A/C clutch pulley '99 Mystique

[rickyraccoon]

'99 Mystique with the 2 liter. So... I have a trashed A/C compressor pulley bearing. My million-dollar question, is has anyone ever attempted or managed to change that out without breaking open the system and completely removing the compressor? I'm really really really super not wanting to do that. I mean, I know it's a bad bearing, I can see the pulley, I can wiggle the thing by hand the bearing is just completely fragged, I can lay my finger on the central bolt, it looks as if there might be enough room to get the pulley off unless that bolt is just way too long, and I can't unbolt the compressor enough to move it around a little.

Thing went bad returning from a long trip, and at the time I thought 'oh great, compressor' without really thinking it through and simply switched the serpentine belt out for a shorter one, managing to bypass the A/C compressor. But, I'm starting to miss my air conditioning. It's frustrating that something so simple is so darned hard to get at.

One thing I'm wondering is what's the size of the head on that bolt. First whack I took at it, I couldn't quite figure that out- metric? SAE? nothing I had on hand seemed to quite fit right. Barring an answer here, I have a date with Harbor Freight for offset wrench sets in both systems of measurement- stupid thing has to be something, and I'mma gonna get it sized, and give it another go.

Anyway, thanks in advance.

edited for spelling

 

[rickyraccoon]

Well, for future reference for anyone who finds this. It's an SAE head on the bolt, if it's the original- at least, I presume it was the original. Something like 9/16 if I remember. The replacement clutch assembly came with a bolt with the same threads but the head was a more sensible 10mm, and clearly marked so on the bolt head, as if they're aware the original is not the same. I used the new one.

The bearing was trashed; the pulley had torn apart, leaving the hub attached to the compressor. It's all accessible without removing the compressor- barely. A lot of cussin' and fighting, though, with some of the frame in the way. It took a combination of whaling on it, and then grasping the 'rim' of what was left of the pulley and tugging with vice grips, to loosen it and ease it off the compressor. The snap ring retaining the pulley in place is not easy to get to, but it's possible with a lot of patience. Presumably there's a snap-ring on the clutch coil, but damn if I could see it, or find out how the coil is held in place- I gave up and saved the new coil for the day the old one doesn't work, and will worry about it then, the old coil looks pretty ugly, but it works.

New pulley slipped on easily, but the spacers supplied with the new clutch plate weren't enough and it was rubbing on the pulley pretty badly- I found and rescued the spacer that was on what was left of my clutch plate (which was in pieces) and added it to the ones supplied- perhaps too much spacer- the 'click' is pretty noticeable, but it works. A couple cans R134 later, and it's nice and cold.