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Can a bad A/C compressor bearing stall an engine?


GnatGoSplat
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Penny drove the 94 Cutlass 3.4 home, and she said as soon as she pulled into the garage, the car died. She thought it was electrical because she doesn't remember any warning lights coming on. She said after it died, she tried cranking it. At least twice nothing happened. Then on the 3rd and 4th tries, it cranked, but didn't start. The 5th time, it started, but made a horrible grinding sound, she said it sounded like when you crank a car that's already started.

 

When I got home from work 3hrs later, I tried starting it, and it started back up as if everything was fine. I could hear some noise, it's been making a raspy sound off and on for some time now long before this happened. Every now and then there was a muted clunk. I revved it up a couple times, and everything seemed fine.

 

I'm thinking when Penny thought the car died, I don't think the electrical died because the radio, trip computer, and climate control all still retain their memory and I don't think it takes long after losing power for everything to be reset. When I ask her if she's SURE, she admits she doesn't really know anymore. So that's when I was thinking maybe something seized, stalling the engine, and then trying to start it may have overloaded something in the starter making it temporarily unable to crank until it cooled off. The idler pulley looked a tiny bit wobbly and appeared to be touching the arm, so I thought I'd pull the belt off and see if maybe the idler could have a bad bearing that seizes when hot. Nope, idler spun fine. Alternator spun fine. PS pump spun fine. Water pump squeaked, but spun fine. Then I got to the AC compressor, and when I turned it, it made a metal on metal grinding sound. It rubs against the clutch when turned by hand. It won't spin freely, it only moves when I'm turning it. It has a lot of in/out play, and I can also wobble it. By contrast, the pulley in my 89 spins freely.

 

I had originally started to suspect the starter, but when I started it, it sounded fine.

 

Could the AC compressor bearing being shot cause the problems Penny had today, or is it just a coincidence?

 

Also... I need to replace the bearing anyway. How big a PITA is this to do without pulling the compressor? Can it be done without special Kent-Moore tools?

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The clutch on the compressor on my 3100 was making a REALLY loud metal on metal noise, so brought it to mechanic and they just adjusted the clutch for $40, problem solved. Maybe you just need the clutch adjusted/fixed?

Funny thing is when I tried to get my A/C working and had it charged for 1/2 hr and when the compressor kicked in it was even quieter.

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Yeah, I asked on an AC forum how to replace the bearing, and a lot of people asked if I'm sure it's not the clutch clearance. I don't really think it is, because I'm almost sure it makes noise with the compressor on too. It also seems to have a lot of play in it.

 

Here's a vid I took (470k):

http://gnatgosplat.homestead.com/files/MVI_1393.avi

 

Seems to move around an awful lot, way more than the one in my 89.

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DAmm, that looks bad. So i did the mistake of buying a used compressor, a month later i started hearing a grinding sound, which i tought was the crank shaft pulley, I then took of the belt and gave the pulleys a turn the only one that was bad was the ac pulley, it still turns freely, not like yours that stops and moves from side to side, but it makes that horrible sound, when i turn the ac on, the sound stops, i dont get it. Anyways I'll get the smaller belt and run w/o ac till u find out what the problem is, that wobble, is going to rip ur belt. I hate the sound, but it sounds like my car has a supercharger, LOL :lol: :roll:

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