully pressurized as you can get hundreds of PSI in the A/C system during operation, while vacuum at 28" will only show so much.

If it still leaks, add dye to the system and inspect the culprit

 

There's still a bunch of dye in it. Last time all the dye accumulated on the bottom of the compressor. Is there an o-ring on the outside of the compressor that could be leaking? I seriously doubt that it's leaking at the hose this time. I'm not ready to replace the whole compressor yet, because it blows very cold and the bearings/clutch are still quiet.