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A/C Clutch Bearing - How to......

191624 Views 114 Replies 55 Participants Last post by  dwall174
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Since I can't find another thread about this, I thought this might help others in the same situation.
All auto parts stores, local and online, list the wrong size bearing so if you're going to do this yourself measure the bearing before you order. Mine is 35x50x20mm, bearingsdirect.com has them in stock for 27 plus shipping.

You will need to remove the fan/shroud and belt, I won't go into detail here as there are many write ups already.....

Pic 1 - remove the nut holding the clutch on the compressor. You’ll need to do what I did (or something similar) to prevent the clutch from turning while loosening the nut. It’s not really that tight, just tight enough that I couldn’t prevent it from turning with my hand. Once the nut is off the clutch will come off.
Pic 2 - the clutch shim, keep it in a safe place!! Without this, the clutch will be locked against the pulley at all times when reassembled.
Pic 3 - Remove the snap ring
Pic 4 - using a 3 jaw puller, remove the pulley.
Pic 5 - Grind off the "dimples" (or whatever you call them, they hold the bearing in) using a dremel. I found the cutoff wheel to work the best.
Pic 6 - Turn the pulley over and tap it out. Be sure to alternate sides so the bearing stays straight as it comes out. Once out, clean up everything with some carb or brake cleaner.
Pic 7 - Sand any rough areas where the "dimples" were with 220 grit, clean it and apply a little grease to help the new bearing in.
Pic 8 - Gently tap the bearing in using a piece of wood, rubber mallot or whatever. Luckily I had a piece of aluminum the same diameter as the outer race. Just don't beat the snot out of it and stay away from the inner race! Hitting the inner race will ruin the new bearing.
Pic 9 & 10 - Using a punch, lock the new bearing in.... Be sure to do this all the way around.
Pic 11 - Clean out the bore using q-tips and brake cleaner. After this is done, reinstall the pulley on the compressor. I was able to do this by hand if you can't, gently tap it with a rubber mallot alternating sides. It is NOT a press fit, it should go on easy.
Pic 12 - Replacing the snap ring. Look at it closely, one side has a bevel and the other has a sharp edge on the inner diameter. The sharp edge goes toward the compressor. If this is reversed, the snap ring will not "snap" into the groove. Ask me how I know.....
Pic 13 - Use a mirror to verify the snap ring is in all the way around before final assembly..... Replace the clutch shim, clutch and clutch nut.

Total time = 2.5 hours with a lunch break

:D

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Nice work! Saves the cost of a new compressor for some labor in your own garage. Nice write up, good job....:woohoo:
Thanks.
The dealer wanted 795.00, local shop was 590.00. So yeah, the 32.95 + 2.5 hours of my time was well worth the effort. :D
Thanks, that might have saved me some $$$$, oh well, it will next time. :thumbsup:
Thanks for the info on the bearing size and replacement. I will need to do this bearing swap soon as mine is annoyingly 'whrilling' away. :thx

If the size is correct, I found multiple sites of info regarding the size but most were overseas producers.

The useful info I did find was a cross reference

Manufacturer / part number
PCB / AC35500020
Japan / 35BD5020DU
Nachi / 35bg0557g-2nst
NSK / 35BD5020DU(same as Japan)
KOYO / DAC35500020

The compressor is a sanden manufacturer; TRS model. I found a link to an e-bay by it now for under $20 shipped.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/A/C-...anden-AC-_W0QQitemZ220362562769QQcmdZViewItem
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How do you go about removing the snap ring, what kind of tool are you using in the pic?
Looks like normal snap ring pliers. Maybe the ones with interchangable tips. I have one that looks like this, under $20.:

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thanks roadie! about 1 minute after posting I looked at it again for the millionith time and it just clicked.

Went out side got my snap ring pilers and replaced the bearing. Job is done and $18 bucks later (used the ebay auction posted above) I have a quiet A/C pump again!

Awesome guys, thanks for the all the info!
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Good to see eveything worked out! :D
save time and money

this post saved me at least 800 dollars and the job is really not that hard to do. order your bearing first so you don't have to wait for one like i did because as posted the bearings at napa autozone etc etc. are NOT right.:bonk::thx zubius
I have a 2002 TB and there is no question my bearing has gone bad. Is the part for the 02 the same as the 04 here in the post?
Thanks for the great description. I am ready to fix mine.
I really can't say without any certainty. The best thing to do is remove the pulley and measure it. Or get the manufacturer name and part number off the compressor housing and look it up.
Sorry I can't be of more help......
Greg627

Hey Greg,

Did you find out if the 02 is the same part as the 04?

Dan
As I can't be without the TB, I want to order the new bearing before I remove anything. I don't want to remove it, measure the bearing, then find out I can't get the new bearing the same day, have to put it back together and wait for the bearing to come in. I looked at my compressor but didn't see any labels so I can't determine manufacturer & model info.

Mine is a late model year 2002 (build date 6/21/2002) - if that matters. Does anyone know the bearing I need to order before I start the work?
The size mentioned in the OP is different than the size listed at napaonline.com and both those are different than the size listed at rock auto. Ugh, wish I knew the size ahead of time. Guess I could order all 3 sizes and hope one of them is correct.
gahammerle - If you take off the clutch (not the pulley) you'll see where the snap ring goes. Measure the diameter of that, it's the bearing shaft. If it's 35mm then there's a real good chance you have the same size bearing as mine.

To take the belt and clutch off, measure the bearing shaft and reinstall would only take 1/2 hour (45 minutes if you have a beer). No need to remove the fan shroud, there's plenty of room to remove just the clutch...
Thanks for that tip. I'm starting to feel a little better about this now. :thumbsup:
No problem.....

Thinking about it some more, you don't need to take the belt off.....
It was easy to get the clutch off - I used a double open-ended wrench to hold the clutch in place while turning the nut. Unfortunately, my calipers are too fat to reach the shaft to measure it. Know any easier way to measure it with the pulley still on?
Great post! I have the noise just like this post http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=56652 or just search under "clip of my A/C problem!". Is that the A/C clutch bearing howling when he cuts it off. Is that what it sounded like when your clutch bearing went out? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys
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