Air Conditioner Compressor Clutch

[JRGBoss]

Somewhere on the way to the Friends of Steve McQueen show in Chino Hills the ac clutch went out without the ac unit being on. By the time we pulled into the show area smoke was coming out of the hood. Everything was still spinning but it was smoking. It has been a long time that I have been involved with an ac compressor but if I remember correctly the clutch can be removed without having to get into the freon side of things - is that correct?

After the show we cut the two belts and made it home on battery power without any issues. Thank you

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Yes the clutch comes off the compressor without having to drain the freon.  Wonder what made it burn up?  maybe the bearing seized?

[John_Kunkel]

When the clutch bearing seizes the belts just keep spinning until they burn up.

To remove the clutch, remove the hex bolt in the center and thread a 5/8"-11 bolt into the clutch hub to force if off. An impact wrench makes the hex bolt easier to remove, otherwise you'll need some device to prevent the hub from turning.

[flyinlow]

Does the compressor turn normally? 

If the clutch idler bearing seized it should just make the A/C compressor run all the time. If the A/C compressor bearings seized with the air on ,the belts and the compressor clutch would be punished mercilessly until you turned the A/C off, then the clutch would act as an idler pulley.

[JRGBoss]

Air Conditioner was off. The pulley was moving but building up heat fast. Hard to tell which of the bearings gave up the ghost until the removal process begins. The drive was about 30 miles one way and it was the first time in years that it was driven for that long. That 440 was running like new.