I'm ordering a kit to rebuild the pulley / clutch of the compressor on my '98 / 360. It comes with a hub, coil, and bearing. I have not ever taken one of these apart and don't really want any surprises.

Has anyone else done this leaving the compressor on the engine and fully charged? I'm still researching but tips and recommended techniques would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not a novice, but I have not done this particular task before.

Thanks.

 

Never mind. It's pretty easy. I found a spare compressor in my shed and I attempted a test run.

A single nut holds the clutch plate assembly on the front. It slides off easily. Under that, a lock ring holds the pulley itself on the shaft and the pulley needed a puller to be removed. Then, a another lock ring held the coil in place and it is removed by cutting the wires and sliding it off.

The bearing will need to be pressed out of the pulley to be replaced with a new one, and then installed...probably with a pulley installation type tool like when putting a power steering pulley back on.

The front cover, which is the seal to the front of the compressor, does not need to be disturbed. However, I was curious since I have never taken a compressor apart and these things are cool. Green lubricant spilled out as soon as I cracked open the case. Under it was a wedge shaped hub on several shims and bearing plates that all just slid out. The coolest part was under that, a plate with 7 ball joint arms and 7 small pistons that slide in and out of the 7 small piston bores.

I loved how clean and crisp it all looked. No wonder they cost so much to buy new and refurbished. Lost of specific tolerance machined parts. Very cool.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope this has helped if anyone searches for this in the future. I will probably update this with pics and such when I perform the actual work when the rebuild kit arrives.

 

Interesting. I'll be watching for updates.