AC clutch went today

[MY 85 GT]

Ok i went to go look at a dialy driver so the mustang cant sit for the winter and on the way back i hear a loud knocking noise motor is idleing down and i smell something burning....I shut the car off as fast as i can open the hood didnt see anything...So i start the car back up oh thats whats making noise...lol...I barely got it home ..I thought when they went bad they free wheeled...just not on my case it spins locks up spins locks up....so i guess i need a AC clutch or hole compressor? and i wish i could just by-pass it so i can drive the car is there a way to by-pass the PS and AC pullies ..a short belt? ...anything

 

[93 LX]

short belt you just have to measure without the ac in the loop.

 

[trbkrb]

Search is your friend! here is the diagram:

Sounds more like the compressor is bad. A bad clutch would slip and not turn the compressor.

 

[MY 85 GT]

Thanks for the post..How can i be sure that it is the AC clutch not the compressor,take the belt off and see if the AC clutch spins while the car is off? i un plgged the ac coil and it still did spin freely while the motor was running,isnt there a bearing in te ac clutch assy?...Oh yea that last picture of the belt...thats the one i would need it elimates the air pump and AC but i see the tensior is under the belt how does that work? And what size belt is that anyone know?....Thanks

 

[trbkrb]

You should be able to turn the compressor pretty easily with a rachet & socket on the center shaft bolt. I put a good used compressor on my car a year ago, but didn't charge it up. Over the months, it locked up and wouldn't turn, causing the belt to slip, burn and drag the motor down once I tried to charge it up. The clutch does have bearings, and if the clutch goes out it could slip and grab, but if you had knocking sounds, that leads me to think the compressor is causing the issues.

 

[trbkrb]

Oh, and on the belt, somone added the last pic to the diagram. The original diagram I found only had the three. I'm not 100% sure how it would fit, but you would have to use a string to measure the approx length of the belt routed like in the diagram and get the belt closest to it. But if the pulley is freewheeling OK with the AC off, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[MY 85 GT]

Oh, and on the belt, somone added the last pic to the diagram. The original diagram I found only had the three. I'm not 100% sure how it would fit, but you would have to use a string to measure the approx length of the belt routed like in the diagram and get the belt closest to it. But if the pulley is freewheeling OK with the AC off, I wouldn't worry about it.

Since its dark out and rained all weekend i didnt really get a good look at it but if i take the belt off should the AC clutch spin freely if not then the compressor is locked up? right....

 

[trbkrb]

Well, not exactly. The outer pulley on the clutch should spin freely when the AC is off. You should be able to turn over the compressor by hand tools with the belt attached or not, of course with no engine running. If you can't turn the compressor over by hand pretty easily, most likely it is locking up. If you can turn over the compressor manually, but the clutch won't engage enough to turn it over when you turn on the AC, then the clutch is probably toast.