I have a 2001 Grand Caravan SE that had the A/C clutch go bad, which I ignored for several months until it completely self-destructed (I know, stupid, a stitch in time, etc.). I pulled the clutch and the pump seems to be fine otherwise, BUT the boss that the clutch bearing sits on has been completely destroyed by the bearing rattling around on it, so now the entire pump is must be replaced. In addition, the electrical connector to the clutch got completely melted off during this fiasco.

Since this vehicle has 180,000 miles on it, I'm loath to go through the trouble and expense of replacing the pump, so as I see it I have two other options: remove the pump and use a bypass pulley, but then I have to remove the pump and the hoses and I really should have the refrigerant removed first (a problem, since I don't have the equipment and I can't drive the vehicle without the belt).

OR, I could replace the belt with a shorter one. Since the pulley is gone with the clutch removed, the straight shot from the crank to the alternator is clear. This would be the easiest solution, but I'd need to find the correct length belt. Has anyone done this before, and if so what belt did you use?

 

RickVB,

I haven't tried this myself, but last year I found a post on another forum where someone used a 79.0" pitch length belt (Duralast 790K6) to bypass the A/C pulley. Three other people posted saying they also successfully bypassed the A/C using this method. I know your A/C pulley has already been removed, but they said you can actually do the bypass with the A/C pulley in place, though it is a close fit.

Here's a list of belts that should work:
Duralast 790K6
Gates K060790
Dayco 5060790
Napa 25060790
Goodyear 4060790

And here's a drawing of the bypass belt routing:


George

 

A bypass pulley is a direct fit and costs $28 at rockauto. You just bolt it in place of the old compressor and use the same belt.

 

RickMN, my old belt got shredded by the self-destructing clutch, so I had to replace it anyway. Cheapest/easiest way was to replace the belt with a shorter one.

georgef, thanks so much! Got the 79" Gates, and it worked like a charm. Vehicle is back on the road, with minimal fuss. I don't know about leaving the compressor pulley on (if that was an option), it looks to me like the clearance would be less than 1/4", so I'd be worried about vibration on the long run causing the belt to rub there.

By the way, this posting was a big help...
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2051353-post3.html

 

I ran mine for two years with the bypass until I got the money to fix the AC (about $1,000) and then saved the old bypass belt under the seat in case it ever happens again, like it did, 300 miles from home. There's a diagram right on the fan shroud showing both ways to run the belt.

 

Hi folks - longtime lurker first time poster.
Thought I'd relate my experience with bypassing the AC compressor. Van's got 335000km on it and runs pretty well. After a couple of weeks of listening to noise all of a sudden I have a starting problem. Very intermittent starting problem. Slow cranking whilst being boosted - it started then ran great the next 10 or so times on and off. Finally it does it again at 1130 pm in the middle of nowhere. Long story short after researching every possible no start condition etc and pcms and whatnot I pulled the starter off and all apart and cleaned inspected rebuilt the solenoid copper contacts inside. Take it back and it's still cranking slowly - I knew battery was good and was jump starting it on top of that. It finally starts and is revving up and down - I can smell burning rubber. AC pulley totally seized hence a bit of friction as they say. Long story short a 79 inch serpentine belt will work but in my van will NOT clear the AC pulley as mentioned in other posts (and other forums) so look out for that. I used a prestone 790K6 canadian tire part number 14-3891-8. Had to completely remove the compressor in order to achieve proper clearance. Using a less than orthodox method, shall we say. Sorry about that hole in the ozone layer. So yes, bypass is possible - if I'd been in a shop instead of on my back in the middle of nowhere I might have found it easier. Of course the obvious thing to do would have been to pay closer attention to the noises in the first place. But - am I going to spend more than the vehicle is worth fixing air conditioning properly - I don't have that kind of coin which is why this thing's being driven in first place. I know it's long winded but I kinda wanted to cover the slow crank hard start aspect that had nothing to do with PCMs, Neutral safety switches not having ground at starter relay pin 85 etc. Thanks all for great info on all other aspects of caravan fixage.