Hello. I recently got a vintage slider (I believe Ideal 55, couldn't find any tags or labels). I'm trying to remove the refrigeration motor, which I believe is a Tecumseh P91L. I was able to remove the mounting bolts but having problems removing the copper lines. I've used penetrating lubricants but they won't budge. Is there a trick to removing these lines? Any recommendations?
which is a job for a trained refrigeration technician. There are high pressures of freon in the system and if you're trying to remove the freon lines then you're lucky that you have been unsuccessful or you might have seriously injured yourself. The freon lines are brazed on with solder and only heating the joints with a torch will separate them. This is, of course, after the freon in the system has been evacuated with vacuum pump. If you need to replace the compressor then you need to remove the cooling system as a whole and let a pro repair it for you. If the system can't be removed intact then you need to take the entire machine to said pro for repair. Keep in mind that you'll never get the same style of compressor now and so serious modifications of the base plate or the cabinet may need to take place to change compressors.
Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I have a lot to learn about refrigeration systems. I'll follow your recommendations to ensure that the work is done properly.