A/C shuts off at random

[BanditGTP]

I've been monitoring the compressor over the past few days to make sure the clutch would engage and since I wasn't able to get a full charge the other day, it cycles on and off about every 1-2 seconds. I didn't want to clutch to work harder than it needed to and there was no reason to have it run since it wasn't cooling the air so I've had the A/C off. Yesterday I had some time and was going to take it back to the shop to get the full charge since it seemed like the compressor was working fine. I checked it 1 more time 30 minutes before I went to the shop and everything looked good. Clutch would engage for about 1 second and then shut off for 2 seconds. It kept going like this without any problem. I took it to the shop for the full charge and of course...it would not engage anymore. Needless to say, I felt like an arse. Brought it back home and did a little checking on it and now I was able to see the clutch gap get smaller but it would not engage. I guess the clutch is now the problem (probably was the problem from the start).

Today I tried to see what it would take to get the clutch off and possible do it while the compressor is still in the truck. Is it possible to remove the clutch while in the truck? Is there enough room or will the fan be in the way? I tried googling a "clutch repair kit" but came up empty. I found on another thread someone mentioned they bought it on ebay a few years ago but I contacted that company and they said they no longer have parts for our trucks. If I can get the clutch off, I was first going to try removing a shim like Mooseman had suggested (if there are at least 2) to see if that helps.

 

[Mooseman]

Yes, do try to remove a shim first. If there are two, see if there is still a gap or no contact with the clutch and hub if you removed both. When I removed my shim, the gap was so thin that I coudn't even see it but there was no contact with the hub. It did help with my clutch slippage at high speed.

 

[BanditGTP]

Do you know if it's possible to remove just the front part of the clutch or would I need to remove the front part as well as the rear part that houses the bearing? I tried to remove the bolt from the center of the clutch but the entire plate turns. There doesn't seem to be anything to hold onto so I can turn just the center bolt.

 

[Mooseman]

I used an impact to remove the bolt. You might be able to use a bar or something else in the clutch spring rivets to hold it. There is a clutch holding tool for this. You only need to remove the front clutch plate.

 

[Texan]

You might get a strap type pipe wrench from HD or Lowes
and hold the clutch plate with it. Needs to be large enough
to go around it.

 

[Mooseman]

That might not work because the diameter of the clutch is smaller than the hub and thin.

 

[Tiggerr]

Something like this is what your after I believe.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004KEFCPU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1438831575&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40&keywords=648980&dpPl=1&dpID=311TmQsTWHL&ref=plSrch

 

[Sparky]

I think to get mine off I just jumpered the relay (truck off obviously) to snap the clutch plate to the pulley, and that let the belt hold the pulley in place while I loosened (and then tightened) the nut holding the plate on.

 

[BanditGTP]

That took looks like it would be the perfect tool for the job....too bad I don't have one and it says 2-5 weeks for shipping. I found on another thread on GMT that someone used a block of wood between the frame and one of the studs on the clutch to prevent it from spinning. I'll try this first and if that doesn't work then I'll check around for that tool.
mooseman...I would use my impact wrench too if I had it out but I'm going to try getting it while it's still in the truck.

 

[Mooseman]

I was able to use the impact when I had the fan and shroud out of the way when replacing the fan clutch.

Sparky, the idea using the clutch's magnet is genius!

 

[BanditGTP]

Sparky... I missed your post. I must have posted the same time you did. I tried to see if the magnet would hold it tight with the key turned but not running of course and no luck. I didn't think about jumping the relay. I might have to give that a shit if the wood block doesn't work out.

 

[Sparky]

Since the engine isn't running I would assume it wouldn't enable the clutch.

 

[BanditGTP]

I tried the block of wood between the frame and the clutch and it worked perfectly. Well almost perfectly. Did you ever put enough pressure to break a bolt and had the 2 voices in your head saying push harder and the other saying your going to hurt yourself if you push too hard? We'll guess which voice I listened too. Cut 2 knuckles on the fan. I've gotta start listening to the first voice.

Back to the subject. I got the front plate off and found that I only have 1 shin. I cleaned everything up with the hopes of the cleaning would help my situation. No luck. Clutch still would not engage. I took a few pics of the front plate along with my shim just in case anyone needs pics for future reference.

 

[Mooseman]

That's what mine looked like. I cleaned it up with a nylon type wire brush on a drill and ran a flat file evenly across the face to make it flat again. The hub face I just cleaned with the wire brush. Removed the shim and the gap was perfect paper thin, no rubbing while disengaged.

Check the clutch coil. Resistance should be between 2.8Ω - 4.4Ω.

 

[BanditGTP]

If the clutch only had 1 shim, wouldn't I be out of luck? Doesn't it need to have at least 1 shim?

I tried looking around on ebay and called around to a few junk yards and not luck with a used (cheap) compressor. I found 1 at a junk yard but they wanted $125. On Rockauto I can get a new Sanden compressor with clutch for $170.15 shipped to my door. I'm going to look around a little more but I might just bight the bullet and go with the new compressor.

