Nasty, nasty noisefrom this little bugger. Clanging and just unpleasant. every so often the hub around the outside will move as the pulley turns. it appears that the clutch has gone bad and is somewhere between engaged and disengaged. I'd like it to just spin freely from the belt without any connection to the pump, but not having any luck. I think a lot of the noise is the pump running with no freon in the system. My amateur diagnoses is that the clutch got stuck on and built up too much pressure and blew out all the freon and now it's still stuck and the pump is banging away with no freon to lubricate it. The 15 amp fuse is blow and when I shorted across the fuse (quickly for experiment as I had no fuses) its definitely live and warmed up the little wire I used. I have also pulled the relay for the pump as well and I have disconnected the electrical connection. It seems like I have some sort of mechanical stick. Is there anything else I can do to get this clutch to completely disengage and let the pulley turn freely?

I'm investigating replacing the pump with a junkyard model as a stand-in pulley, but this looks a little tricky with finding the bolts, the belt, the hoses...etc.

 

it's so easy even a caveman can do it. What's tricky about finding bolts, finding the belt finding the hoses and finding etc?

 

My message was misleading. I'm sure I can find the compressor at the junkyard so that's a find. But I've been under that hood a dozen times and its so crowded in there I can't find the bolts that attach the compressor to the engine and/or bracket. I see one of them, but there must be more than one? (I'm used to working on an 87 Mercedes 260E that has room for a chair under the hood, hence my newfound difficulty)

Also, do you think I can get away with only removing the compressor and not having to screw around with some other component to get enough slack in the belt? IYO

 

woldnt yall just do the tensoner thing like said like if replacing the belt there aint nothun specal about pull the comp. i like the idea of pulling the rad support thats ez and i can see how it helps making more room.

must be nise to own a big$ car yall must be rich or sumthing. i work on these here vans but i can still figgur out how to fix other stuff like yotas and chevs and fords and such

 

I paid $1600 for the mercedes and it's easy to work on. Not big$ by any means. So if I understand your message, you say take out the radiator support and that gives me some room? hmmm...

I found another bolt on the pump, but are there only two? There are two reasons I want to try and push it into place: First, I never want to undo any more than I have to because in my experience, the less you touch the less goes wrong. Second, don't want to touch that tensior if I don't have to. Springs can be difficult and I've heard that the tensioner on this engine has issues. Since mine works, I don't want to screw with it.

I'm also thinking of buying one of those aftermarket idler wheels in place of the compressor. Anyone done that before?

 

Wow, you are odd, don't want to release the tension to remove the belt. Knock yourself out, it'll be a HUGE PITA to get the belt on no matter what you use for the compressor (pulley or replacement compressor) but why don't you just fix it right and install a compressor? That's the ONLY way I ever do any repair... even on my own stuff. If you are poor and destitude, I'd be willing to sell you a good compressor for the cost of shipping and my time to remove it.... I've never ever had a tensioner issue on one of these vans... I see SOME people have, but then SOME people have also had issues with a short circuit between the steering wheel and the seat.

 

First off it sounds like you need a new A/C Compressor but do not stop there.If the system is contaminated you have to flush the system out and replace the expansion valve as well.

 

I don't see how the clutch will affect the internal systems. It's already been deterimined the clutch is junk, the issue I have is the guy insisting not to take the belt off by simply using a 15mm wrench on the tensioner to release pressure on the belt!

 

It's not desire, it's that I can't find any of the things anyone is talking about with respect to the tensioner. One guy talked about a place for a hex tool, can't find that. I also don't see any 15mm bolt on the tensioner and if I do, are you suggesting I loosen the tensioner as well to make room in the belt?

That's my problem here. It's that I can't find most of the things people refer to on here so I'm reluctant to get started until I do. But repo suggested I remove the radiator support and I'll have more room. So I'm going to do that, and maybe I'll be able to see more.

And, I don't want to loosen the wrong thing and have this tensioner come apart on me. I am nearly destitute and trying to be cheap. I can get a bypass pulley for $35. Or, I can buy a Junkyard compressor for 25$ + 10$in gas to get it. Then if I get a bad one, I gotta spend another $10 in gas.

 

WTF is repo man say anything of help? I will send you a guaranteed good compressor for FREE if you are willing to pay shipping. I will include a video of how to do this with EVERY step by step instruction, of you're willing to pay for the video tape. My God man this isn't rocket science. the tensioner has a 15mm bolt righ in the middle of the pulley... tell you what, just take off the compressor like you want then after you struggle for hours trying to get the belt back on post over and over again how you cant get the belt on.... Oh and you never said if you have a 3.3/ 3.8 3.0 or 2.4 engine.