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 Post subject: A/C Compressor Grinding
PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:17 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 3:47 pm
Posts: 41
Location: Moon Township, PA
Year and Trim: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville SLE, GM 3800 Series V6
Hey, All:

Got a 2000 SLE with the 3800 series F/I no S/C. My A/C compressor started grinding a few miles back, and from all appearances the bearing is shot (grinding noise and clutch plate continually engaged and clutch plate turning SLOWWWWWWLY). Since it's October I don't need the A/C for quite a while, but that grinding is driving me batsh*t crazy.

I saw in an older post that someone bypassed the A/C motor by installing a shorter serpentine belt until he could get the A/C motor fixed. Can you really do this? If you can, does anyone know the size of belt (or part number) that I'd need to accomplish this?

Or am I misdiagnosing the problem incorrectly to begin with? Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

E.


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 10:10 am 
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Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:11 pm
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Year and Trim: 2000 Bonniville SSEi L67
hi, so your saying the grinding is there when the compressor clutch engages? and when you unplug the compressor to disable it, the grinding stops?

your going to have to repair it sooner or later so I wouldnt mess with shorter belts.

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past rides:
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 3:28 pm 
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Location: Moon Township, PA
Year and Trim: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville SLE, GM 3800 Series V6
Thanks for the shout-back, 96SSEi:

Yeah, that clutch stays engaged, even after I pulled the power to the compressor (and I pulled the clutch fuse #26 under the hood as a second test, too.)

Regardless

(A) The clutch plate stays in the engaged position and rotates about once per second
(B) The ridged pulley spins as it should both with and without the belt.
(C) The compressor ass'y makes that offending noise and throws shavings any which-way I go.

Since I am going to replace the entire compressor after the winter thaw, (gotta save up for Christmas!) is it OK for me to back off the nut holding the clutch plate in place and fix it in an "un-engaged" position with something like spacers or (in a fit of pique) thread-lock?

As you can see, I'm a cheap SOB. I'd rather do it myself than come up with cash now ("I would rather pay you Tuesday for a Hamburger today.")

Your advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

E.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 5:02 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:45 am
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Location: New York
Year and Trim: 2004 Bonneville SE
You may want to consider a A/C Compressor By-Pass Pulley. It's sold on Rockauto (DORMAN 34196).

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- '92 Bonneville SE - '85 Grand Am - '73 Catalina - '67 Catalina
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 9:04 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:11 pm
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Year and Trim: 2000 Bonniville SSEi L67
ok, sure, as long as the pulley stays secure, I would think that spacers are fine

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poverty forces one to do unorthodox things

2000 SSEi
past rides:
1996 SSEi
1992 GTP
1987 Grand Am


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:29 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 3:47 pm
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Location: Moon Township, PA
Year and Trim: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville SLE, GM 3800 Series V6
Hey 96 SSei and AJT2004:

Thanks for all of the help. I went the spacer route, since I'm gonna have to redo the A/C this spring. So far they're holding up just fine. There's no grinding or shaving.

AJT2004: Your suggestion for a bypass pulley is really going to help a friend of mine in Montana who has the same problem I had, but who never uses his A/C anyway. Thanks for the heads-up. You made me look like a genius.

Anyway, Thanks again.

E.


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 12:51 am 
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1994 Buick Regal Custom
Sorry i didn't see this sooner. It's usually caused by corrosion in the clutch, and you should be able to adjust the airgap on the compressor to compensate

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 Post subject: A/C Compressor Grinding
PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:34 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 3:47 pm
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Location: Moon Township, PA
Year and Trim: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville SLE, GM 3800 Series V6
Thanks again for all the help 96 SSei, AJT2004, and even RJolly87. Look for my next post under "transmission problem."


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