ac compressor warning
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
I have recently replaced the crank bolt on my first 05' after 50k + miles , big job dropping the front rack for parts that cost me less than a couple hundred dollars. My other 05' not driven nearly as much and currently has 11k miles has developed a 'pinging n scraping' sound. Could hear it was clearly from passenger side front. Tried a $10 tensioner pulley, not it.
Spent $10 on mechanics stethoscope put the car up on the lift and it was obvious it was the front of the compressor. Since I have the 2 05's it was easy to determine from the one that works that the clutch wasn't engaging when air was turned on so must be the pulley bearing or so I feel at this point.
Through a little more digging I see that the friggin cradle needs to come down to change the entire compressor and since I just did this on the other car for the crank bolt I'm in disbelief I get to do it again or pay the dealer for $1500 repair, most of which is cradle drop labor.
Clutch/bearing pulley kits are less than $150 and might be what I try if someone wants to share with me that with the proper pulley/pusher tools it can be done while the compressor is still mounted(albeit having to disconnect or temporarily move some hoses and wires to get a clear shot at the front of the clutch)
****and I was fearful it was a torque tube bearing having to drop the whole rear end or take it to the dealer for a $1200 repair, now it's looking better than what it actually 
turned out to be!****
Spent $10 on mechanics stethoscope put the car up on the lift and it was obvious it was the front of the compressor. Since I have the 2 05's it was easy to determine from the one that works that the clutch wasn't engaging when air was turned on so must be the pulley bearing or so I feel at this point.
Through a little more digging I see that the friggin cradle needs to come down to change the entire compressor and since I just did this on the other car for the crank bolt I'm in disbelief I get to do it again or pay the dealer for $1500 repair, most of which is cradle drop labor.
Clutch/bearing pulley kits are less than $150 and might be what I try if someone wants to share with me that with the proper pulley/pusher tools it can be done while the compressor is still mounted(albeit having to disconnect or temporarily move some hoses and wires to get a clear shot at the front of the clutch)
****and I was fearful it was a torque tube bearing having to drop the whole rear end or take it to the dealer for a $1200 repair, now it's looking better than what it actually turned out to be!****Anyway, take a 1/4 drive 13mm socket and grind off the hex side until there is only enough for a bolt head to fit and then grind off the square side to make the overall about 1/2". Now grind about a 5/16" radius on one side of the square side and then 90 degrees radially to the radius grind a pair of flats.
The hose block has the retainer bolt recessed and there is only about 3/4" space to get a socket between the frame and the recess. After managing to get the modified socket onto the bolt (the reason for the radius), you need the flats to allow an openend wrench to rotate the socket.
If all you need to do is remove the clutch assembly. According to my '08 shop manual, the clutch assembly is able to be replaced without removing the compressor from the car. It says to use a J 37872 Universal Spanner Wrench to remove the center screw. It appears that the rest of the assembly kinda just slips or falls off. Supposedly, the screw is to be discarded and a new one used upon reassembly.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 400
Likes: 0
From: brighton mi
much thanks for that info HOXXOH. I actually found some other threads after I made that post saying it was possible without dropping cradle.
sacrificing a socket and buy, borrow or rent a tool sounds easy enough to me.
sacrificing a socket and buy, borrow or rent a tool sounds easy enough to me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,139
Likes: 81
From: Springboro OH
On the track at Autobahn running at speed when heard a loud bang under the car. In the hot pit looked under the car and hood but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Finished the sesson, packed up and headed home. Turned on the AC...nothing. Drove home, made an appointment with my Corvette tech. Turns out what I heard banging under the car was the AC compressor clutch departing. It fell off because the bolt that secures the clutch was gone. R&R compressor under warrenty. Sure glad I bought extended warrenty. The tech told me not the first one he's seen.
