If the aggravating sound subsides enough to be tolerable with the New Belt... Great. But if the
Magnetic Clutch Sealed Bearing really is destined to fail... then Yes... Performing an R&R of JUST The
Magnetic Clutch (if possible) and then replacing the hidden,
FURARed Roller Bearing would side-step the need to do what this Video shows as the requisite PITA work to R&R the entire A/C Compressor:
@Sparky wrote about this problem way back in 2013, so this Thread may have some additional information to consider before just jumping in with both feet. It's a Lot of Work and requires a working knowledge and possession of HVAC Repair Procedures, Specialty Tools-Gear, Special
Green "O" Rings and at least one 8 Oz. Bottle of 'PAG 46' Oil (Hygroscopic HVAC Lubricant) and SOME MORE HVAC SYSTEM PARTS (the Accumulator- Drier and the Orifice Tube):
I took my 02 TB to the mechanic for a grinding noise coming from the compressor, mechanic said it was the AC clutch assembly. My question is is it worth it to only replace the assembly? The mechanic said that if the assembly is bad there is a 90% chance the compressor is bad to but the AC worked...
gmtnation.com
So if replacing JUST the Mag-Clutch Bearing turns out to be both DO-able AND EZR... It will save you a lot of Time, Effort and Money, as you should ONLY ever swap that Old Compressor with an Expensive, Brand New Delphi or ACDelco OEM A/C Compressor for this R&R... or you WILL be doing this Friggin' Job all over again in about 6-8 Weeks.
And Yes... the Quality Replacement Compressors DO come with a Brand New Magnetic-Clutch pre-installed.
Please look in FAQ Section for a Write Up on HVAC Repairs. Don't Do This Work... If you Don't Have To!