A/C Compressor clutch smoked!

[jafx2]

Well it's mid June and the A/C quit. Lots of smoke and with a pop of the hood, you got it...Clutch is actually dripping black crap. I pulled the fuse for the A/C so it can't run now. How hard is it to replace a Compressor versus just changing out the clutch? It's 94 today and getting hotter....HELP!


Thanks!
iowa4freds

[AWP9521]

Changing the Clutch would be easier since it doesn't involve taking the car to a shop to have the refrigerant removed from the system (at a cost of course), so the compressor can be changed, then going back to the shop and evacuating and recharging the system again once the repairs are made (Also at a cost), also some parts stores make you buy a new Dryer and Expansion Valve in order to validate the warranty of a replacement Compressor.

If the compressor is still good and the A/C is blowing cold, AND! you can remove the clutch assembly without too much drama (tried to remove one on a van where the clutch bearing locked up and seized to the compressor body and severly damaged the housing while trying to remove it) then replacing the clutch only would be the cheaper solution of the two

[jafx2]

Got any neat tricks for pulling of the pully and getting to the clutch? Never done it before but am willing to try.

[AWP9521]

Couldn't honestly tell ya, the van I tried it on the clutch endplate was bolted to the Compressor shaft with a single bolt and there was a snap ring around the end of the compressor housing where the pulley bearing was mounted to. Not sure if it was supposed to be a press fit or it just slides off when the snap ring was removed, but like I said earlier the bearing was seized to the housing and couldn't get the pulley off of it without damaging the housing too.