Hello gentlemen!
I have a 93' Dakota with a 5.2L, and the AC clutch is toast basically. You can hear the bearing grinding from 30ft + away when the engine is running and the hood is open. However I can't seem to find any direct replacement clutches, only this: Rock Auto Link. Is this the correct item? or do any of you guys know of a website that sells the clutch bearing or whole clutch for it?
Here are a couple of pictures of the culprit:
Other than the clutch the AC system is running fine so i'd like to not replace the compressor if i can help it.
Any help would be welcome.
Thank you,
Ben1730

 

I'm not seeing anything at your link. Drilling down into it, I don't see the compressor clutch either...... Full sized trucks have the same problem. If the clutch fails, it seems they want you to replace the entire compressor..... I can find the compressors just about everywhere..... clutches though? Not so much.

 

Here's the actual text address: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,1993,dakota,5.2l+v8,1087556,heat+&+air+condi tioning,a/c+compressor+bearing,6548
My thought is that this might be the actual bearing itself from inside the clutch.
It is completely understandable that manufacturers would want you to purchase the whole compressor, but i don't wanna have to go through the hassle of evacuating all the R-12 in that sucker. (or letting it free to roam the ozone)

 

I don't know.... that might be the end bearing for the compressor itself..... I might be tempted to go to the junkyard, and pull one apart, and see what it looks like.

 

Here's a clutch/gear kit:


RockAuto doesn't list it, no; but you can find them.

Now that you've swallowed your tongue at that price, do consider that a new compressor isn't that much more; and if the clutch bearing is going bad, no telling what ELSE is going bad.

Now, here's the other thing - do you get noise with the A/C on, or off? If on, it's not the clutch bearing. If off, it's the clutch bearing.

(When the A/C is on, that bearing isn't spinning inside relative to outside, the whole thing spins as one assembly.)

More bad news: If it's only making noise with the A/C ON, then you can also kiss off the receiver/dryer and the expansion valve, and possibly the condensor and evaporator. Plus, you get the "fun" of flushing the whole system. I did that twice, then said "Fornicate Under Consent of the King this!!" and just replaced it all, hoses included.

RwP


RwP

 

Hey Ralph,

That link takes me to a clutch for a 1998-1999 dakota. Is that compatible with my compressor?

As for your question the noise occurs when the A/C cycles on, when it cycles off the noise disappears.

How would a compressor kill a Condenser/Evaporator other than clogging it with metal shavings?

Thanks!
Ben

 

Well, if it's when it cycles ON, it's not the clutch. It's the compressor itself.

Think about it ..

And yes, when the compressor dies, it can spit crap into the lines. The problem is not so much clogging as some condensors (and some evaporators!) can't be flushed properly. If it's tube and fin, you can. If it's plate, you can't.

Until the R134a starts flowing, and washes the crap (a small part of it!) into the new compressor, killing it ... which then spits crap into the lines, repeating the cycle!

(If you have to replace the compressor, I'd suggest looking at and possibly replacing the lines in any case; even if it was factory R134a, the old barrier lining may be getting old and a bit porous; if it's R12 hoses, I can about guarantee you'll have a "Now WHERE is it leaking from???" on R134a due to R134a being a smaller molecule than R12 is.)

RwP

 

Ive gotten the clutch bearing itself from Car Quest a couple of times over the years same bearing fits a lot of them..... I also remember having to go to a junkyard once to get a compressor for one of my trucks as I was 40 miles away by work and it locked up... the idiots cut the clutch wire right next to the clutch coil so I couldn't fix it if I wanted to.... but they would not give me a break on it since all it would work for at that point was a glorified idler pulley......