Bypassing the AC COMPRESSOR?

For the last two weeks, my 96 Dodge Caravan 3.3 has been making squealing, grinding noises from the engine. I took it to a shop and I was told that the AC compressor needed replacement along with the Serpentine Belt. This would run me about $750.00. YIKES!

Anyways, the Serpentine Belt finally caught up with the faulty ac compressor and broke off. Now I have a non working car. I was wondering if there is a way to bypass the AC compressor by purchasing a shorter serpentine belt?
I do not need AC. I live in a State where 8 months out of the year is below 40F.

What are my options? What can I do? Fix the AC compressor?

BTW here is a link to a belt that would work with a dodge 3.3 with no ac.
Would it do this job?

Thanks Guys!

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQDodgeQQGrand_CaravanQQDaycoQQMulti_Rib_BeltQQ199 62002QQDY5060985.html

probably a bad idea! they came from the factory with a delete pulley in place of he compressor! and guess what i found on parts america for a 1996 3.3! link below and it is only 39.99 + a new belt. mike

Link:
http://www.partsamerica.com/productdetail.aspx?MfrCode=DOR&MfrPartNumber=34156&PartType=395&PTSet=A

You can get the just the bearing and pulley from the dealer or some parts stores.If it is tore up bad,get an used A/C compressor from your nearest junk Yard.New ones are junk and fail right away which the warranty is voided most of the time.

You can get the just the bearing and pulley from the dealer or some parts stores.
yeah here is a link to just the bearing for the clutch on the compressor

link
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?PartType=450&PTSet=A

as you can see some of the bearings are more expensive than the delete pulley! plus you need special tools for the ac clutch! none needed to install the delete pulley!

second point: the belt you have linked to from above i believe is the belt for caravans with the delete pulley. i think the delete pulley is a tad smaller than the pulley for the ac clutch. therefore requiring two different belts? but you are going to have to research that portion of the problem? good luck you now have alot more options! mike

The one from the dealer comes with a new pulley,spacers, and electrical.It is a common problem on the minivans,Dodge Durangos and pick ups

The one from the dealer comes with a new pulley,spacers, and electrical.It is a common problem on the minivans,Dodge Durangos and pick ups
here is the clutch assembly with the bearing clutch and elec. (after market)

link: but you still need a special puller and feeler guage to install.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?PartType=385&PTSet=A

Thanks for all the alternatives. I've decided to go along with a subtitute pulley. The replacement pulley would bring my cost down to about $150-$250 to fix at the auto shop. Thats a lot better than the $700-$800 job to replace the ac compressor.

BTW my current tempeture is 2F. We are expecting highs of -4F on Saturday.

And the ac compressor breaks down?

If you want to bypass the compressor Dorman Products the company who makes the HELP! aftermarket part line. Sells compressor bypass pulleys. It consists of a braket and a freewheeling grooved compressor style pulley that will take up the slack in the belt just as if your compressor was there.

Check it out at www.dormanproducts.com a part number 34173 works on 1996 through 2000 Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth mini-vans

They have a whole boat load of applications for a lot of different makes & models They are listed in the Air Conditioning Section under the Heading of AC bypass.

In my neck of the woods both Advance Auto Parts & Auto Zone carry and can special order Dorman items..

This same company sells a shield to keep your serpentine belt from sliping off when it gets wet...which has been a topic of frequent discussion on this forum. They call it a power steering pulley shield kit but it actually mounnts on to the idler pulley.. and on my 97 it has worked great

Spit

Link:
http://www.partsamerica.com/productdetail.aspx?MfrCode=DOR&MfrPartNumber=34156&PartType=395&PTSet=A\

yeah, here is the link to the dorman pulley at parts america (advanced auto's on-line site)! part # 34156. mike

You can get the just the bearing and pulley from the dealer or some parts stores.If it is tore up bad,get an used A/C compressor from your nearest junk Yard.New ones are junk and fail right away which the warranty is voided most of the time.

Sorry, can't let that one go without a comment. I'm not an A/C pro, but I've started doing my own A/C work with the idea that in Arizona, buying the tools should pay off in the long haul. I get a lot of help from these guys (http://www.autoacforum.com/).

The fundamental reason new compressors fail right after installation is because when the old compressor failed, it circulated a bunch of metal shrapnel throughout the system. If you just replace the compressor without cleaning out the crap that blew into the system, then that new compressor will also fail in very short order, no matter how good it is. I would be a bit wary about replacing it with a junkyard compressor for that reason. If the OP's compressor locked up, I would be extremely surprised if the fundamental problem were just the bearing.

Once the compressor grenades, the only way to correctly repair the A/C system is to remove all the components (condensor, evaporator(s), etc.) and flush them out*, as well as flushing the lines to get out all the shrapnel. THEN you can install a new compressor and be confident that it will give good service (granted, every ONCE in a while, you'll get a bad one, stick with good brands and that should be extremely rare).

Of course, the most obvious down side to this, is that to flush the evaporator(s) succesfully, they must be removed from the vehicle. On these vans, competent mechanics charge 8+ hours of labor for that operation alone, because the entire dash must come out. The A/C technicians I've talked to hate this job not because they find it difficult, but because it's not a very profitable endeaver for them - even after the $1000+ bill you get, AND they know what the reaction will be (steam out the ears, frothing at the mouth, that the technician DARES to request a third or more of the vehicles overall value JUST to fix the A/C).

One of my pet peeves is seeing vehicles for sale, advertised with "just needs a freon charge". The real translation, whether the seller realizes it or not, is that you should be prepared to drop $1000+ to get the A/C fixed, because that's a very likely scenario.

* Some technicians dispute whether you can succsefully flush some types of condensors, and recommend replacing them instead.

yeah i have heard that the ac system is the 3rd most expensive system to fix on any auto mobile! some bills over 2000$ dollars! thats why if it is a beater throw a delete pulley on it and roll the windows down! mike

Yep, that's a whole 'nuther class of beater. I don't need to look good while driving around in my car, but the A/C darn well better work in 110 °F weather.