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A/C compressor clutch gap adjustments

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a/c a/c clutch a/c clutch air gap a/c clutch shim a/c clutch washer
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13K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  mcgee1  
#1 ·
Hello everyone, wondering if anyone has done this a/c clutch air gap adjustment before. I've traced my a/c problem of intermittently turning on and off according to the ambient temperature to the a/c clutch. Now that it's July 1, the a/c clutch will engage first thing in the morning and then typically disengage within 15-20 minutes of driving. After reading up on the air gap possibly being too large and the quick/easy solution of removing the shim between the front plate and the pulley, I decided to grab a few tools and see what I could do.

1. WITH THE WASHER IN, it is possible to engage the clutch plate with pressure from a broomstick and it will stay engaged (no slipping) until switching the a/c off. The air gap measures above 0.635mm (the largest feeler gauge I have).

2. WITH THE WASHER OUT, the a/c clutch engages by itself but then starts to slip on the pulley and make an awful grinding noise. The air gap measures between 0.2mm and 0.5mm with the feeler gauge.

Question. Is it possible that the pressure from the broomstick helps the clutch plate engage more than the reduced air gap? I don't understand why the clutch engages but then slips with the washer out.

I've just ordered this shim pack to see if maybe I just need a thinner washer. The washer currently on the car measures about 0.5mm so I will try this. Thanks for reading
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
UPDATE : After 3 days of having the WASHER/SHIM REMOVED the front clutch plate is engaging/disengaging properly without any slipping. My best guess is that the initial slippage between the front clutch plate and the pulley was due to the new surface contact after removing a good bit of rust from the front clutch plate. So if you do notice poor a/c clutch engagement after removing the shim, try giving it a few days to recalibrate. I'll report back if anything changes.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Just curious mcgee1, did you try the a/c without a shim installed or other sizes before settling on the 0.2mm shim? Also, how did you know that the relay was on the way out?
 
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