Ac Compressor Clutch

chromebumpers

chromebumpers

solid fixture here in the forum
Staff member
I have one of the 450 million original AC units found in most GM vehicles from the ‘60’s and 70’s. I believe the bearing is bad in the clutch. When I bought this car there wasn’t any fan belt. I put a belt on and upon starting the car and turning on the AC there was a loud screech and the engine stalled.

Anyone here ever replaced the clutch in one of these units? Difficult?.

E56E640E-763F-4EA0-BC22-D635CC0905FA.jpeg
 
It’s not like I haven’t looked on line (YouTube) first. Everything is Ford or Japanese (and a few late model trucks.
Nothing about the 400 million GM Harrison compressors still on the road today.
 
chromebumpers said:
When I bought this car there wasn’t any fan belt. I put a belt on and upon starting the car and turning on the AC there was a loud screech and the engine stalled.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the compressor is locked up, rather than the clutch having failed.
 
thank you!
I realized I loaned out my AC clutch removal tool and have not seen it in months
so I ordered a replacement
as I doubt the guy who borrowed it has any intention of returning it anytime.
and its not all that expensive
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/gear-and-damper-pullers.902/#post-79793

s-l1600.png

https://www.ebay.com/itm/401753878494?epid=20040615851&_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item5d8a65afde:g:0OgAAOSwe75gyFgm&amdata=enc:AQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsS%2BMKizvpuEDUfX4dvRWfUzbYhc3zKoM5a0%2Fg%2FUagSJRVHuKPyknGM8hYQujo5E5%2FqRjfq8GAV92kOwNDqGtSebq5TkiQ28uMGq%2FA7eVk3o%2BDw9XfMZ%2BFPBPJPvcyWAZqoqKFYMBlCnsm6S%2F51gF2uJvRG1lANTRUD%2BQV4Rj2G8K8Gsc2hIFBbrqAfkSE6ZhCcdEXmLCgji2y6D4%2FPurwCrdtVGMiZzpMFXj2E0x3iL77hGgU30yNew3CVr1GSiGvzi8LaEcpKt%2BXy78wAroQEsRkbsRWDRl8adadbztU7C7mpKsUmK4bcnsFFgoshcRoblWY3KvQwMz%2FYjNHg%2F%2B7%2FJM6GzVoqe%2BnBLEKxvO9v%2BitCGDELw4pv6uopdYVvND4U5rhne5IyAXl0nHLSaPwcStx1Ut1XZvGt%2F51Z0sbnjirnOC%2BGQoEVQfR9poLY6a3CSj7NVZKS0bWvoSaTHECeOnuwJpruICpIkQ%2BO4%2FtgKPvWjWQjeNSRpZph6WE27qSBQ8nL6FpiBn2H4O4%2FvuaTYPDIEUkuRYoWxEANotwuhq57powpVnWpDOPWtTbJpcOyy%2FoG03M7Z%2BUyUrGHpukECstSHuv7pya%2F%2F0pBv%2FBb4N6v0Fieeh2vILeLVbXbKmRdCB5LSTxJc52v%2Fw2k2M9wf7PWUcEnN%2FzDYaxFLMO%2BYsbNDDTl9cz48WTTz9QTYXIyOPJpp7rrVSZcGLszVz%2FiMmlSBwVBAYBnzvyiWrCzFcHUgLK8eQHyIpGhq445S%2BnlfCA%2F%2FbZHWcekYA6b5v2LUHUBU%2BPGmUKKVZhXQisU2swXGNwlBBrDrh%2F93BGKjbDC|ampid:pL_CLK|clp:2334524
 
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So what if it’s locked up? Does that mean the whole compressor needs replacement or is there a way to “unlock?”
I have the foot long older style Black compressor with the “AC muffler” mounted next to it. I thought the bearing was seized so I bought a new bearing.

Is that a loaner or something from HF?
 
the tool to remove the AC compressor clutch costs about $25 to BUY outright
I don,t know if the compressor or just the clutch is locked up, but ID suspect its the compressor not the clutch,if just the clutch was defective it might turn but not grab or never unlock
s-l1600.png

https://www.ebay.com/itm/401753878494?epid=20040615851&_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item5d8a65afde:g:0OgAAOSwe75gyFgm&amdata=enc:AQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsS%2BMKizvpuEDUfX4dvRWfUzbYhc3zKoM5a0%2Fg%2FUagSJRVHuKPyknGM8hYQujo5E5%2FqRjfq8GAV92kOwNDqGtSebq5TkiQ28uMGq%2FA7eVk3o%2BDw9XfMZ%2BFPBPJPvcyWAZqoqKFYMBlCnsm6S%2F51gF2uJvRG1lANTRUD%2BQV4Rj2G8K8Gsc2hIFBbrqAfkSE6ZhCcdEXmLCgji2y6D4%2FPurwCrdtVGMiZzpMFXj2E0x3iL77hGgU30yNew3CVr1GSiGvzi8LaEcpKt%2BXy78wAroQEsRkbsRWDRl8adadbztU7C7mpKsUmK4bcnsFFgoshcRoblWY3KvQwMz%2FYjNHg%2F%2B7%2FJM6GzVoqe%2BnBLEKxvO9v%2BitCGDELw4pv6uopdYVvND4U5rhne5IyAXl0nHLSaPwcStx1Ut1XZvGt%2F51Z0sbnjirnOC%2BGQoEVQfR9poLY6a3CSj7NVZKS0bWvoSaTHECeOnuwJpruICpIkQ%2BO4%2FtgKPvWjWQjeNSRpZph6WE27qSBQ8nL6FpiBn2H4O4%2FvuaTYPDIEUkuRYoWxEANotwuhq57powpVnWpDOPWtTbJpcOyy%2FoG03M7Z%2BUyUrGHpukECstSHuv7pya%2F%2F0pBv%2FBb4N6v0Fieeh2vILeLVbXbKmRdCB5LSTxJc52v%2Fw2k2M9wf7PWUcEnN%2FzDYaxFLMO%2BYsbNDDTl9cz48WTTz9QTYXIyOPJpp7rrVSZcGLszVz%2FiMmlSBwVBAYBnzvyiWrCzFcHUgLK8eQHyIpGhq445S%2BnlfCA%2F%2FbZHWcekYA6b5v2LUHUBU%2BPGmUKKVZhXQisU2swXGNwlBBrDrh%2F93BGKjbDC|ampid:pL_CLK|clp:2334524
 
Seems to me that the only time the clutch bearing is spinning is when the clutch is NOT energized. So when you engage the clutch the whole device (clutch and compressor) spins together.
 
Hmmm . . . .At the risk of repeating myself, I’m thinking out loud. When I got this car it didn’t have a fan belt. I figured maybe it broke or the last guy didn’t want AC because it’s a convertible, so I just put one on. I didn’t look at it running, I just didn’t think to look at the clutch - I was in the driver’s seat when I flipped the AC controls on, it failed and I haven’t tried it again. I hoping it can be (correction, “I” can) repair it.
 
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