Hi all,

When the engine is on the armature disc on the AC compressor clutch is grinding against the rotor pulley. I'm not concerned at the moment with getting the AC to work, I just want to remove the armature disc so it won't continue to deteriorate. I got a wrench around the compressor shaft bolt, but when I turn it the bolt and disc turn in place, without coming out. Anyone know what I can do to remove the disc?

Diagram of the clutch: Examining Air Conditioning Clutch Failures in the Field

Thanks!

You don't want to remove the disc, or clutch plate...what you want to do, is just increase the gap....you need to hold the clutch plate with a tool while remove the bolt and then you need a special tool that is used to remove the plate, but in this case, you just want to pull it out a little to increase the gap, then reinsert the bolt...

I have seen rust build up between the pulley surface and clutch plate, which causes that grinding noise....sometimes you just get enough of the rust out, by working some sandpaper between the clutch and the pulley, completely all around and then blowing out the debris with a blow gun....

Thanks for the reply.

There is currently no gap at all between the armature disc and the pulley, not even a sheet of paper can fit between them.

The nut seems to always rotate with the armature plate. If I grip the plate I can't rotate the nut at all.

the shaft above the nut is threaded, and it seems I need a specialty tool (possibly called a clutch puller or clutch plate remover). To know which one to get it looks like I need to know the model of my A/C compressor, any idea how I can find that out? There doesn't appear to be anything written on the part (at least in the areas I can see).

This is the tool that holds the clutch plate while you remove the center bolt:




Once the bolt is removed, this is the tool that screws into those threads you mentioned, and then you screw in the center bolt for removal(one is for removal, the other for installation):

Thanks, the pictures are helpful.

If I just want to increase the air gap, do I need to entirely remove the bolt? Or can I just use the remover tool pull the bolt (and the plate) out a bit?

Do you know the name of the remover tool, or where it'* sold online? And will I have to find one that matches my Compressor/clutch model, or are they universal?

Thanks so much for your help!

You need to remove the bolt to use the removal tool to slightly pull the clutch plate out to create the gap....