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..........
ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
Moderators: Helpinators, Moderators
-
arse_sidewards
- First Gear
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:17 pm
Re: ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
If the A/C works it's probably not the compressor.
1992 FWD MT wagon, 1994 AWD AT wagon
Re: ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
Thanks for the response. Have you seen any web sites that show how to fix the clutch?
-
arse_sidewards
- First Gear
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 12:17 pm
Re: ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
Youtube.
They're all roughly the same.
They're all roughly the same.
1992 FWD MT wagon, 1994 AWD AT wagon
Re: ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
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/
Re: ac compressor noise-maybe compressor clutch
Just to follow up on my ac problem. It turned out that I have 2 problems. The first noise came from the ac tensioner pulley. Before I got around to replacing it, it had completely failed and the tensioner pulley wobbled and ate through the plastic cover of the timing belt. I replaced the tensioner pulley (bought from Autozone, only one I could find), but had to get the cover replaced by a real mechanic. While he had the timing belt cover off I had him replace the timing belt, the water pump, and all the timing belt pulleys (worried about their bearings). Cost me $450 plus $215 for parts.
The second problem is that, when the ac compressor is engaged, it makes a metallic pounding noise. I took off the ac clutch friction plate (outer plate). I tried to follow the the instructions on some web sites, but they were completely wrong for my Calsonic 73011 AA090 compressor. The friction plate must be removed with a REAL puller. It cannot be pried off. Luckily Autozone had the correct puller available for Free. I used a very big (almost 2 foot long) channel lock pliers to hold the friction plate while I took off the small nut. The friction plate has female threads (about and m18 or m20) inside the hole where the nut is. These are there just for the puller. After pulling I could see that the shaft is not tapered and that a woodruff key is used. It can fall out when the friction plate is pulled, so be careful. With a non tapered shaft the gap between the friction plate and the belt pulley is controlled by how far the friction plate is pushed onto the shaft. Upon reinstalling the friction plate I placed the woodruff key onto the shaft with the shaft key slot on top, so the key didn't fall out. I carefully started the pulley on the shaft and used the installer pusher that came with the Autozone kit to push the friction plate back on. On first try I got the friction plate too close to the pulley and it touched intermittently when I ran the ac. So I pulled it back out a very small amount and the ac ran ok. But the noise is still there so it must be something inside the ac compressor, which I will have to get a mechanic to replace.
The second problem is that, when the ac compressor is engaged, it makes a metallic pounding noise. I took off the ac clutch friction plate (outer plate). I tried to follow the the instructions on some web sites, but they were completely wrong for my Calsonic 73011 AA090 compressor. The friction plate must be removed with a REAL puller. It cannot be pried off. Luckily Autozone had the correct puller available for Free. I used a very big (almost 2 foot long) channel lock pliers to hold the friction plate while I took off the small nut. The friction plate has female threads (about and m18 or m20) inside the hole where the nut is. These are there just for the puller. After pulling I could see that the shaft is not tapered and that a woodruff key is used. It can fall out when the friction plate is pulled, so be careful. With a non tapered shaft the gap between the friction plate and the belt pulley is controlled by how far the friction plate is pushed onto the shaft. Upon reinstalling the friction plate I placed the woodruff key onto the shaft with the shaft key slot on top, so the key didn't fall out. I carefully started the pulley on the shaft and used the installer pusher that came with the Autozone kit to push the friction plate back on. On first try I got the friction plate too close to the pulley and it touched intermittently when I ran the ac. So I pulled it back out a very small amount and the ac ran ok. But the noise is still there so it must be something inside the ac compressor, which I will have to get a mechanic to replace.