[Ravenspice]

Hey there! Does anyone have any idea what could b causing the a.c. compressor clutch assembly to fail? I mean it burned up! Friction fried it! Melted the bearing seals and the clutch plate fell apart and caused the serpentine belt to warp so had to replace it too.
This was the scenario the first time which was only 4 months ago. So I replaced the entire assembly with a new one I found on EBay.
Last week, it happened again. Same scenario except the coil is seized up. And I can't seem to break it loose to get it off of the vehicle. The compressor seems to b just fine. Thank God!
Does anyone have any tips on getting the coil off, too?
Desperate for answers.
P.S. I invested in a set of factory repair manuals too.

 

[Nitrogen]

which engine do you have the 3.7 and 4.0 have different compressors ?.

 

[Ravenspice]

Hey thanks for responding! I have a 3.7L

 

[Nitrogen]

this is presuming you have the OEM Visteon HS-18 compressor and not an aftermarket compressor.

the manual says the coil is pressed onto the compressor, and to remove it you need a 2 jaw puller (do not try twisting or turning the coil), you can buy a 2 jaw puller for a few $s.
however in most cases the coil should be OK, it's the clutch plate and the pulley friction surfaces that get worn, or the pulley bearing which normally fail

Also there is a proceedure called "Burnishing" that should be followed after installing a new compressor clutch.

 

[Ravenspice]

Ok great info but I'm not sure what type of a.c. compressor I have. How do I tell? My repair manual did mention a Visteon compressor.
What is "burnishing" and why is it important to do this after the clutch installation?
Btw...I was able to get the coil off w a little manipulation.

 

[Nitrogen]

After a new A/C compressor clutch has been installed, cycle the compressor clutch approximately 20 times (5

seconds on, then 5 seconds off). During this procedure, set the A/C-heater controls to the A/C Recirculation

Mode, the blower motor in the highest speed position, and the engine speed at 1500 to 2000 RPM. This

procedure (burnishing) will seat the opposing friction surfaces and provide a higher compressor clutch torque

capability.

 

[Ravenspice]

Oh wow. Ok! I will do that. Thanks so much for the info. Big help. But do u have any idea what may have caused the clutch assembly to fail in the first place?

 

[Nitrogen]

i'm not sure why it would burn up in such a short space of time, "Nitrochemist" has got a thread going at the moment, he also has the same issue, he replaced his compressor with an aftermarket unit and now he's replacing it again.

here is the thread
https://www.nitroforumz.com/threads/a-c-rebuild-time.48363/

 

[Ravenspice]

Thanks Nitrogen! I did find the "burnishing" info u recommended in my Factory Service Manual, under "A/C Clutch Break-in".
I also found info that stated if any "refrigerant oil is found, on the a.c. compressor shaft and nose the compressor shaft seal is leaking and the compressor will have to b replaced". I wonder if this may b the reason why the clutch assembly failed. I did find some oil inside the shaft.

 

[Nitrogen]

maybe a good idea to check all the other pullys on the accessory drive belt, if one is worn i could cause vibration through the belt.

 

[Ravenspice]

Gotcha!