Ive got one heck of a racket coming off my a/c compressor{I pretty sure} is this possibly the clutch or the compressor itself? ..what I was considering doing was trying to remove compressor and locating a belt that I could use and bypass it until time, motivation, and funds allow...any thoughts on this will be appreciated....ie getting a belt that would work etc...I have a 1996 f150 with the 4.9 six.....Thanks

 

If you bypass, your defroster won't work as well for defogging the windshield. Don't know if that's an issue there in TX, it's not here 114+ days of no rain, but it bears mentioning.

Also the refrigerant is a lubricant-- so again if you do bypass make sure to handle it sooner rather than later because the compressor will dry up and you may have a seized compressor if you wait too long.

Now, as to whether it's the clutch or the compressor, a couple of questions-- is the noise constant or on-again off again? Can you describe the noise? Does your AC work currently?

Also if you're not sure it's the AC at all, sometimes a length of hose used like a stethoscope can pinpoint the noise source.

 

Usually its the bearings in the front of the compressor that go bad and cause it to make noise all the time whether the a/c is on or not. If you ignore it the bearings will seize and your belt will break.

If you want to bypass the compressor just go to the parts store and ask them for a belt for your truck but tell them it doesn't have a/c. I did this a few months ago on a 95 f-150 with a 4.9l for a customer who couldn't afford for me to replace or rebuild the compressor.

-Jon

 

The a/c does still work ...noise is fairly constant but appears to get worse when a/c is turned on....If I do try to go with shorter belt for awhile Will I need to pull whole compressor or can the clutch just be pulled off without removing compressor