95 ATX A/C Clutch Face

[aaronsbiza]

I believe my compressor has failed. The clutch plate was detached from the hub sectoin that is bolted to the compressor. I don't have the resources to replace the compressor at this time. Can I leave the clutch face off and put the serpentine belt back on? The pulley for the serpentine belt spins freely.

Thanks

 

[DHMag]

you can remove just the clutch hub, but you need a special tool to remove it.

 

[pjtoledo]

The inner and outer parts of the clutch face are held together by a big piece of rubber. They sometimes seperate. Sounds like you just need the clutch disk. The disk is held on by one small nut in the center. You may need a puller to get it off the shaft. No need to mess with the lines, but it helps if you remove the 4 compressor mounting bolts to move it around a bit. If the inner and outer parts are truely seperated, driving could cause the disk to "take flight", and your battery is one of the items in the flight path. The pulley is actually a totally seperate piece, removing the clutch disk will not have bad effects on the pulley or compressor. It simply won't drive the compressor.

Perry

 

[ohioshodude]

just unplug the a/c cycle switch on the dryer/acumulator, one of the two forget what is where, near the EEC test plugs and call it a day. that will prevent the clutch disc from engauging. all you need is a new clutch disc.

 

[pjtoledo]

Lets go into some more detail here. The center rubber section is the only thing that attaches the clutch disk outer section to its inner hub. When the rubber shears, there is NOTHING holding the disk on. Plugged in or not, it is still capable of spinning/falling off and doing some damage.

Reviewing your first post, it sounds like the outer section of the disk is already removed? If so, no big deal, the pulley has nothing to turn.

Perry

 

[ohioshodude]

perry there really is nothing to worry about. i've had this happen on two different vehicle. is it possible for the other ring to come off? sure, but as long as the a/c is not cycling there no real way for the hub to come apart. it just sits there not spining. and getting one of those things to let go from the center ring is hard. i tried to rip the one on the sho apart, took quite a bit of force. just my experince with them. i'd have no problems with driving it like it is.

 

[aaronsbiza]

thanks for your help guys. I found that the compressor was not seized and that I could in fact turn it by hand. I installed a new clutch face and the A/C works great now.

 

[w17cfii]

Hey guys, I'm wondering how long it takes to replace the A/C clutch on my '95 ATX.

My A/C works ice cold when the car is cold, but after I turn it off, then restart the car I have no A/C. I've had this diagnosed as the clutch at a local A/C shop, which is what I thought it was too. However, gentleman said it was about an 8 hour job, and he had to remove the radiator. From what I read on the forum here, it shouldn't take that long.

 

[pjtoledo]

Hey guys, I'm wondering how long it takes to replace the A/C clutch on my '95 ATX.

My A/C works ice cold when the car is cold, but after I turn it off, then restart the car I have no A/C. I've had this diagnosed as the clutch at a local A/C shop, which is what I thought it was too. However, gentleman said it was about an 8 hour job, and he had to remove the radiator. From what I read on the forum here, it shouldn't take that long.

That is either the clutch disc gap, or the coil inside the clutch pulley. The coils have a tendency to fail when they are hot, like during the heat soak period when you turn the motor off. When they cool the connection re-establishes itself and the clutch starts working again. I have only replaced the AC clutch on MTXs, ATXs are just a bit different. Basically, just remove the alternator, unbolt the AC compressor and tilt it up so you can access the clutch. Not quite easy, but thats the theory of it.
Actually diagnosing the coil as bad when its hot is difficult. I had to pull the AC clutch connector and add some wires that ran to a couple of volt meters in the car so I could monitor it while driving. Have fun!


Perry

 

[w17cfii]

How long does this job take for an amateur???

 

[DHMag]

How long does this job take for an amateur???

a couple hours if you have the right tools (a special clutch hub remover is recommended). youll also need a snap ring plier set. and given its location, dismounting the compressor from the engine is also a time saver.

 

[onefastsho]

part#for clutch face

what is the part number for the clutch face of a 1993 atx