I went to the advance auto site and checked to see if it would fit and it says it will not fit my vehicle with the 4.7L engine. I think I am just going to have to go to my local salvage yard and buy a used compressor. Thanks for the info though.

 

just pick up a shorter belt if you are trying to bypass the compressor(if the auto store cant get you one, im sure the dealer can get you the belt, or at the very least the belt length), at least for testing purposes thats what i would do, then look for a new compressor once you know thats the issue.


or, hell even try starting the truck w/ the serpentine belt off the truck, just dont run it for very long, just see if it starts and then shut it back down, no belt means no everything(including alternator, power steering, water pump, fan ect)

 

Not sure I can bypass the compressor because of the way the drive belt routing on the 4.7L is designed otherwise I would have done that already. I really wish that I would have stayed away from the durangos with the 4.7L. The engine sludges up no matter how often you change the oil until I found out about the wonders of synthetic oil and lucas oil additive. I have already spent many hours and money on replacing the timing chains and several bent valves. These are really a pain in the @$$ to work on!

 

you CAN bypass the compressor on the 4.7 i happen to own one and there is a label on the front cross member over the radiator which has the routing diagrams on it.(unfortunately i dont have a picture of it for you)

the engines do NOT sludge up if properly taken care of (i use dino oil and do 5k miles changes, exactly 0 sludge in my engine, and my parents ran it before me my dad has the attitude that 5k mile changes mean as long as you get to it before 6k its fine, 97k miles and still 0 sludge)

 

I agree with shrp, as long as you run decent oil in it and change it at proper intervals you wont have any sludge. I've seen the inside of an engine after a year of not changing the oil and even that was not pretty.

I have ran full synthetic Mobil 1 10w-30 since the day I bought it from the dealer in August of 1999 and my engine is clean as a whistle. The inside of a combustion engine is the inside of a combustion engine, there's not much differences in that and as long as you're good to you engine, it will be good to you.

Just keep in mind if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. Like you said you smelled smoke, this would be my first sign to check something in the engine, not wait until the clutch seizes up.

If you want just reman the compressor and replace the clutch with another compressors clutch. If I was going to replace the compressor, it wouldn't be a used one, that sucker would be brand spanking new.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

You don't need to use Lucas additives and you shouldn't need to use any additives at all if you are using the correct oil. If you use a good Fully Synthetic oil like Mobil One Fully Synthetic 10W-30 you should never have an issue. Personally you should change to oil in it every 5000 miles with normal use if using Mobil One Fully Synthetic 10W-30. You can pickup a 5qt container at Wal-mart for like $24 bucks right now.

 

+1 Hydra

Also make sure you don't get a cheap worthless filter that's known to fail (Fram Orange). Bosch and Mobil 1 make a great filter.