What's hangin' outa the front of my A/C compressor?

[Steve Scalmanini]

Thx for your quick reply, Bernie. 

I looked online after I wrote my email and Blau carries two different 
clutches for our year.  They say one is 9/16" larger than the other... 
but they don't say what either actual size is, so how am I supposed 
to know what to order?  Sheesh... 

Can the clutch be replaced without removing the compressor (and 
therefore having to pay a shop to evacuate the system?)   It looks 
like removing the bumper and aux radiator might be preferable to 
the expense of evacuation and compressor removal.  

What Bentley shows for our 91's looks more like what ETKA shows for 
the 92 and after 100's than the 91 200Q.  Another Bentley error? 

Lastly, if it is only the clutch, what's your opinion on whether 
to replace the entire compressor at this age (195K) regardless if 
only the clutch is actually broken?  I've never heard an opinion 
on this, and I don't know what life to expect (what wears out when) 
in an A/C compressor unit.  FWIW, I'm still running the original R12. 

Steve 

--- Bernie Benz <b.benz at charter.net> wrote:
Date:	 Tue, 30 Mar 2004 20:47:02 -0800

Sounds like you need a new AC clutch.

> From: Steve Scalmanini <sscalmanini at yahoo.com>
> Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 19:46:38 -0800 (PST)
> To: 200q20v at audifans.com
> Subject: What's hangin' outa the front of my A/C compressor?
> 
> My A/C quit yesterday.  The frontmost disc on the compressor is hanging
> loose off the front of the unit (gently against the aux. radiator.)  The
> reason it hasn't fallen off completely is that it's still connected to
> the shaft it bolts to, and the shaft continues inside the pulley for a
> ways, although loosly.  The pulley still turns normally and doesn't make
> any odd noise.  
> 
> Does anyone know what happened?  Did the main shaft inside the compressor
> snap, or has something come apart that is reassemblable or repairable,
> like the A/C clutch assembly?
> 
> I don't see anything in Bentley that shows that the shaft should be
> anywhere except inside the compressor, although the clutch disc seems
> to bolt onto the shaft end with a few shims behind it.  (See p. 87.34
> in volume 2.) 
> 
> TIA, 
> 
> Steve 
> Ukiah, CA 
> 91 200Q20V  195K