Review the youtubes on refreshing similar compressors and you won't feel afraid to tackle it. Fairly simple and obvious inside. Just replacing seals isn't worth it to me since the kits cost ~$40 and I have bought new Sandens for that on ebay.

I had a similar experience with the compressor on my 2002 T&C 3.8L. I forgot if Sanden or Sanyo, but similar swashplate design w/ ~7 double-acting pistons. The rebuilt compressor made a slight rattling noise from the get-go, but finished one summer with it. It got much worse by May of the next year, so I removed and opened it. I found the rebuilders had assembled it wrong (big place in Jackson, TN). There were 2 flapper plates (lower left of photo) on one side and none on the other other side. It only worked somewhat because the backer plate (lower middle) was acting as a flapper (i.e. check valve). I wasn't confused, the backer on that side had marks from impacting the ports. I re-assembled correctly. Indeed, I used the center section (piston/cylinders/swashplate) from my original compressor because it had much less play. Still working fine ~4 yrs later. It would be hard to re-assemble incorrectly since some plates were labelled "F" and "R" and the others fit the alignment pins only one way, but those gomers managed to. That compressor had just metal seals on the end caps, but I recall Sandens use a face O-ring (swapped a rear cap once to get GM Pad ports for my M-B).

The main tricks are an impact ratchet helps remove the clutch nut (shaft doesn't spin), pry off the clutch face then look for a snap-ring which secures the pulley. I didn't see that when disassembling my failed compressor for forensics and tried prying off the pulley, which damaged the snap-ring groove. I found my original compressor was actually fine and the clutch must have slipped from over-pressure on a 108F day, melting it (sprayed molten plastic out). Since a clutch cost about the same as a compressor w/ clutch, I bought the later, but clutch alone would have been a simpler on-car job (don't touch refrigerant). I run Duracool in all my vehicles now, so lower pressures.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans