AC system question

I think my bearings on my AC clutch are shot. Every time I click the AC button it instantly squeaks and it’s not a belt. I think I’ve narrowed it down to that. Does that make any sense?

 

If the belt was replaced it’s a good chance it’s the AC idler pulley bearing going out.
Mine tends to last 3 or 4 years.

Idler bearing is not part of the AC unit.

Bearing is like 10.00 but you might have to buy the pulley with the bearing.

I just press out the old bearing and press in a new one into the pulley

 

Is that a hard task to do? I’m not exactly a wrench turning type

 

No. Remove skid plate and loosen AC belt, there’s a bolt that holds the idler bearing on, remove the bolt, install new pulley, tighten bolt and tighten belt.
Buy the pulley and bearing first as one unit. And reverse to complete the job

 

The AC clutch bearings only work when the AC is not on, when you push the AC button and the clutch engages it essentially become one rotating unit. Does it make the same sound when the clutch cycles on an off during normal AC operation?

 

Read the PDF I attached, it has all the info you'll need.

 

If I understand your question. It only whines when it’s turned on as soon I click it off the noise stops

 

Take the pulley off and look to see if the bearing is bad and go from there,

Or take a hose and put it by the bearing and have another person turn the AC on and off,
But be careful

If it’s not that then it’s the compressor and that’s EXPENSIVE.

Try the idle bearing first.

 

Fingers crossed it’s just the bearing. Sounds like I’ll have my hands full this weekend tackling that

 

It’s a few hours at the most job, more like one hour if you know what your doing R and R

 

The AC cycles on and off on its own. You should hear the squeal stop as the pump disengaged the clutch.

Have you left the AC on long enough for the clutch to cycle off the pump?

 

you should really just turn on the AC and go look in the engine bay and around the compressor and pulley to isolate where the noise is coming from, rather than just throwing parts at your truck.

 

No I’m not really an AC guy more of the windows down and noticed it the other day.

I have sorta, but I really know enough to pinpoint it. If I had a guess before I made this post it would have bearings of some sort right around the AC compressor

 

take a video, post it to youtube and paste the link here. Move the camera around so we can see where the noise gets louder and quieter. We can help you out

 

Sounds good I can get that done soon. Truck is back in Virginia and I’m in North Carolina currently

 

You're probably going to have to take the skid plate off because the idler bearing and the AC compressor are at the bottom engine area so you may as well get a stethoscope from Pep Boys then you'll know what the issue is right away which one is going bad