AC compressor squeal - time bomb?

1989 XJ, 4.0L

My AC compressor has had a slow leak from the shaft/bearing for some time now and because of the cost of R12, it hasn't been charged for 3 years. Just this week, the compressor started to squeal real loud from cold starts which goes away after about a minute. She stays quiet all day until the next morning. Is this a time bomb that has started ticking and the compressor is going to freeze on me taking the belt and something else out with it?

TIA

Same thing happened to my wife's. The pulley bearing was shot. I went to the junkyard and bought another pulley and swapped the good bearing in it's place. Although it sounds as if you just need to go ahead and replace your compressor if it's leaking like that.

Georgia Mike said:

Although it sounds as if you just need to go ahead and replace your compressor if it's leaking like that.

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Saving money for that.

Maz said:

Saving money for that.

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for three years??:wow:

mine's been squealin' like that since I got it, but I'm sitting on an OBA setup I'm still talking myself into.