Hello,

I have a 1996 F-150 with an inline 6 cylinder engine. Either the A/C compressor clutch or the compressor itself is making a rattling/clinking noise every 15-25 seconds or so. I don't know if it is the bearings, the clutch or the compressor itself. Is there a way to determine which it is? I am trying to figure out which part to buy.

Another question: The engine temperature always stays just at the lower edge of the normal operating range. Does this mean that the thermostat is going out?

cvlngineer

 

Use a screwdriver (before you start the engine) to hold the fan still so you can hear the engine noises better, then use a piece of garden hose as a stethoscope to isolate the sound.

The gauge is NOT reliable.

 

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. There is no need to muffle any surrounding noise. The noise from the clutch/compressor is quite loud. I can also see the clutch jumping a bit when it makes the noise. The noise sounds sort of like the clutch is slipping excessively. It is not really a grinding noise, but a clangey scrrriiiippp-scrrriiiipppp sound. It appears that the compressor is cycling on or something, and maybe the clutch is having trouble engaging. It does it for a few seconds and then stops. And about 15-25 seconds later, it does it again. It does it regardless if the A/C is running or not. I even unplugged the electrical connector from the compressor and it still did it. The A/C does work, however.

cvlngineer

 

Sounds like the clutch is fragged or it needs to be shimmed. There is a single nut in the middle of the clutch that holds it onto the keyed shaft. Behind that are some paper-thin shim washers that are used to adjust the gap between the clutch & the pulley face. You can probably find the specs here, but you can certainly find the diagrams.

 

Thanks for the help!

I replaced the A/C clutch and it did the trick. The bearings and most of the other innards of the old clutch were shot.

I also replaced the thermostat and housing. I now have a normal operating temperature, but I still have no heat in the cab, I think it actually got worse! Any ideas on what to do about that?

Thanks,
cvlngineer

 

Any trick to replacing the clutch and seal?
I took my clutch off and the seal below it was gone! It burn't up somehow, perhaps related to a new serpentine belt the dealer told me was after market and too long. Anyway, I need to remove the lock ring and replace the seal. The clutch is red which I have been told is a sign it is bad. The new clutch is $63 and I just can't see how this can go bad. I do get some noise when I spin the pulley without the clutch on it. It looks like there should be more bearings in there but I haven't found anyplace/anyone to confirm what it should look like.

tia,
Profanity Removed