Loud A/C compressor drives owner nuts!!!

Ive owned my ga for almost 3 years now , the a/c clutch whines and hisses constantly when the environment controlls are set normal vents and normal air (a/c is off) i turn the ac on the hiss and whine calm down but still very loud. The a/c works great for cooling its not malfuntioning but that god awfull noise has been bothering me since day 1. I looked into replacing only the clutch on the a/c but only the whole a/c unit is available. One last thing , I need a belt length that works for my ga without the ac , one that works and fits better than the monkey rigged one i had that was always a bastard to put on. Id rather have no a/c and no noise than to be cool.
1- Shorter belt specifically for 99+ grand ams without a/c
2- some way to quiet the clutch.
3- do what gm suggests and either wear ear plugs or turn the sterio on loud and full blast vents , that will fix the noise lol

I think i'd rather have the hissing whining noise then My g/a's a/c. When i turn on my a/c it seems like something just broke and the car is about to die ( even though it doesn't) Mine simply makes a loud crack/snap noise, while the lights on the car dim very low, before the car idles back up enough to compensate. Meanwhile my lights are slightly dimmer then normal, unless i rev it up while the a/c is on. so I think i would rather have the noise...

I get a louding "ringing" when my AC is off sometimes, I thought it was the waterpump at first but I reelized it was the compressor clutch, which is right below the water pump. a new clutch would fix it, but I just don't feel like doing it right now lol

I want a shorter belt that will stay on better than a measured one so the pump can get seazed so i can get one for free with warranty , thats why i wanna do this. Im in canada by the way a/c isnt a big deal to me.

The clutch is loud , when it disengages i hear the bearings whiiiining away , people often ask if i have a crappy super charger on it lol , Ive been told I cant just replace the clutch is has to be the whole shot. A/C's arent cheap , If you know a source that can fix a clutch or replace a clutch please let me know. Thanks.

My grand am has a bad bearing in the ac compressor I went on ebay and bought a used one. I'll be putting it in soon. The compressor only cost me $28 with shipping- I suggest checking ebay

How do you know if the compressor assembly wont be simular in sounds? I mean the one off of e-bay , do they guarantee the parts? I never used e-bay before and im curious about how you get info on the used products , like the shape and quality. thanks

everybody on ebay has a feedback rating, as long as they have good feedback and say in the description that it is in good condition then it probably is. I took a chance I'll let you know how it works out

well how do you know if the person isnt getting rid of it for the same reason you wanted it? what if i get ripped off?

i've been doing ebay for a long time and I have yet to have a problem. As long as you watch the feedback ratings I think you'll be all set

cool , thanks

I have this same noise.. and its actually very embarassing at times... cuz you know everyones looking to see whos car its comming from.

MY question is, is it possible to just change the clutch? or is it just the bearings? I can actually see little metal fileings on the compressor.

Any suggestions?

Jay

I got dirt and crud in the bearings , the shop told me the whole thing would have to be replaced.

Mark, if you're serious when you said, "Id rather have no a/c and no noise than to be cool", try to lube the clutch/bearings.

I recently picked up a '95 GA that had the same A/C clutch noise problems. I wasn't sure exactly where the noise was coming from, but knew it was near the serpentine belt. I had an old can of belt spray in the garage. When I sprayed near the A/C pulley, the noise subsided... somewhat. So, I turned the A/C on and when the electric clutch engaged it quieted down a whole lot. I turned the A/C off and directed the spray between the rotating pulley and the now stationary A/C compressor plate. The noise disappeared. I've since sprayed some WD40 on the clutch. The A/C still works great and there's no noise.

I was advised against that by my service advisor , but screw him ill try it any way. *shrugs* Ill let you know either way :).

Use a very light lubricant and just don't over do it. I would not have done it if I hadn't stumbled upon the fix by accident. Let me know how you make out.