Technician Training Series: Inspecting and adjusting air conditioning compressor clutch
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- In this video, I show you how to inspect and adjust a compressor clutch using shims. I also explain failed clutches and give an example. Please subscribe for more professional technician training! Find me on Facebook at "Auto Scholar with Mr. B" for more tips and tricks!
#clutchgap #airgap #autoscholarwithmrb - Авто та транспорт
About 4 years ago I removed the thinner of the two shims/spacers on my 1998 Frontier AC clutch to fix its intermittent operation/slippage. I didn't even need to remove the compressor drive belt !
I ordered the clutch plate assy and I wasnt sure where the 2 shims went. I lost my plate somehow and didnt have a clue. Thanks to your video I know , thank you!!
Glad I could help! Good luck with your repair.
The things I didn't learn (or maybe just forgot) when I went to tech school. Just saved me a bunch of heartache. Thanks! 🤘
It isn’t in the curriculum I teach, but I run my students through it anyway. Thanks for watching!
Good explanation for the guy trying to figure out a clutch problem. So it’s good to say that the average air gap on the clutch is about 0.20 to 0.30 of an inch. This of course would mean that the magnet is properly working and can engage the clutch assembly at these measurements.
Guessing you meant .020 to .030, as .20 to .30 = ~1/4” gap.
Thank you. I just replace the a/c clutch compressor to my daughter dakota watching your video. 🎉
Nice thanks for this information. You're the first to explain the air gap and adjusting it from the shim and if im not mistaken you're the first to explain here in UA-cam. Again thanks i appreciated it.
Thanks for watching Herman!
Great instruction my friend!
Thanks for watching!
A lot of videos state that replacing the compressor is the way to go because the cost is comparable to just replacing the clutch. Most shops won’t replace just the compressor and want to do all of the other ac components which ends up being $1500.
Dude thanx bro.... keep it coming... big dawg
No problem! Thanks for watching.
Its a great information ive got, very useful as i am the mechanic of my own cruze, however, can you give the standard gap of the ac clucth , thank you so much.
This guy is a Lamborghini mechanic!
Thank you thank you thank you!
Ha ha! I’ve worked on a few, but now I’m a college instructor. Thanks for watching!
Great video, thanks. I have a 2015 duramax and upon inspection of my AC compressor i found the bolt missing. This allowed the outer clutch to be sloppy and every time the AC turned on it pulledthe clutch on like it should be, but being lose it destroyed all the splines on the assembly. I installed a new clutch kit and all good.
Kits come with extra washers, those are obviously for setting the right gap.
Apparently those are problematic, as I have done two of those before. I suppose the vibrations may cause this issue.
The washers are made of metal or copper?
To he point.. Just enough without all the blah blah blather of many typical videos. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Good luck with your repair.
Thank you for explaining. I have a 05’ Lexus RX330 with a the A/C intermittently blows cold then hot. I suspect the magnetic clutch assembly. I do have the factory repair manual, and it tells you the clearance measurements, and in the photo they used a dial gauge, which I don’t have, but I do have feeler gauges. Problem is , I didn’t understand where to measure. I know it’s between the pulley and the clutch inner plate, I visually could not understand. After watching this video, it makes sense now. I probably would have figured it out when I get my eye on it , but I wanted to be clear before going in. Thanks again
Awesome! Thanks for watching.
Unfortunately for us all it isn't just the clearance when it comes to air conditioning in vehicles. Their have been times where I found it to be the wiring harness. I also had to install an electric fan because my trailblazer has a fan clutch so on the highway it was fine but once it was idling at a light it would get warm or the clutch would disengage. But this is what trouble shooting is made for. You live and you learn
Replacing the barring vs the whole compressor saved me almost 1200 also I was able to do the barring myself and was not difficult. Barring was 54.00
please learn to spell
🤔
Brilliant!
Awesome, going to try it, think my clutch is too close. Squeaky at start up.
My 05 saab93 got warmer for ac.. I put the 35 to 40 refrigerator in and it got cold... next day for quarter miles it streaked and smelled like clutch.. I shot pag 46 charge at Napa and it seemed fine.. the slight noise when turning on and off gone to... now it won't engage.. theres no air gap I can't get any feeler gauge in there.. could shim worn out.. I check relay, pressure switch... tapped on it.. bout to take apart
Recently the bearing on my compressor was bad and had slop and eventually the plate ended up grinding on the clutch itself. Had to use a grinder to make it almost even as best I could then put a slightly bigger washer and works just fine now.
