[V8] AC clutch

[Kneale Brownson]

You don't have to take out the compressor to replace the clutch.  You can keep the system intact.  If you're changing the compressor, you need to evacuate the system, and you should replace the seals, the orifice tube and the dryer, as well as recharge it.

Ed Kellock <ed.kellock at msn.com> wrote:  The ac system seems to work great. It cools as well as I would expect it
to, comparable to my 5spd and my 93.

What I'm wondering about is how the clutch works mechanically. When I was
working on the p/s pump, While I had the serpentine belt off, I noticed
that when I spun the ac pulley by hand, it felt a bit gritty. I dribbled
some 3-in-1 oil in between the pully and the inner wheel edge and it seems
to smooth it out. What I'm wondering now is, did I gum the works up,
literally? I just went and sprayed some WD40 and then brake cleaner
alternately in between starting and stopping the engine and it seems like
it may have freed things up a little. But the compressor wheel will still
drag on the clutch a little when I first disengage the compressor.

I have found the clutch online at 2-3 places for $123 or less. I wasn't
really looking for compressors but I did see one in the $425 neighborhood.
So unless I'm not looking at what I think I am, there is some economy in
doing just the clutch.

Unless I have to remove the compressor to do the clutch. Then it's going
to a mechanic.

Thanks,
Ed


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ingo Rautenberg [mailto:ingo.rautenberg at gmail.com]
> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 2:38 PM
> To: Kneale Brownson
> Cc: Ed Kellock; 'q - V8'
> Subject: Re: [V8] AC clutch
>
>
> Ed, you might find the price for a complete compressor with clutch
> assembly at just about the same price as a clutch alone. Also, it
> may be that the problem with the clutch is that the compressor may
> have siezed? Or does it seem to be cooling fine otherwise?
>
> Anyhow, those are my thoughts.
>
> Ingo
>
> On Jul 19, 2008, at 4:24 PM, Kneale Brownson wrote:
>
> > Not too big a deal to replace the clutch as long as you have the
> > proper tool. You need a puller to extract the clutch using its
> > internal threads, like removing the idler puller on an I5 timing
> > belt if you're familiar with that process. Autozone "rents" what
> > it calls the 27005 tool, and the 200 Bentley describes as VW 1623,
> > by selling it to you and buying it back. It looks like this:
> > http://www.pbase.com/kneale_brownson/image/89001322
> >
> > Ed Kellock wrote: On the 90 V8, the AC clutch
> > seems to be hanging. I was out and about and
> > when I got home I hit ECON and opened the door and heard a noise. I
> > noticed that the AC was not fully disengaged and the inner
> part of the
> > pulley was moving just a little bit obviously due to some internal
> > drag.
> >
> > Would this be a problem with the AC clutch? Is it difficult to
> > replace?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ed
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