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Getting the compressor in and out is a mild pain in the rear end because of where it's located, and if your compressor is making noise, you need to take proper provisions to remove swarf from the system.
Yes, per the law, you need to take your car to a shop and have the refrigerant recovered. It is illegal to vent refrigerant to the atmosphere.
Do not follow eric the car guy's video or any other method for charging the refrigerant. You must charge by weight, no questions asked. The weight of the refrigerant is located on a label under the hood.
To do this job the right way, you'll need:
1. Refrigerant recovery (and amount of oil that was removed measured so you know how much to add back)
2. a real vacuum pump
3. Manifold gauges, and ideally a micron gauge
4. Vacuum rated hoses and fittings
5. New hoses, fittings, whatever lines require replacing to remove swarf
6. All new o rings for whatever fittings are removed.
7. R134A and a real refrigerant scale for weighing in charge
There are a lot of tools to do this job right that will be expensive. Odds are you'll only use them once. I am a dedicated DIYer, but this one might make sense to take it to a good shop. If you're paying for it, make sure they do it the right way. Or if you have a buddy in HVAC, they'll have all this and probably let you borrow or help you for some beer or something.
Simon
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