Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

The target clearance is as tight as you can get it without dragging - it only gets larger with time.

After seeing the result of a mishap last year with the "smack the clutch while running" trick i quit recommending it. It is just as easy for a beginner to simply check the gap with a common business card. If it checks big, adjust it. If nothing changes, it was service that was needed anyway.

Understood. Thanks for the help. I'm going to try to dig into it this weekend. Shouldn't take too long, but I would much rather be doing this on my truck where the compressor is on the front/top of the engine.

bohica2xo wrote:The target clearance is as tight as you can get it without dragging - it only gets larger with time.

After seeing the result of a mishap last year with the "smack the clutch while running" trick i quit recommending it.

What happened? Got tangled in the belt somehow, I assume?

wptski wrote:

bohica2xo wrote:The target clearance is as tight as you can get it without dragging - it only gets larger with time.

After seeing the result of a mishap last year with the "smack the clutch while running" trick i quit recommending it.

What happened? Got tangled in the belt somehow, I assume?

A younger machinist that works for a customer was complaining about his Explorer A/C- an obvious clutch gap story. We walked out to his car, and I grabbed a broom on the way out the door. The compressor is low mount. Slid the handle down & engaged the clutch. Told the guy what to do to adjust the gap when he got home & the car cooled off. He is a decent wrench, and works around rotating stuff all day long...

He got home, and realized he had to go do something. It was hot, so he thought "I will just nail the clutch & be cool" The closest tool he had with enough reach (barely) was an 18" long screwdriver. He figured the handle was wood just like the broom. He is not even sure what exactly happened, it was fast. Whatever grabbed the screwdriver launched it back up out of the bay - and through the fan shroud. Could have been his head.

I pulled a 0.028in shim out that was between the compressor pulley and clutch...the gap is now very close, but it doesn't drag and so far it seems to have fixed the problem.

Just wanted to say thanks for the education.

So I had something similar when I was troubleshooting my AC system and found that I had little to no oil in the compressor. Even if you check for leaks you wont find it because the dye attaches to the oil. My issue is my driver side would not get cold but passenger side would get cold.

Acura TSX 2006, navi ,dual AC control