Hi , I am new to the forum, It sounds like the clutch bearing is going bad on my ac. I have a 98 supercab, with the triton small 8. Do I need a special tool to replace the clutch, or do I need to replace the whole compressor unit. thanks for any help on this.

 

Just did mine last summer on my 2001 4.6 . If i remember correctly, all I had to do is pull the nut of the end of the shaft, then real easy, put a small prybar between the compressor and the pully and gently work it off. Came off with very little effort. Hardest part for me was tapping the new one on without pulling the compressor, becouse there wasn't much room to swing a plastic hammer with the fan shroud inplace. But I got it. Make shure to ad the correct shims for the clutch. I forget the clearance you need between the clutch and (thrustplate ?), but I'm shure someone here knows. p.s cost $100 at Autozone for assembly.

 

I just had to replace the hub and pulley two weeks ago on my 97. Mine had been making noise for months and I hadn't gotten around to replacing the parts. The pulley bearing finally let go on a rainy night about five miles from home. Locked the engine so tight it couldn't crank. Had to call AAA and have it flat-bedded home.

I ordered the parts from Rockauto. About $100 for genuine Motorcraft parts shipped to my door.

If you use the above technique to remove the pulley, take care to only put the prybar a very short distance behind the rim of the pulley. Look at your new pulley to see how deep you can place the prybar, otherwise you'll be prying on the coil which is a press-fit and you'll risk damaging it.

I had bought a hub from AutoZone this summer to replace mine (it had separated). I found that the dimensions were wrong and it wouldn't fit. Since I had lost the receipt, I couldn't take it back and I was just living with the noise until the bearing in the pulley let go.

Good luck.

Steve

 

thanks guys. So what I see here is the part cost $100. Do the shims come with it and If someone knows what the clearance would be, that would help. I think I have a pulley puller that might work. I am going to replace the sepentine belt while I am at it. Would it be easier to take the compressor loose to work on it. Or is there not enough play to move it around much. thanks for all the replies.

 

Shims do NOT come with the Motorcraft parts if ordered separately. I reused my old one. Clutch gap has been posted several times in the HVAC forum or can easily be looked up online.

You don't need a puller. Besides, there isn't room for one anyway. There is no need to unfasten the compressor.

Sounds like you still need to get under there and actually look at it for the first time.

Steve

 

Shims came with the Autozone asssembly.

 

you can get the pulley and clutch assembly from napa for about 150$. spend the money and buy a NEW pulley and a NEW clutch assembly. i took mine to a shop. cost me an hour of labor. but i got my ac recharged when they did it since they pulled the compressor off

 

Shims come with the Motorcraft complete clutch kit also, but both the Motorcraft and the AutoZone kits also include the coil which is seldom needed and adds at least $50 to the parts cost.

That's why I ordered the individual hub and pulley (but not the coil). $99.09 shipped.

Of course, you can get a whole setup from Advanced for $90 including the coil, but I prefer to stick with Motorcraft whenever possible since I know it will fit (especially after that junk hub from AutoZone).

Steve

 

thanks for the response, I was looking on the parts at rock auto, I also saw a "bypass pulley" what is that exactly, something to replace the compressor with so you don't have a/c?