I recently bought a Bronco II and I love it.
I started using the A/C seeing as though i live in TX, and my compressor clutch engages far too often and it sounds kind of abrasive. the air gets really cool but not cold.
Any Idea what's going on here? is it easy for me to fix whatever it is? Or does this mean i need a whole new compressor? down to do what's cheapest

 

A rapidly cycling compressor is a symptom of low refrigerant or a bad pressure cycling switch. Check operating pressures to see if your system needs charged or not.
As for the growling noise it may be a bad compressor. The pressure cycling switch is usually located on top of the accumulator on your car. It can be changed without losing any refrigerat as there is a Shrader valve under it that prevents leakage.

If you get the same noise after servicing the refrigerant then you may be in for some big expenses'. A compressor failure will throw metal shavings into the system and it must be purged clean by flushing before even thinking about installing another compressor. Any trash left in the system will immediately destroy the replacement compressor also.

Pull the orfice tube after discharging the system, it will catch a lot of the compressor debris and show you what is going on inside the system. Many of the Ford cars will have the orfice tube built into the hard line and can not be serviced without replacing the line with a new one. There are some replacement fittings in the aftermarket that will allow you to cut the line and install a repair section to replace the orfice tube without buying a whole new line.

If you find a black tar like substance at the orfice tube then the lubricating oil is suffering from "Black Death" where the oil has been over heated and can no longer properly lube the compressor, the system will have to be flushed before any new parts are installed.

Make sure proper type oils in correct quantities are installed to be compatible with the refrigerant you are using before turning on the A/C.