 

[Sparky]

I bought a used one so I could swap the pulley and plate since mine was all chewed up, not swap the whole compressor so I wouldn't have to get the system recharged.

 

[BanditGTP]

My system is going to need a recharge anyway since I replaced the shrader valve due to a leak in the old valve. I was even thinking of getting a new compressor but only using the clutch and not replace the entire compressor. I'm not sure if the parts would be fully interchangeable.

 

[BanditGTP]

I picked up a compressor from a junkyard. I'm planning on just swapping the pulley and the clutch plate. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like the fan needs to come out to make room to be able to remove the pulley. I've unbolted the fan and fan clutch but I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove it without taking the fan shroud out. Is there a way of getting the fan out without removing the shroud and upper hose?

 

[BanditGTP]

I went ahead and yanked the fan and shroud all together in one shot. It wasn't as bad as I expected but I just didn't want to deal with taking more parts out if I didn't need to. After it came out the biggest pain was yet to come. I was having the hardest time ever trying to get the c-clip out so I could remove the pulley. I was using a mirror since I couldn't actually see it and it took what seemed forever to get it out. It probably didn't help that my tool was a cheapo one from Pepboys. I probably should have spent more $$$ for a better one.

I got it all swapped out and tested it. It was engaging fine and let it run for a minute. Everything seemed fine. I put the fan and shroud back in. Tested it again and now after another minute, it started making some noise. The noise only happens when the clutch engages so I'm hoping I can find something wrong by just removing the clutch plate. It was getting too dark to keep going but now I have something to do again tomorrow morning.

 

[Mooseman]

Were the clutch faces rusty? Does it look like the clutch is slipping? Did you also replace the coil?

You can make the fan and shroud removal a little easier if you cut out a notch on the top of the shroud to clear the upper hose water neck. And yes, the only way to remove the fan is with the shroud.

 

[budwich]

I wouldn't be running the compressor too much / too often without "complete charge" because the circulation of the gas combines with oils to keep things happy and you may not have any or in insufficient quantity.

 

[BanditGTP]

This morning I checked everything out and all seems ok. The clutch would engage every time I put the a/c on. It worked first thing when the truck was cold and then I had to do a few errands and each time I arrived at my destination, I checked the clutch and it would always engage. I didn't run the a/c for long periods when testing. Just enough to make sure it would engage and then disengage when I turned off the a/c. I checked it one last time before leaving my house to go to the shop for the freon refill. Still ok. The shop is 5 minutes from my house and what do you think happens when I get there?? Of course...the clutch would not engage. I must look like an idiot to the guy at the shop.

When I got back home, I took a quick look at it and I can see the gap by the clutch get smaller every time I plug the relay back in but it would not engage. I guess this was my luck for getting a compressor from a junkyard.

I replaced the clutch plate and pulley but not the coil. The replacement clutch and pulley looked just a slight bit better than my original one. It had a little bit of rust but I cleaned it up with a wire brush before installing it. I guess I'll have to see if the yard has another compressor and bring this one back to them.

 

[Texan]

How many, if any, shims were installed?

 

[BanditGTP]

Both clutches, my original and the replacement, only had 1 shim. I thought it needs to have at least 1 shim. If not, then I can try to remove the shim and see what happens. I tried to see how the plate would fit without the shim, and it seemed as if the plate would rub on the pulley.

 

[Sparky]

I have a spare coil someplace if I can find my spare compressor I swapped my pulley from.

 

[BanditGTP]

I have the full compressor that I got from the junkyard. Do you think the coil could be bad? I can try taking the coil from the replacement compressor.

I can see the plate pull in so wouldn't mean the coil is doing it's job?

 

[Texan]

I am no expert, but I think that the shims come in
different thickness. I think the air gap is around .015
inch, or a folded business card.

 

[Sparky]

I have the full compressor that I got from the junkyard. Do you think the coil could be bad? I can try taking the coil from the replacement compressor.

I can see the plate pull in so wouldn't mean the coil is doing it's job?

The coil can get weak if some of the turns shorted.

 

[Mooseman]

Check the clutch coil. Resistance should be between 2.8Ω - 4.4Ω.

I would take out all the shims. The gap can be paper thin as long as it doesn't rub, it's all good. That's what I did, works great.

 

[BanditGTP]

Had a chance on Friday to check out the compressor again. I was going to take it back to the junkyard to get another compressor and again swap just the clutch. Not looking forward to dealing with all of that again I first tried to remove the one and only shim. The gap looks paper thin but at least it wasn't rubbing. The clutch engaged nice and strong and it would engage every time it was supposed to. I went back to get the charge and it loos like everything worked. It does seem to take a little longer than usual to get cold but maybe it's just since it's been so long since it worked that I don't really remember how well it worked previously.
Thanks for all of the help.