Ac compressor pulley?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 366
Likes: 17
Ac compressor pulley?
Upon inspection my ac compressor pulley front portion is totally movable by hand. Engine was cold and the very front peice was moveable to point i coult rotate it with my hand relatively easily. The actual pulley portion in contact with the belt did not move of course just the front portion. Im not the most versed in these things so forgive my ignorance, but is this normal? I replaced the idler pulley of serpentine belt, the serpentine belt itself, and finally the belt tensioner and pulley which 95% eliminated an annoying chirp/squeal my engine was having a week of driving later the barely audible remaining sound has escalated and im torn between HB and ac belt, tensioner, and/or pulley. I have applied some white shoe scuff cover to the HB to initiate the test of if it is moving but I also want to troubleshoot the ac belt and components. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
It's completely normal. The pulley is on a bearing. The piece in front is the clutch plate connected to the compressor and it is pulled back by an electromagnet behind the pulley to engage the AC compressor. It's only locked to the pulley when engaged.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,862
Likes: 594
From: Prescott, Arizona
For the chirp/ squeal, I would first remove the main accessory belt and rotate the idler and tensioner pulleys to see how they feel, also the water pump. The AC belt is difficult to reinstall, but same for the idler and tensioner pulleys for the AC.
I am older and had to put the car on jack stands, make a tool to maneuver the belt from underneath, to get the AC belt back on.
If you do take off the AC belt, replace with new. Same amount of trouble getting it on but at least it is new.
In my case, I had all new belts and pulleys on hand for both accessory and AC ahead of time and installed them to be more sure the issue was fixed for some time to come. Make sure the dust washers don't rub on the new pulleys. New pulleys sometimes take different shaped washers.
I am older and had to put the car on jack stands, make a tool to maneuver the belt from underneath, to get the AC belt back on.
If you do take off the AC belt, replace with new. Same amount of trouble getting it on but at least it is new.
In my case, I had all new belts and pulleys on hand for both accessory and AC ahead of time and installed them to be more sure the issue was fixed for some time to come. Make sure the dust washers don't rub on the new pulleys. New pulleys sometimes take different shaped washers.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 366
Likes: 17
For the chirp/ squeal, I would first remove the main accessory belt and rotate the idler and tensioner pulleys to see how they feel, also the water pump. The AC belt is difficult to reinstall, but same for the idler and tensioner pulleys for the AC.
I am older and had to put the car on jack stands, make a tool to maneuver the belt from underneath, to get the AC belt back on.
If you do take off the AC belt, replace with new. Same amount of trouble getting it on but at least it is new.
In my case, I had all new belts and pulleys on hand for both accessory and AC ahead of time and installed them to be more sure the issue was fixed for some time to come. Make sure the dust washers don't rub on the new pulleys. New pulleys sometimes take different shaped washers.
I am older and had to put the car on jack stands, make a tool to maneuver the belt from underneath, to get the AC belt back on.
If you do take off the AC belt, replace with new. Same amount of trouble getting it on but at least it is new.
In my case, I had all new belts and pulleys on hand for both accessory and AC ahead of time and installed them to be more sure the issue was fixed for some time to come. Make sure the dust washers don't rub on the new pulleys. New pulleys sometimes take different shaped washers.
