[z28barnett]

have a bad bearing in the A/C pulley. The system works fine but has a wine that sounds like a blower or a gear drive cam.

The clutch is not dragging and the sound is roughly halfed when I turn on the A/C and at its worst when it is off. My thought is the bearing in the pulley spins all of the time and with the clutch pulled in it side loads the bearing to quite it down some. I can hear the noise when turning the pulley by hand.

I have looked up the procedure in the GM shop manual. The clutch plate has to be pulled with a special tool. Then another tool is used to lock into the center of the pulley and pull the pulley off of the compressor shaft.

They list another set of tools to install the bearing and stake it in place and finally another tool to reinstall the pulley on the compressor.

They say that this can be done on the car without opening the A/C system.

Prices for the parts:

Bearing: $20.00

Tools: Not sure

Compressor with shippping: (New GM) $350

Receiver Dryer: (New GM) $50

New Clutch Pulley assembly: $110

My questions:

1) Has anyone done this job, are the special tools needed and where do you get them?

2). Is a functional 90K miles A/C compressor ready to be replaced anyway?

3). What do you think would be the most cost effective way to proceed?

Thanks

Z28

[Ojustracing]

From your last post it sounds just like the pulley bearing is bad!!!!!. Most I do, the hardest part is getting the Clutch off. The pulley should just pull off but a little tap from a hammer is all that is needed. Unless it has gone farther. Putting it back on is nothing more than slipping it back on and reinstalling the C-clip. Again a very lite tap of a hammer is all that is needed. If you have to use the pulley puller/intaller for the pulley something is very wrong......

I would suggest to you leave the belt off until you are ready to change the part... These bearing's only have to lock up for a split second and the snout of the compressor is Junk. With the proper clutch puller it is a simple job on this car.

Thanks about the One Lap. It is a great event to experience tracks that I will never be back to unless One Lap goes there again. Namely Infinieon, and LVMS. It funnny how fast I can go with just the idea of racing for a goal. Some of the bigger tracks you need a big pair of balls to go fast in such a short time. One Partial lap is all you get to learn the track and then its off racing. Im happy with most of my results for my experience which bascially was a Short 2 day driving school and Nothing else ever.
But I do have some sad news about 05 One Lap Of America. I have been unable to secure the funds to run the event the way I would want to. So unless something major happens I will be on the bench for 05. Im going to get some more track days, work on the suspension to get the car where it needs to be and as always more power. Thanks John