A/C Compressor Clutch on 3.4

Borrow a vaccuum pump & set of gauges, take it off, do it yourself, it's not rocket science. The r134 isn't that much$.

 

Tempted to do just that. Love accumulating new tools. However, just today I did find a shop that does what I want. Will recover the R134a from my system, record the amount taken, and vac and charge when I get finished. $50ish plus any additional R134a beyond what I get credit for.

 

That's a good deal for you, gauges would cost that much although they can be used to service home units as well as cars. Replace the O-rings at the hose mount.

 

no they CANNOT, house units use different Freon and they use different oils in them if the oils are mixed (even a tiny amount such as a vapor mist) it turn into slime and ruins the gauges as well as the system you contaminated.

if you get a set of R-134 gauges for your vehicle, you can only use it for your vehicle

 

I've done it many times with absolutely no problems, but I rarely read magazine articles.

 

New Denso compressor, dryer and new Bando belts on the way. We're going for the DIY fix. Replacing the belts because I cut the old one off. If I find shrapnel in the compressor, I'll be replacing the expansion valve, condenser and other recommended stuff.

 

if you find anything like dust or shavings then do a flush on the whole system to clean all of that crap out first

 

Local shop said they recovered what amounts to the full capacity of refrigerant, so that's encouraging. Tracking number sent for new parts. Now we wait.

 

For removal of compressor, FSM indicates that I need to remove the PS Pump Set Bolt and Nut. Which

 

FSM says to remove PS Pump Set Bolt and Nut before removing compressor. Is this so it can rotate out of the way somehow? I see several forum references to completely removing the PS pump. Don't want to do this unless absolutely necessary. I anticipate parts coming in today. Remember, mine is a 3.4.

 

Would you guys happen to know if the Ac compressor clutch is sold separately by itself? Seems like my clutch is worn out and can find anywhere that I can just get that part without buying the whole Ac compressor

 

Just the other day i was on Amazon lookin fur a/c stuff and i swear i came across a clutch on its own...

Edit***my bad, it was ebay!! Not amazon. Just looked again and there is clutches and whole new denso compressors with clutch for about $200. Didnt pay attention to 3.4 vrs 2.7 though, might be the same. But you should be able to source one up my man!!

 

Removing the p/s pump is pretty easy, dont sweat it. Prolly be the easiest part of the job, lol.

 

Uodated post #32! Incase you dont get a notification!

 

yes it is, and it removes without any pressure seals to the system so its easy to just bolt on a new one without losing Freon. trouble is they are NOT cheap and often people just opt for the whole compressor when they see the price of a new clutch. if I needed a new clutch I would get a salvaged one, they rarely go bad after all so its not something that wears out physically unless oil gets on them to cause slippage.

 

I removed the pump from the bracket, and without disconnecting any p/s pump hoses, I removed the bracket from the engine as well. This gave just enough room to fish the compressor out from the top, and without having to bleed the p/s pump in reassembly.

 

Job finished! The innards of the compressor were shrapnel free, so I replaced only the compressor and drier. We are back in business! Thanks for all who offered timely advice.

Also put new Bando belts on while I was in there. I accidentally put the p/s pump belt on the alternator. I discovered this after I had installed the a/c belt as well. I just went ahead and ordered another p/s pump belt, since I had already found a stopping point.

 

so you went with a whole new compressor and all? Not just the clutch?

 

Yes, I went with the whole new compressor.

 

Hey MikeyDo, did you do the swap yourself or did you have a shop do it?