We do what we have to sometimes. Thanks for watching!
The washer are made of copper or metal?
@@MrCaciulatuit should be stainless steel since they spin so fast they gotta be stronger than copper
@@dannylns Thanks man. I've allready installed one made of stainless steel and it's good so far
awesome, thank you
What is the air gap for the ac compressor on my 2007 Tacoma 2.7l , 4cly. engine
This is a good video. But, my challenge is that after I take off the center bolt, I can't not take off the plate on the top. Any hint?
Hi there. I removed my magnetic disc but was surprised to find no shims behind it, which I find quite odd for a car with just over 60k miles (15 years old though, and that's a car where the AC comes on by default whenever the ventilation is turned on, which might explain the excessive wear). Is sanding my disc the only way to wake up my AC?
Very nice 👍
I have one on the vehicle still. The rubber for the clutch is all melted out of the center. Not sure if I just needs the clutch or the whole pump yet. It's on a Chrysler T&C 3.8 EX.
When it quit working, we were out in the hot desert of California, well, in a city, so stopped at a wallyworld to get a R134 can. That didn't do anything. It's been like this for a few months now. I finally looked at the fron of the pump, because we heard a noise that sounded like something was scraping on the street, as we drove through town. The scraping sound, sounded like it was scraping the road, as it sounded slower as I came to a stop. But it was just that loose piece in the middle, scraping. So it may just be over charged now. I'm not sure how hard it should be to turn the center piece. Maybe it's tight feeling, because it's over charged? IDK. I ordered a guage set, with a vacuum pump, just in case I need to replace the whole pump.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsMvKj6iWg2Ps?si=gwg9lkgfkSwbr-pc
Sounds like it could be locking up unfortunately.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB I'm guessing the rubber is so when it does lock up, it doesn't trash your belt. Smart design. You can see in the video I shared, it does slowly turn, but with a good amount of resistance. I guess it should be turning a lot easier, by your response. Thank you for your input. I will have to order the whole pump. I will let mother in law know this. Of course, I get to put it on. LOL
excellent
Do you guys have any idea what would cause the clutch coil to burn out or lock open I have replaced 3coils in two weeks and I am putting number 4 in this weekend, when the car is running and A/C is turned on I have 14.2 volts to the coil, do you guys have any idea why my coils only last about 20-30 minutes.
Very interesting. Recently I replaced my leaking AC compressor with a used one. Unfortunately this one seems to have a warped or bent clutch (maybe damaged through shipping) that is rubbing against the pulley making some weird noises and I think it struggles to engage the pulley when the AC is on (like it's slipping or something) especially at high rpm. If I manage to find the old compressor I should try and swap the clutch. What do you think?
It’s worth a shot for sure
@@AutoScholarwithMrB ok I do still have the old compressor, definitely worth a shot!
I can’t seem to get the cent bolt out. The front clutch assembly on my ac compressor has fallen apart. The rivets on two of those arms came out and the arms flail around. Trying to replace the clutch whole clutch assembly without pulling the whole compressor and avoid the need to evacuate the lines. But like I said that bolt just won’t come out. It spins while I lock the front clutch assemble but it’s not coming out. Any ideas?
Great
thanks for the video but what is the gab between the clutch and the clutch hub
They vary, but .020-.030 of an inch should be the normal.
2007 Chevy Avalanche: Had a 134a leak which left me with no refrigerant. Replaced o-rings, valves, etc. Ran a vacuum and it held -30hg for a hour. Began recharging system and couldn't get the system to suck in the 134a from the can. AC LED light in car blinking and won't stay solid green. Relay is good (swapped it with another to test), bypassed relay and clutch engages when jumped. Tried recharging while jumping relay, no success. I tried placing AC can in hot water while charge hose was connected to low-side and still no success. What am I doing wrong or need to do differently? - Thanks! By theway, AC Compressor doesn't make any odd/grinding sounds and the pully operates smooth with no wobble.
Lamborghini, man, that's been awhile!
