There'* a grinding // squeeling noise coming from under my hood. I took it to a shop and they said my AC compressor was bad and it'd be $1000. I said no way. So I had a friend With a good mechanical background look at it and he said it'* my bearing for my AC clutch. I did more research and I'm pretty sure he'* correct. I'm just wondering how I'd go about fixing my AC clutch without spending a ton of cash . Thanks .

Take a look at the gap between the clutch and the pulley....if you see a lot of metal filings, it'* not the bearing.....depending on how deep the grooves are between the clutch and pulley, determines if you just need a clutch or clutch and pulley........

Is the noise eliminated when the clutch is activated?

I'm curious what happened.

My 2001 Le Sabre 3.8 had that steady light grinding noise. The guy working on my car took a listen with a long screwdriver, removed the belt, then spun the A/C pulley and we listened to the scraping. The local store had a package deal on a Compressor, Accumulator, and Orifice - all required for compressor warranty ... under $300.

My noise diminished slightly with the A/C on - still quite noticeable, though.

Clutch gap has increased. This is a common occurrence.

Save yourself some money and just readjust it.... read here...
https://www.gmforum.com/mechanical-1...-plate-278951/