ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch

[ralphl]

Recently I noticed a noise coming from the ac compressor. Ac still works fine, putting out cold air. Metallic sounding noise. Could it be just the compressor clutch? Or is the whole compressor about fail? Noise is intermittent, but I noticed noise, both when the ac was running and when it wasn't running, so I ruled out the drive belt idler pulley. Is it possible to replace the clutch without taking out the compressor and having to recharge the system? Is it something I could do myself or do I need special tools? I looked for an article on fixing/replacing the clutch but couldn't find one on this site. Anybody know of a site that tells how to replace the compressor clutch, either here or some place else?
Any help appreciated..........

[arse_sidewards]

If the A/C works it's probably not the compressor.

[ralphl]

Thanks for the response. Have you seen any web sites that show how to fix the clutch?

[arse_sidewards]

Youtube.

They're all roughly the same.

[ralphl]

I made a stupid statement in the original post that because the noise happened both when the the ac was on and when it was off, it couldn't be the idler (belt tensioner) pulley. Obviously the noise during both on and off indicates it could be the tensioner pulley. So I listened with my stethoscope and the sound seemed to come from the tensioner. I sprayed some wd-40 into the bearing; didn't have the little straw for a nozzle so i got some on the belt, which I didn't like. Anyway the noise WENT AWAY! How long that will last I don't know. I probably should have used some light oil that I have for my swamp cooler that has a long tube on the bottle for squirting into difficult locations. I also looked for a tensioner on the Internet, and couldn't find one, but found a website on replacing the bearing. Its a size 6202. https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/to ... -22-leggy/