Jeroen

I've just come back from a week's holiday in Breckenridge, CO. All the way from Kansas City to Breckenridge and back again. Four adults and their luggage all in my "98 XJ. Jeep did fine.

About two hours before we got home I noticed a unusual sound starting to develop. Seemed like a bearing of some sorts going bad. I just drove on a had a good look at it this evening:

I listened to all the various attachments on the engine (ac compressor, fan, tensioners, Steering pump etc) with a stethoscope. The only component that really made a lot of racket was the AC compressor. All other bearings in all other components sounded fine.

The AC compressor/clutch is definitely working, but we did notice a bit of 'burning smell" earlier as well. When I switch the AC on/off there's a bit of change of sound as well.

Just now I took the serpentine belt off. Check everything for play. Apart from the cooling water pump with a very, very minimal play evething feels rock solid. That is, except the clutch of the AC compressor. The actual drive wheel is very loose. I can move it several millimeters in all directions. Never had this apart before, but it appears really worn down. Much more than you'd expect on this part of the clutch.

My theory is that the bearing in the clutch is gone bad and that the clutch although working, might be slipping somewhat as well.

I've checked my Haynes Manual, but they only talk about replacing the whole compressor. Nothing wrong with the compressor. Just the clutch. Can I replace the clutch. I can only see one nut that seems to hold it in place? Would a Nappa/Autozone carry a clutch replacement or will it take a trip to the junk yard?

Thanks.

Jeroen

Bustedback

You can replace just the clutch and not have to discharge the A/C system, only a few snap rings and a nut hold the clutch on, a very easy repair.

Jeroen

Thanks,
I've done some more research and I understand you might need some special tools to get the pulley off and back on. I'll phone around tomorrow a bit, see if I can get the parts and the tools

Jeroen

Bustedback

Snap ring pliers would be the only special tool needed.

Jeroen

Managed to take it off.

I did need to use a puller to get the pulley off. took it off in less then 15 minutes.

Now I'm phoning around to get a clutch repair kit. Not that easy. Found one online shop that usually carries the correct kit, but they're out of stock. So I'm working my way down various AC specialist. None of the regular car part shops (eg Nappa, Autozone) carry these parts.

Found a few leads on Ebay as well.

Jeroen

j-rod

when you find the parts be sure to post up!

cheapest i found for clutch is $200.00 and clutch with compressor is $220.00

OEJ

Im subscribing on this one. I think my ac clutch is posibly going bad too.

Not to jack your thread; sorry Jeroen, but do we have a high and low pressure switch?

What happens with mine is that whenever i put my a/c on max it will blow ice cold for about 5 mins then nothing. It will be just hot air. then i'll switch it back to normal a/c and it will be cold again.

Thats why i was wondering if our jeeps have a h/l pressure switch.
thanks alot and again i appologize.

Jeroen

My parts came in earlier this week. Just fitted the lot and everything works fine.

I found the parts on Ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Business-Auto...id=p4340.l2563

I was searching for the AC clutch parts and happened to run into various postings from this guy. He didn't advertise my particular parts but he sure had a lot of AC clutch parts going for sale. So I contacted him.

Sure enough he had a new coil, clutch plate, bearing and shims. No pulley.
$86 including shipping to Kansas City.

He also provided a step by step repair procedure.

All in all, not difficult. The tricky part is getting the bearing out of the pulley. The bearing is held in place partly by a very tight fitting but also by a number of center punches in the outer ring. I used a dremel to smoothen them out as much as possible. Then popped the pulley with the old bearing into my wife's oven when she wasn't home and heated to 250F. Then with a large size socket that's about the size of the outer casing of the bearing and a large hammer rammed it out.

Putting the new bearing in, more or less same procedure. Used the dremel to smooth out any of the old center punch holes as much as possible. Pulley into the oven at 250F. I used the inner and outer casing rings of the old bearing to fit the bearing into the (hot) pulley (very easy) and subsequently bang it onto the compressor.

As I stated before, the clutch plate and the pulley had really worn into one another. I actually fitted the old clutch plate instead of the new one, because with the grooves, the old one fitted better against the worn pulley then the new clutch plate.

Jeroen

eoren

https://www.maxsamclutchesstore.com/clutches