Mr. B, I’m in the process of replacing my A/C compressor because it’s 14 years old and leaking pretty good. I put the blue dye test on it. The condenser came with the compressor. I also bought a new suction and discharge line. My question to you is, do I need to completely flush my system before installing the parts? Or do I need to flush the system after I install everything. I appreciate your reply, thanks.
If the compressor is leaking, you shouldn’t have to flush it out. If your system has an orifice tube, you should pull it and inspect for any metal flakes or black residue. I would also replace the accumulator or receiver/dryer as it somewhat acts as the system filter. Don’t forget to add oil if the compressor comes dry, and make sure the oil you use is correct and has dye in it for any future diagnosis aid. Thanks for watching Willie!
Good video; thanks. I've been researching A/C compressors/clutches on my 09 Malibu Hybrid because my A/C isn't working this season. What I found is confusing as the A/C clutch bolt is unscrewed partially and is bent. It still spins when the A/C is engaged and kinda stops when disengaged. Appears very loose. I tried to tighten it up but the bolt just turns without tightening. Any idea whats going on here?
Need to hold the cluch stationary to tighten the bolt.
@@metzmatu8409 I guess he fixed it. lol
good day can you please help me with the problem of my ac if i switch on the ac it become noisy but if i turn off the noisy dis-appear..
hope you can help me with this..thank you
Hello. Thanks for the nice video. My car is Fiat Bravo 2008 1.6 diesel and since I have it I have issues with unstable rough idle, more noticeable in the summer. I tried a lot of thing with this car and no improvement, visited a lot of mechanics, diagnostics etc and nobody can't find the issue. Having in mind that the rough idle is more noticeable in the summer I started to think if there is a problem with my air conditioning and more specifically sticking AC clutch or something like this. Last 1-2 weeks my car was working fine (I am not using AC anymore as it is not hot), so a few days ago I turned on the AC and I didn't noticed any issue, but after around 20 minutes I had to drive my car again and after starting it again the rough idle was there again. So is it possible my AC clutch to be sticking for some reason even after the AC is turned off and this to cause the rough idle? Thanks in advance!
A/C puts more strain on the engine when it is on, so there might be a slight problem with the engine idle that isn’t a problem until the A/C is on, or the compressor may be damaged causing the load to be more than normal. If the A/C is off, the center of the clutch should not move. If it does, the clearance is too tight or you have something stuck that is energizing the clutch. Thanks for watching Kiril!
Who has the specs gap for 2005 odyssey. Gap. I already change the ac pulley and the new sound like a grinding. But had a gap . And I can spin it with my hand. When turn on the the clutch spins. Off the clutch no work but sounds like something is grinding. And tripping the 7,5 amp fuse for the magnet . Any help ?
good ac clutch & compresser pully function # i couldn't understand if the clutch is attached with compresser rotating shaft why it does not rotate the compresser without magnetic attachment with pulley ????? 👍 🇵🇰
Clutch on my Ford Crown victoria ''travel'' in and out during idling. so the idling is uneven. I thing I have to adjust with the shims first
Cant hear any noice!
Any ideas why the AC clutch would be making a metallic raspy sound on a brand new AC compressor replacement kit in a 1999 GMC Sonoma with the 4.3L V6?
Could be a bad bearing or the clearance is too high, which makes the clutch slip. If it’s making noise at all, I would probably exchange it for another if it is under warranty. I hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@@AutoScholarwithMrB it only does it when the clutch is not engaged. When engaged there is no noise and everything runs fine
clutch air gap is too small then
Helpful tutorial. In my situation, when ac is off there is a noise but when ac is on the noise vanishes, can you help?
Clutch may need a shim installed as the video shows. Thanks for watching, and good luck with your repair!
Check your idle tensioner pulley. They can also cause noise.
Got a 2005 Acura MDX ac compressor not coming on. Even hooked it straight from the battery to the compressor nothing. My clutch turns hood by hand. Can it still be my clutch needs adjustment
If you don’t see movement the clutch coil is probably faulty.
Do all compressors have to be adjusted? Do you know if 2005 Passat 1.8t clutch needs to be adjusted?
