Underdriving the A/C compressor. (piggybacking on the UDP thread)

[CALL AAA]

Since I am in the middle of tearing my car apart (possible blown head gasket) I thought I'd do a few other things that I have been waiting to do. One of them is to remove my A/C compressor. I have talked with people about this, but it was a long time ago, so forgive me if you have given this advice before. With the rest of the A/C system gone, (evap, dryer, condenser and all A/C lines) I am now wondering what I am going to do with the compressor. I have it out of the car, and gutted. (very cool looking inside. If you haven't taken one apart, I urge you to do so. It looks like some kind of Men In Black gatling gun) But does it have to go back on the car, or can I put a shorter belt on and skip the comp? I am trying to picture the alternator and compressor, and how the belt goes around each one, to figure out if the A/C comp. provides spacing for the alternator to clear the alt pulley. (Nick Chrimes had mentioned having a spacer made, for the belt to follow the same path, so there must be a NEED for that pulley to be there.
Another thing I have been wondering is if I could install an "underdrive" pulley on the gutted body of the A/C compressor, or would that even help (even a little bit) if there wasn't really anything inside the compressor to spin.
The third option, is for a possible, future blower install. Are there any setups that currently ust the compressor bracket, and pulley position to drive a blower? I have seen setups that put the blower in the battery position , but where does the pulley go. Would it even be possible to install a blower there?

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. (they slightly Tylenol Cold & Sinus/Sudafed/cough syrup-induced)

<small>[ January 11, 2003, 10:53 AM: Message edited by: Tony Faye ]</small>

 

[CALL AAA]

Anyone wanna take a crack at this one?

 

[SHOZ123]

Yes you can take the A/C compressor of and use a shorter belt. Get some string and see how much it takes to go around the new pulley configuration. Then go to the parts store and get a belt that size plus one bigger and one smaller.

 

[rangerj]

Tony,


At great risk of raising the ire of SHOZ123, which I dread doing, how do you plan on tensioning the shorter belt? The alternator is above the tensioner, and the tensioner's movement is verticle, i.e. up and down. Plus, the tension can oly be applied when the tensioner pulley is drawn upward.

You could use the jack-screw from the other tensioner, so that tension is applied by drawing the pulley downward, but then the ribs of the belt would be riding on the pulley.

As another alternative, not to discount SHOZ123's suggestion in any way, you could mount the gutted A/C compressor. You could also leave off the A/C coil and clutch face for less weight. The pulley bearing in your model year is available as a replacement part.

All you would need is the gutted compressor and the pulley, and the snap ring that holds on the pulley. The aluminum compressor does not weigh that much, and any modified mounting would most likely weigh just as much if not more.

This setup could hold you, until you get a supercharger. rangerj

 

[Mike Kopstain]

Tony, I believe Mr. Hurder (respects elders )has this done on his engine. I recall the belts coming very close to eachother, but other than that I think it was fine.

 

[olympic]

I have done this mod. A shorter belt works fine and the stock tensioner still works. But the belt comes very close to itself. Just make sure the tensioner is as far up as possible when you measure with the string. The belt still follows the stock route, the lower part just doesn't go around the compressor.

 

[CALL AAA]

Do you know the part number/type of the new belt?

 

[RStalveyARFF]

I strongly suggest reinstalling the compressor without the pulley, so that way it reinforces the front motor mount bracket. Fred had the part # of the shorter belt before, I'm sure he can come through again.

 

[SHOZ123]

Napa/Gates K060408

 

[rangerj]

Tony, & SHOZ123,

I honestly did not think that you could get enough tension on a shorter belt, given the relative position of the tensioner and the alternator.

I went out and uncovered my SHO, and as SHOZ123 suggested, used a string to get a three demensional look at it. SHOZ123, you are right again.

Does anybody know if any of the SHOs were produced without A/C? rangerj