jedijeb

I have an 85xj with 2.5L and my A/C clutch is squealing terribly. I imagine it is either the bearing or the clutch pads, so it will need to be fixed. If I put a little oil or silicone spray in the gap the squeal will stop for about 30 minutes then it begins again. Usually it will be quiet for a few minutes after startup then gets louder from a chirp to a squeal.

I will work on it eventually, hopefully just need to replace the bearing, but since the A/C needs recharging and I don't want to spend so much to convert it over, I either need a good bearing or a way to bypass the pulley. Does anyone know if there is a smaller belt that will bypass the A/C or would I still need some kind of idler for it?

kgm

You can install an idler but you typically have to yank the AC compressor to install it, but there is a guy on ebay who sells the electromag-coil, clutch faces, and big **** bearing set for $80. I installed it all. It was pretty easy! Needs a 3 jaw puller for yanking the clutch pulley, then some super basic wiring to install the new coil (just splice it into the 2 existing wires.) Mine works great now! And the bearing should last another 15 years. Ebay user "allforauto"

Edit: Dang, 1985? I'm not sure if he has anything going back that far, if the AC design changed which it most likely did in 10+ years.