Therion Vovin they can be adjusted, not sure if it needs to be or not. I will try to find the specification on it and post it later today.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB thank you very much
I replaced my clutch and it slowly rotates when the ac is not on. is the clearance too slose? Also, it is hard to turn by hand with engine off
The clearance is probably too close. The good news is that it will probably wear a little material off and it won’t matter after a while. This is probably not related to your hard to turn by hand issue.
My compressor is burning smoke. Can this be the clutch matirial burning? And can I just replace the clutch?
Thanks
Could be, but they do that when they lock up sometimes as well. If the center part turns freely this may be the issue. If it doesn’t the compressor is locked up and needs to be replaced. I hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
Hi, i have freeon on my system and also the ac clutch picks up but it is not cold inside the car. Pls what could be the problem
I would need to know the pressure on the high and low side to make a proper diagnosis
My AC compressor is stuck when clutch is engaged, tendency to my engine to turn off of shut
what could be wrong?
Can you help? Thanks!
Sounds like the compressor is locked up. You will probably need to replace it.
So i think my wife's ac compressor clutch is doing the same thing as the first compressor/clutch. There's a lot of play. The ac is blowing hot air and i was going to try and fill up the refrigerant but it said it was overfilled but I know it was not overfilled. Do you think it may be her compressor or should i replace that clutch assembly?
Make sure power and ground is getting to the clutch coil. If it has failed, I would price both so you have options. What is saying that it is overfilled? Gauge reading?
@AutoScholarwithMrB yeah when I went to try and put refrigerant in it because that's what I put on it, it said the gauge was overfilled probably because the refrigerant wasn't cycling through.
I just checked out the car and the clutch drive plate is in motion when I turn on the ac system but when it's off the plate doesn't spin (the pulley is fine). A knew clutch kit is like $60 and it's oem whereas a new compressor unit is nearly $300 + core.
Odd question - can I drive my car safely with the clutch completely removed from the compressor? It's close to 20 years old and we use it for errands. It's a different belt from the alternator
I would think you can as long as the belt only drives the compressor
👏👏👏👏👏
My compressor doesn’t cycle off and on during ac operation. What causes the compressor not to cycle? I just put a new compressor and I’m afraid if I let it run like that it’ll dry out my compressor. Thanks!
If the pressures are good and the evaporator temperature isn’t too cold it will run constantly.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB how do I get that evaporator temperature to freeze up? And running my compressor constantly will ruin it? Thanks!
ASE A7 Prep right there
Thank you sir, like and subscribe.
Thanks so much for watching!
I have an intermittent AC issue. I've read online and my year and model of car is prone to clutch issues. I'll notice it spins in intervals of 4-6 seconds most the time and it makes a whirring noise similar to a coasting bicycle. Any idea what the issue could be? I've had it at the dealership for two days and they are trying to tell me I have a bad thermistor and want to tear apart my dash and charge me 760 bucks 🤣.
What type of car? Any hvac system codes?
@@AutoScholarwithMrB 2010 subaru Impreza and no system codes.
I am having the same issue on my 09 mitsubishi lancer.
Please help? What is the part number of the ac compressor bearing for a Volvo s60 2001 model? (Just the part number of the Bearing please?)
Im sorry, I tried to look it up and I cannot find it either.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB Thank you for you replay and trying to help. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your day. Kind regards, Charles
What is the specifications for the AIR GAP???
😮
What is the standard clutch air gap size in mm ?
They are different for every compressor
thank you
Hi.
How much is generaly the distance between the clutch and the pulley
?
Each have their own specification, but .020 to .030 of an inch is what I see mostly.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB 0.020 to 0.030 beans?
0.020" - 0.030"
The main question is, how do you hold the clutch from spinning to remove the center nut?
Bench vise, really big channel lock pliers, or just use an impact. Since there are a ton of different types, this make work well or not. There are also special tool kits that will work for specific ones.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB I see. I wasn’t planning on having to remove the compressor. Ok thanks.
I'm late to this comment but use an air hammer and smack it on the side of the nut to break it loose. Doesn't take much just a couple taps
Air hammer. Tap side of the nut to break it loose. Doesn't take much
my AC works for a while, usually when I drive faster, but then blows hot air for a few minutes, then works normally again. clutch problem?
Probably an airflow issue. I would look at the cooling fans to see if they are operating correctly and make sure your condenser isn’t dirty, causing an airflow issue.
