Tough A/C bolts, falling idle, and more on the 5kcstq

[Wallace White <wallace@remdesign.com>]

Yesterday, I got a chance to tension the A/C compressor belt, which was
indeed loose as several listers guessed. (I hadn't checked it--I was
just sure it had to be something complex and/or expensive.) The
tensioner bolt and toothed nut were entirely missing, so I replaced
those. Pretty neat way to tension a belt. But, I haven't been able to
loosen some of the bolts, specifically the rear pivot and the rear one
on the arc (the two bolts shown on the inset in the Bentley, both "A").
The compressor is sitting so that the bolt on the arc is at the end of
the slot, and I think that might be the reason it won't turn. What size
are those, by the way? I was surprised my metric wrenches didn't fit it,
and I don't have any standard wrenches, so I used an 8" crescent. A few
mallet blows to the wrench didn't loosen it, nor did liquid wrench.
Advice for a beginner mechanic?

While I'm at it, let me ask a few other things:

- The engine frequently dies after I've driven along steadily and then
disengage the clutch as I come to a stop. The tach wavers around 200 or
300 rpm and sometimes dies, or sometimes it rises back up to 600 and
then idles at 700 or so. Other times it idles fine--700 rpm is its
normal idle, without A/C, and I know that's low. Is this possibly ISV
related?

- I'm going to need new tires soon, and I'm concerned about the wheels.
They are Riken 15x7's, and I don't know the offset but the rear tires,
at their widest point, are almost flush with the fenders--and they're
only 195/60's. The straight-edged fender well shows chipping and
cracking. Going fast on a clover leaf, you can hear it rubbing as the
car leans. The Fuchs 15x7's don't do this, do they? The offset must be
different. It seems that I should go ahead and get some stock 15x6's (or
pearl Fuchs, if anyone were actually selling them) pretty soon.

- I'm leaking pentosin faster now (don't ask how much!). The car drives
fine, though I don't know how it would with a new rack and pump, since I
haven't had it long. I would much prefer to keep wasting pentosin for a
few months and do the job later, but is it okay to keep driving with the
leaks for a while? I just put a new bomb in and I wouldn't want it
damaged, but I would think the fluid in the system is pretty clean, at
the rate I'm having to add it. (Okay, I'll say: most recently, it went
to MIN in 2,000 miles / 3 days, during the trip of mostly interstate
driving.) 

I knew this car as going to need some more work before long, but I wish
it had been a little longer. Thanks, as always. 

- Wallace White
  '87 5kcstq, 147k and levelling off after an 8k road trip