vbrad511 Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 My dad's Buick has a bearing going out of the AC clutch assembly. Anybody know if I'll be able to just swap the bearing like we do in our idler pulleys? Will I lose refrigerant when i tear it down? I'd like to think not if I never break the lines loose, but I really don't know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Some are easy to swap the bearing. Some it's better just to replace the clutch. The clutch can be bought seperate from the compressor. And no you will not lose the charge by taking the clutch off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig87 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Most of the time noise on those are just the air gap needing to be pulled. Does the noise go away when the clutch is engaged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbrad511 Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) I haven't heard it first hand, but dad said it was nasty loud. He had a neighbor look at it and it's grinding somewhere, they can see the metal shavings falling. When he engages the compressor the noise stops. Is this something your average joe (me) can fix? Will I need a puller and a press, or is it all bolt and go? And will a clutch assembly have the bearing, or is it something in the pulley setup? Edited March 26, 2012 by vbrad511 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucw458 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 A replacement clutch will have the clutch, pulley, bearing, magnet, ect. It all comes as an assembly. If you already have metal shavings then maybe it's better to replace the clutch. Some bearings can be extracted without special tools some can't. You're gonna have to take it apart to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig87 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 The plate loses tension as it gets old. I would set the clutch air gap before buying a clutch. You need the tool to pull the plate if you put a clutch on it anyway I think your supposed to have .020 or so between the plate and clutch any less it will drag and sound like a bad bearing. As long as its quiet engaged then worst case your looking at a clutch and that's easy once you pull the plate off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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