Ac compressor - bearing or clutch is out

T-N-T

Senior Member
2007 ram 2500 6.7 Cummins

Got in truck for weekend camping trip and the AC wouldn't blow cold. I got angry and rolled window down and turned vents off and struck out with the camper anyway.
When I got where I was going 1.5 hours down the road, the compressor was knocking like a monkey was in there with a hammer off and on.

I am getting vastly different answers from Google about the extent of parts to replace....

It isn't locked up yet. But I have an hour and a half trip home Sunday. So who knows by then. I might throw a belt and be stuck on the side of the road by then.

So my question..... If it doesn't lock up, and it's just the bearing in the clutch, just replace the compressor as a whole and recharge, right?

No need to change other components of the system if it doesn't lock the compressor, right?
 

transfixer

Senior Member
If you can determine its just the bearing in the clutch it can be changed without changing the compressor, but will take a pair of snap ring pliers and whatever size socket for the bolt in the middle, if you drove the trip with the AC turned off and it still made noise then it is the bearing. They used two different compressors on those trucks, a Denso , and sometimes a Visteon, you'll need to know which one you have in order to get the right bearing, they usually have a sticker or plate on them that will tell you. Alldata is showing that compressor to be on the bottom , so its probably not going to be easy to get to.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
most parts stores are not going to stock just the bearing. They will have a clutch kit. That is what I would go with. You will also need a clutch puller to get the clutch plate off the front of the compressor. Most autoparts will do a loan a tool on them. you pay for the tool, and get your money back when you return it.

If you go with the kit, you will replace all the wear/moving parts on the outside of the compresser body itself. It should go for a long long time.
 

BriarPatch99

Senior Member
If you go the bearing replacement deal ... make sure you get a good name brand bearing ... I can tell you from experience that redoing it two months later ain't much fun ... Either!
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
It is on the bottom. You access it from the bottom from my 6 seconds of inspection in parking lot. But it will be at arm outstretched length due to height of truck.
On second thought, this one might be for the man in town.
 

GoldDot40

Senior Member
10 year old truck...Do you plan on keeping the truck for any considerable length of Time? If you can afford it, do a compressor and dryer swap. You might get lucky with a clutch kit for now, but the compressor itself may give up in 6 months. I just like to think ahead.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
10 year old truck...Do you plan on keeping the truck for any considerable length of Time? If you can afford it, do a compressor and dryer swap. You might get lucky with a clutch kit for now, but the compressor itself may give up in 6 months. I just like to think ahead.

I don't understand this thought process at all. A clutch turns all the time. The compressor, only when it is called for. How does one part for tell the failure of the other?

in other words, if he lived at the northpole, the clutch bearing may go bad and the compressor never having been turned on.
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
I ordered a compressor orifice tube and drier
I will be tearing apart this week. I will also install a new serpentine belt. And maybe a new tensioner pulley

My AC runs about 11 months out of the year here. So the compressor has similar miles as the clutch IMO

Google says the belt is a pain by yourself but only a 15 minute job with two guys. So I figure I can get it with a little help.

Then run to town to get the system charged up and rock on for a while
 

GoldDot40

Senior Member
in other words, if he lived at the northpole, the clutch bearing may go bad and the compressor never having been turned on.

We're not talking about a truck at the north pole though, are we??? This man lives in GA...I'm willing to bet the compressor has been turned on...a LOT, unless he's a tree hugging hippie that don't believe in running AC. I'd bet the farm T-N-T likes to use his AC. Even if we were talking about a north pole truck, when you use defrost...you're using the compressor.

I'd also bet the farm that I've done enough automotive AC work in my life that a new compressor and dryer on a 10 year old truck would be a good investment if he plans on keeping it. That's why I added "If you can afford it".

I like to be proactive. Wait until you have a compressor fail...and now you have more parts to worry about when that metal gets circulated throughout the system.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
I ordered a compressor orifice tube and drier
I will be tearing apart this week. I will also install a new serpentine belt. And maybe a new tensioner pulley

My AC runs about 11 months out of the year here. So the compressor has similar miles as the clutch IMO

Google says the belt is a pain by yourself but only a 15 minute job with two guys. So I figure I can get it with a little help.

Then run to town to get the system charged up and rock on for a while

what about the lubricant for the system? What about the old refrigerant? I would go and have the guy who is going to charge it vaccum it down instead of just blowing it into the air.

PS.... there is no way to know if the new compressor will be any better than the one that is on there now. It could have internal issues that will require a replacement within months. I have seen it over and over.
 

transfixer

Senior Member
Only problem with replacing a compressor if you don't have to, is trying to find a "new" one , as opposed to a rebuilt or remanned one, and hope the new one wasn't made in china, failure rate on auto parts store reman compressors is pretty high.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
Only problem with replacing a compressor if you don't have to, is trying to find a "new" one , as opposed to a rebuilt or remanned one, and hope the new one wasn't made in china, failure rate on auto parts store reman compressors is pretty high.

pretty good reason to keep the one that is on there to me
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
I ordered a new one. Skipped reman
I don't have a great love for reman parts
I have yet to get the oil for new one. And serpentine belt. But I have a few days to get it all done

I have a buddy who is coming over to capture the old freon. He was going to do the whole job but I couldn't wait on his after regular hours schedule.
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
Without knowing what you are doing, getting the gap correct with the new clutch is supposed to be tricky. I am not into tricky stuff I don't know how to do.
 
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