A/C Compressor Grinding

[slanej]

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.

[96 SSEi]

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.

[slanej]

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.

[AJT2004]

You may want to consider a A/C Compressor By-Pass Pulley. It's sold on Rockauto (DORMAN 34196).

[96 SSEi]

ok, sure, as long as the pulley stays secure, I would think that spacers are fine

[slanej]

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.

[RJolly87]

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

[slanej]

Thanks again for all the help 96 SSei, AJT2004, and even RJolly87. Look for my next post under "transmission problem."