Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
  
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| Aircon compressor clutch has gone AWOL |
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Hello, hope you are all enjoying the heat?
I was until......Tuesday drive to appointment with aircon working beautifully. Leave appointment and no aircon! Turns out the clutch on the compressor has just vanished. I went over a speed bump and heard a few bits of metal tinkling to the ground so looks like it has just disintegrated. I haven't had the chance to try and turn the pulley yet but the aux belt is spinning the pulley so I assume the compressor is ok and not seized.
Any thoughts and recommendations gratefully received. A quick search doesn't yield much in the way of replacement clutches, but I'm sure they are out there?
Another test of our love for these great machines when this happens in the middle of our latest heatwave 
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 27th Jun 2018 6:02 pm |
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Mole734
Member Since: 12 Aug 2016
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 161
 
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Had exactly the same happen to me, I guess we get to find out how much this is to replace!
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| 28th Jun 2018 10:25 am |
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Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
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Top man thanks!
Now question is whether to go whole hog and replace the whole compressor or just clutch - any thoughts on reliability of these (presumably Denso) units?
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| 28th Jun 2018 6:04 pm |
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Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10360
 
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Well, does the gas need to come out to fit the kit ?
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| 28th Jun 2018 7:39 pm |
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Nc1989
Member Since: 28 Apr 2015
Location: Doncaster
Posts: 202
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Wireless Will wrote:Top man thanks!
Now question is whether to go whole hog and replace the whole compressor or just clutch - any thoughts on reliability of these (presumably Denso) units?
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I think you may be able to replace the clutch in situ with the viscous fan and cowls removed to saves on the pita of removing the full compressor and de gassing etc. Who can say what condition the compressor is in, but if the ac has worked fine and there’s been no funny noises then it should be ok for a while yet.
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| 29th Jun 2018 10:54 am |
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SteveNorman
Member Since: 14 Oct 2005
Location: Somerset
Posts: 1144
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Usually a mechanical fault in the compressor causing the shaft to seize and break the clutch off. Then the pulley just runs with the belt, but the compressor is no good.
The system will need flushing, or at least flush the pipes from the compressor and see how much debris there is.
Regards
Steve
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| 30th Jun 2018 6:02 am |
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Nc1989
Member Since: 28 Apr 2015
Location: Doncaster
Posts: 202
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I’ve not known one discharge the clutch assembly off the front before? If thats the case then I bow down to your superior knowledge, every day is a learning day 
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| 30th Jun 2018 9:59 am |
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yogi972
Member Since: 05 Jun 2011
Location: Kineton
Posts: 3372
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No need to discharge system to change aircon clutch
Fiddly to do, there is a write up on here somewhere
Never heard of a shaft snapping on a disco aircon pump
As said before if it was working before your loss of bits
Then it’s likely that when you replace hose bits (from af)
That it will work again
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| 30th Jun 2018 10:15 am |
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SteveNorman
Member Since: 14 Oct 2005
Location: Somerset
Posts: 1144
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You can soon tell, as the centre shaft won’t turn, as the squish plate caps break up internally and seize everything up.
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| 30th Jun 2018 9:36 pm |
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yogi972
Member Since: 05 Jun 2011
Location: Kineton
Posts: 3372
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| 30th Jun 2018 10:58 pm |
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Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
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Got a new clutch pulley from AF and nice fan spanners from FatDog, fan off, belt off, mole grips on compressor spindle gripping tight as 
Not moving even half a milimetre.....
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| 7th Jul 2018 4:25 pm |
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yogi972
Member Since: 05 Jun 2011
Location: Kineton
Posts: 3372
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I used a really small socket on end of mine
Can’t remember size though
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| 7th Jul 2018 4:43 pm |
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Wireless Will
Member Since: 12 Mar 2017
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 42
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How difficult should it be to turn the spindle though? I had the mole grips so tight I needed both hands to clamp the grips shut and they just seemed to round the spindle.
Anybody who can describe the effort required?
Thanks for all help and suggestions.
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| 7th Jul 2018 4:56 pm |
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yogi972
Member Since: 05 Jun 2011
Location: Kineton
Posts: 3372
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Mole grips are carp
A socket iirc A star shaped, tapped onto the square spindle, I had to use a bit of bar to hold and lengthen the ratchet as it was the smallest in my Halfords professional kit
It’s so long ago now I can’t remember if it needed turning the opposite way to normal.
Was tight but not stupid tight
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| 7th Jul 2018 5:32 pm |
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