@AutoScholarwithMrB when it blows the hot air for the short time, it also has a hissing noise. then the AC is ice cold and the hissing goes away
May have to put a set of gauges on it to see what is going on. Sounds like a tough one to diagnose.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB thanks. great video
A mechanic just left my home, he was here replacing a/c compressor clutch. The system is very low on refrigerant and apparently he didn’t add enough shims to the clutch bc it won’t disengage and makes a rubbing sound. He said it was fine to drive until he comes back in two days. I don’t like it one darn bit. Would you drive it that way?
I would not drive it like that, but that’s just me.
@@AutoScholarwithMrB. That’s the fastest response I’ve ever gotten and I sure needed it! I need to go off and do a few things but I don’t want to drive it this way. I agree with you. Thanks for your reply! I’m really stuck here!
@@carlorocky sorry you are going through it buddy. Thanks for watching and good luck with the repair.
Very good, but how the center screw is take off? You already show the a clutch unscrewed from the axle.
My clutch burning 3times.. why
Check condenser
@@leinadinnaz3308 what does the condenser have to do with the compressor ?
It could be that the compressor is not spinning freely causing too much friction with the clutch. Could be a bad bearing, also causing too much friction. Also, if the gap between clutch and compressor is too wide, the clutch does not engage fully and burns itself out.
Ac clutch 40-70 dollars ac compressor 200-1000 lol why would it ever be cheaper to replace the whole thing!?!?!?
if you're buying knockoff parts for a car that may not be worth a lot it can make sense
clutches and pulleys are way cheaper than compressors
Decent video an adjustment only I'd say as a last resort if you're driving across the desert and it's life and death.
Thus partially disagree a little bit allow me to explain
1
if you're having to adjust the clearance on the clutch plate assembly, and not serving your customer by following 2 below.thus finding the cause then you're actually doing a disservice to the customer will end up having to do this again or worse a full AC and other parts.. explained below
And within that I'm assuming those customers come back to as they trust you only get the billing for that plus a full AC replacement when if you follow my explanation below your customers would be not ripped off sorry for not beating around the bush what got me was your statement of if the clutch pulley bearing is wonky you say the seal on the shaft to the internal compressor may start leaking if you pull the pulley off.
That gets me like that is an outright bold lie. And wrong to infer that replacing the pulley bearing for $50 in parts and on most cars less than 2 hours labor I have to clarify to cause that compressor input shaft start leaking because you pulled the pulley off even if you used a screwdriver or a pulley puller you're not going to bend that shaft unless you hit that shaft with a heavy hammer on a 90 degree angle to it at the very end just to be clear that shaft is taking all the force from the belt system tension even though it's not under extreme tension throughout the life of the vehicle it still requires a higher quality metal as you're talking about over extreme temperature differences and long periods of time with that shaft being in a different position so yeah that's yes more heavy-duty than what you're implying
So going back to it if your AC and clutch assembly are making noise the proper thing to do would be to spend the extra $50 for pulley bearing which takes an hour of Labor the bill at least as even if it's not giving you play like a wobble and even if you don't feel it giving you play front to back I pretty much can guarantee when the engines running and things good up to temperature that bearing allows that pulley to move and you're going to end up doing more damage to the clutch plate and the pulley possibly to where the next time the customer has an issue they won't be able to have the proper procedure done because you've already worn down by removing a a Sim it's kind of like turning a rotor on a car
I have seen what you recommend seize and throw a belt causing the crankshaft position sensor first hand and I told him
the cause is more likely to be from the clutch pulley bearing
So if they come in for that instead of half-assing it do it right put the good $50 bearing in that's got a markup built in and the customer will even be happier and it didn't take any more time you show me one compressor that the shaft started leaking
You come on here to dis this mans awesome video but your reply is so horribly written nobody will care what you say. Yes that’s a period.
@@devonrose888 right. I couldnt even read more than 4 sentences. What in the fuk is this guy going on about? Lol
I'm not reading all this 😂
Is it a problem if there is no gap?
Your compre will not go on automatic disingage..you know what will happen
good day can you please help me with the problem of my ac if i switch on the ac it become noisy but if i turn off the noisy dis-appear..
hope you can help me with this..thank you
Probably the compressor itself or maybe a clutch issue. Make sure your belt is tight as well.