Noisy A/C Compressor

mhalter · #1 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004, 02:26 AM

The compressor on my 89 7.3 has been noisy ever since I bought it. Three days ago I pulled the clutch and the pulley off and replaced the bearing that the pulley rides on. It didnt' seem bad but when I got the new one it seemed a little smoother. So I slapped it in and I had a quiet compressor for once. Well, that lasted for 2 days. Now I'm starting to hear the compressor when the truck is idling again and it gets noticeably louder when the compressor kicks on. Its sort of a "shick shick shick" noise. Any ideas? Is this a normal occurance? I got the new bearing at the local Napa store and it was identical to the old one. Both were NACHI brand bearings. Thanks in advance.

72f250CS · #2 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004, 09:22 PM

If it were me I would check the "air gap"(gap between the a/c pully and clutch) it should be at a certain spec. Check with your local parts house, they should be able to let ya know what it is. It sounds like the air gap is too little.

mhalter · #3 (**permalink**) 01-12-2004, 06:09 AM

I thought this at first too. But, would that explain why it still makes noise when the clutch engages?

cslavin · #4 (**permalink**) 01-13-2004, 03:33 PM

I think I am having the same problem MHALTER. My compressor was making the same noise, but I just let it go. Now the clutch will not dissengage. When the engine is running the compressor smells like a slipping clutch, and there is a fine dust all over the housing.

I am in the process of installing a new compressor, but I need to know how much oil to add to the unit (box did not have any instructions).

Any idea?

Thanks in advance.

dreysgroove · #5 (**permalink**) 02-02-2004, 11:22 AM

Hey guys, please let me know if any of you have had success... I put in a new compressor recently, that after about a month it started the aforementioned "shick shick shick" with the clutch disengaged... noticed the clutch plate wanted when disengaged, due to turn due to slight friction with the pulley. I added a thin spacer washer behind the clutch plate shaft, which worked for a few days, then it started again. I think I figured out the problem: the bearing/pulley assembly is slowly sliding away from the compressor itself, causing the gap with the clutch plate to get smaller and smaller until it rubs. The "shick shick" was due to the bearing getting slightly cockeyed as it slid off, causing the pulley to turn wobble slightly on the shaft with each rotation.
Now, I don't know how to fix it without pulling out the whole compressor... it's under NAPA warranty, but I don't want to replace that AND the accumulator, AND the orifice tube, AND pay a shop AGAIN to evacuate/recharge the system. HELP!! There's more to the story... a week or so after I bought the compressor at NAPA, my wife heard a noise on the highway... I checked under the hood and the original clutch plate was GONE! It flew right off. NAPA gave me a new one, which I put on the existing (new) compressor. Now the pulley is sliding forward on the shaft. What's up? Any ideas? Is the pulley not lining up right with the serpentine belt, putting forward force on the pulley? If it's not lining up, why not? I got the mounting bolts in fine, used the spacer things that line up the holes. I'm frustrated. By the way, it's a 94 Ranger 3.0...