Ok so new member to the forums so it is nice to meet everyone. Thank you for any help you can offer in advance.

I have a 1998 grand cherokee laredo zj 5.2L V8. I am getting a really bad squeak from what i figured was the tension pulley assembly or something. So I replaced the entire assembly. Worked for an hour or so then came back. Figured maybe just maybe it was the idle pulley. They had it in stock so i replaced that. No luck still. Took it to a mechanic and he said he polished the pulleys off and it worked for about an hour then BAM it was back. The A/c compressor pulley looks like it was hit with a hammer by a previous owner. As I have already replaced the belt with a new gates I figured I would ask here as since it is oem ac compressor i was debating just saving up the 200 bucks for a new compressor entirely rather then just the clutch assembly part......What do you guys think?

Edit:I should meantion that the loud squealing sound is a very very loud high pitch squealing that increases when i rev the engine.If the engine keeps revving at a very evry low rev the squeal will NOT be present. I believe it was around 2000 RPM that the noise starts.......Totally just realized i posted this in wrong part of forums

 

I'd just replace the compressor like you said, if you're certain its coming from the compressor. the water pump is near there too if I recall.

 

I don't know about a ZJ as this is the XJ section but on our XJ's the belt has to be ridiculously tight. Also, you might pull your belt off and spin all the pulley's by hand and see if they turn freely without any binding. Try to find out what the problem is before you just start throwing parts at it.

 

My xj has what sounds like the same thing happen. My ac compressor siezed up causing my belt to snap causing me to overheat in a heartbeat. Replace the compressor before its to late
Best of luck

 

Relax with the "REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR" talk, everyone. Perhaps the A/C clutch is just bad, which I believe is replaceable or rebuildable.

OP, does the squeal happen when you have the A/C on? If you turn the A/C on, is it any worse or different?

 

my A/C squeals when I turn it on, then it stops after a 30 or so seconds. You think it is the A/C clutch?

 

A good first step is tightening up the belt. Mine squealed like crazy on my XJ when I fixed my AC, and I tightened the belt as recommended on here and it went away.

 

Same thing on mine

 

ok, all of this is very informative. But on my 1995 xj, I have a whinning sound that almost sounds like a power steering issue. The noise is comming from the ac compressor. Is just tightening the belt going to help or could I be losing a bearing. I have a major trip coming up and need to repair this plus I use the vehilce every day. I believe the compressor is orginal and my cherokee has 198,000 on her. any thoughts?

 

Tightening the belt is easy and free. Start there. If it is the clutch, I have read that it is almost as much as a whole reman compressor (never really checked). If you do tear it apart and find that its the clutch, might be cheaper to go to JY and pull a compressor for the clutch.

Do you use your AC a lot? If not you can always cut it out and put an idler pulley up there (Dorman makes them). Save you a lot of cash vs buying another if you don't use it, takes a little load of the engine and clears up all kinds of space.