A/C compressor question

[COdreamin]

Hey everybody

 

So my girlfriend and I are on an 18 day road trip throughout the Southwest U.S. Needless to say, it is freakin hot!! The a/c belt had started spitting rubber toward the air filter box and eventually snapped on I-70. I got a couple replacements and adjusted the tensioner pulley so it wouldn't do that anymore and since then it has squeaked when we're going 80 on the highway but has not flung any rubber. I'm new to changing belts and I was able to figure it out quickly and all in the Checker parking lot, but maybe I missed something and that's why it's still squeaking. I did use belt conditioner any that seemed to work for a little but the squeak came back.

 

Anyway, the thing is that now the a/c belt spins at normal speed when the compressor is clicked 'off', but when i click it 'on' and the clutch engages the belt slows way down, to maybe the equivalent of 2-3 rotations per minute and obviously doesn't cool the car.

 

Has anybody experienced this and if so what causes it? We are currently in Vegas and the 110 degree heat is a reminder of just how awesome it is to have a/c in the car.

 

Any help would be awesome

[JamesRich]

your belt is slipping it must be way to loose. Tighten it up till it is tight but still loose enough to move it up and down a little. Check the tension on your other belts and tighten the A/C till it matches.

James

[MY1PATH]

Push the belt firmly downard in the center between the tensioner and the compresser.

Do so applying aobut 20LBs of force, this is called deflection.

This deflection should be between 0.35~0.4 (just shy of 1/2")

Thighten the belt untill you have this amout of deflection.

 

Power steering deflection is the same.

Alternator deflection is 0.25~0.3

[nunya]

Agree, you need to tighten that belt up some more... also what is causign your squeak proably.

[COdreamin]

Thanks everybody, will do. Have a great 4th everyone!

[COdreamin]

Ok I have a dumb question - is the tensioner pulley supposed to rotate with the belt? I had never really looked until I needed to at whether or not it did. When I originally put the new belt on it did not move. When I tightened the belt this morning it began moving and it did start blowing colder but certainly not at full efficiency and there was a nasty noise coming from the friction between the tensioner plate and the pulley itself.

[MY1PATH]

OH YES! the tensioner moves with the belt...

for the short term loosten it and unbolt the pulley from the front and see if you can work some thin lube into the bearing. (tri flow would be best, Wd40 worst) and then button it back up.

 

If the bearing is shot you'll need to get a new one or just grab a whole nother pulley and bearing from a JY pathy.

 

Edit;

make sure all your pieces are there too;

Nut> Stamped Dust cover> Thick Inner washer> Pulley with bearing and snap ring> Pulley sleve> tensoiner stud

 

The sleve is stepped t-shape bushing that the inner washer pushes against to allow the pulley to spin free when the nut is tightened. If either are missing the pulley will bind on something and also not properly center.

Edited July 6, 2010 by MY1PATH

[COdreamin]

Thanks My1Path I had the wrong nut holding the pulley on and I think it helped grenade the ball bearings in idler pulley. I went to the jy and got a new one - works like a charm.