AC compressor bolts - won't come out

Is it just my truck, or does everyone have trouble removing the bolts from the ac compressor? I'm trying to replace the tensioner due to the arm being crooked (bearing/pulley is fine).
Any help appreciated. I've sprayed with Kroil, used 1/2" drive impact on the 12mm head bolts, no luck. Thanks.

 

These bolts are a pain. Try to tightened the bolts and then loosen. Keep doing that. Be careful especially the ones with the torx head

 

Thanks, I've been doing that with my 1/2" drive impact after spraying both ends with Kroil. Too tight to get in there with either an inductive heater or torch. Guess I'll wait until the Kroil seeps in, if ever.
While I'm thinking of it...will the ones that attach to the engine (the ones that hold the tensioner), do they usually come out reasonably easy?

 

These bolts specifically usually in my experience gets seized due to water intrusion and need to be worked out. instead of an impact, try using a wrench/ratchet.
if you need more leverage, remove the alternator and work the compressor bolts from the top of engine

 

Will try that. Thanks, I appreciate your help!
Oh, and since I'm replacing the tensioner, I'm not opposed to breaking or cutting off the bolt heads. Thanks again for the tips.

 

I agree. An impact is not the tool to use here. If you snap those bolts off, you just made the job a lot worse.

Do it by hand.

 

Got them out! Three survived, one I had to grind the head off of (bottom, closest to front). Seized tight to both bracket and compressor.
Now my question is, shall I replace the compressor while I'm in there? It's a 2008 with over 300k miles. The a/c didn't work when I bought it, and I notice the pulley is noisy, probably bearing. But I'm not opposed to swapping the compressor with a new one, since the system has no charge and has been that way for several years.
Thanks for any advice!

 

If the system has been empty for several years, moisture will get into the system. That really hammers the compressor.
The system has a leak obviously and if it was me I would replace it. Your right here. If it’s bad, you have to pull it all apart again. 300k is a lot. You could have a condenser leak, a line leak, or a evap leak.
All depends how far you want to go with the system. But, that being said, you said it was noisy. So work has to be done on it anyway.

 

Thanks Mike! I was thinking the same, with the system having nothing in it for that long, I'm sure there's moisture damage. Plus bad bearing, and the high mileage - I agree a new compressor is in order. (I'm also getting too old to be under cars all the time).
Thanks again very much for the advice, I appreciate it.

 

The question I was trying to get answered in my post further down is how did you get them out. Where did you come in to remove them? Of the three that survived?

 

I’ve had to actually cut the compressor out of the mount. Those long bolts through the aluminum
Weld themselves to the mount. It’s a long process sometimes. It sucks.

 

Oh, sorry, I missed your post.
The top front one, I came in through the wheel well, under that rubber flap (just over the frame). The bottom rear one I accessed from under the truck by using a 9" breaker bar, 1/2" drive, with a short extension and 12mm 6 pt socket. The breaker bar was oriented with the handle toward the front of the truck. There's just enough clearance under the compressor to accomplish this.
Once the alternator was out of the way, I went in from the top with the same socket and breaker bar to get the top rear bolt (the one that threads into the engine block.
It was no fun, so I'll put Never Seez on the stuff in contact with aluminum.

 

Yes sir.
You may have to change the condenser anyway cause that’s where the dryer is
I wish you well.

 

Oh, and Mike is right, it sucks! My front lower bolt was fused to the compressor bracket. No way was it going to turn with a wrench, socket, impact. I rounded the head of the hardened bolt. Ended up grinding the head off the bolt with a Dremel and cut off wheel. Then, rocked the compressor up and down and pried between the tensioner bracket and compressor housing to coax it loose. Took a while.
....and I'm wondering now, how will I get in there with a torque wrench! Snug may have to do.

 

Thanks Mike! I'll replace everything under the hood most likely. Condenser looks a bit rough anyway.

 

What’s a torque wrench?

 

Oh, just something I didn't need for years working on cars (never had a problem). Of course, older and more paranoid.

 

thank you! I was wondering about the torque wrench myself because of the limited amount of space under there! I did not remove the alternator. Wonder if that would be easier!

 

Definitely remove the alternator. I tried to skip a few steps that I saw people on youtube doing, but learned that you not only need to remove the alternator, but also unhook the clips and move the wiring harness out of the way. Still tight getting the alternator out, but do-able.

 

A wratcheting box end wrench works great for those once you break them loose, I realize not everyone has a set of them but they definitely make life easier on bolts in tight spaces.