Bringing A/C back from the dead

There is no belt but the a/c pulley spins free by hand. I assume previous owners took off the belt when it no longer blew cold. The only way to find out is to put a belt on and attempt to turn it on, I know. Is there a list of common things that kill the ac in this particular truck I should look for? What connections are fail prone; will a 134 converter kit and some green o rings is all i need to do, or is there more to it? It appears that nothing is cut or missing from what i can tell. This is the season for a how-to I declare. If stuff i need to buy adds up to ~$100 and i can pay someone to do it with a guarantee for around $200 im inclined to go that way for peace of mind of course. Any guidance appreciated!

OK, the outside of the AC compressor electric clutch pulley spins readily and silently, right. But what about the inner part, the part that actually turns the compressor to pump the refrigerant? See if that can move by hand, or put a 19mm socket (if memory holds) on the nut and try to turn. If that turns (post how much resistance you feel, if you can turn it, clockwise). If that is not seized I think next step would be to have a dedicated AC shop check the system for leaks, as trying to get a system going that has a leak is an unending uphill battle.

Take good photos of the two service valves and post so I can tell if someone has tried to convert already to R134a (legally, there should be a sticker underhood if this had been done). Also, R-12 is still available and legal to use in USA, in all 50 states, and if you stay R-12 then you don't need to flush out all the old R-12 type oil to convert. R-12 and R134a are both readily available, legal, and somewhat expensive. But they are not "consumable items" because a working system does not leak.

75% of all AC issues are leaks, and the system stops cooling. Since I've had my B2200 almost 20 years and live in Phoenix, I've likely used my AC more hours than anyone else here. I've had compressors go bad, I've had a leak in the underdash evaporator (replaced that), I've had a leak in the crimp connection on the high pressure hose (had that repaired). I've had one blower resistor fail: do you have all your fan speeds?

Depending on year of truck, finding a brand-new AC compressor for it might be tough, one might have to get an AC shop to swap over a clutch onto a certain body to "make" one. But save your old AC clutch if you do that, and/or maybe that could be bolted on to a new compressor body. If the system is empty of refrigerant, you'll need a new receiver-drier too ($30).

Doing your own AC work requires at minimum: vacuum pump, service gauges, leak detector. I will state that the AC and heating in my '88 B2200 sure does work well though.

I have all vent fan speeds. Ill do the socket test when I get home. Since truck is so old any failure if not common is expected anyway =/

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Tool in the last picture is amazing the ratcheting handle twist in both directions but spins the fastener in only one way that's selected. Yes it spins freely

OK, so the compressor is not seized.

A seized compressor is bad for two reasons:
1. must be replaced

2. metal particles can get into the lines and components

good information

Same above for a noisy compressor (like my B2200 compressor when I bought it, knew it had a malfunctioning compressor even though the air was cold).