Hi. My a/c compressor clutch was recently destroyed, and i'm looking for a cheap/easy fix, so i can drive until i get it replaced. I have read a lot of posts where people were able to bypass the a/c compressor using a shorter belt. The belt routing diagram under the hood of my bonnie gives a route that bypasses the a/c compressor, meaning that this can be done. I was wondering what type of belt I would need to use when doing this. Thanks for the help!

Hye there,
My '87'* a/c compressor went out a looong time ago. (circa 5 years). Our mechanic (i use that term loosely) removed it and put on a shorter belt to exclude the a/c compressor.

All you gotta do is get a belt made for your engine but w/out AC.

See if you can find any such belts via a car parts web site like advanceautoparts.com or autozone.com etc (most let you find parts through a system identical to that which the parts guys use at their stores, trust me i work for one such store. And that should give you a part number, etc to go to the store and get it or even to order it online.

Oddly enough, for my 87 bonneville i can't find a non-a/c serpentine belt,, this is probably because all 87 bonnies came with a/c and so the parts catalogue won't list a non-a/c belt. However most other GM 3.8L engines from your same year car without a/c belt should fit fine, its just up to you to find it.

Once you get a blet the riight size for what you need the rest is easy, just route it as per that drawing under your hood and you'll be up and running.

mike diaz
87 Pon Bonne.

Its a 6 rib serpentine belt that you can get at any auto zone.
Use the 72 1/2 in. length if you have the C motor. Its easier on the water pump
and runs a lot quiter.

Does the a/c compressor pulley still turn? 'cuz then you can just disconect the power going to it and let it freewheel, then you can just leave the belt alone, and you don't have to worry about the solenoid engaging.

Thanks a lot for the help guys!! I really appreciate it.

The compressor pulley does turn, but the broken clutch still scrapes against it, making an awful grinding noise even with the a/c off. So, i'm probably gonna go with the idea of bypassing the compressor.

Bought a new 17 3/8 inch belt from Napa yesterday, and installed it. Now she runs like a dream! Thanks again for all the suggestions.