A/C clutch smokes after recharging

I've had the A/C recharged and when the climate control was activated, the A/C clutch began to smoke. :uhoh:
The A/C guy told me it was probably rusty and needed to be replaced.
He advised against using any oil to lubricate it since that would be conductive.
Is it hard to replace the clutch? Can it be done without removing the compressor?

I've had the A/C recharged and when the climate control was activated, the A/C clutch began to smoke. :uhoh:
The A/C guy told me it was probably rusty and needed to be replaced.
He advised against using any oil to lubricate it since that would be conductive.
Is it hard to replace the clutch? Can it be done without removing the compressor?

if you got room you can put ac cluth with out removing it. did it come out of it when you ran it awhile?

I don't know how much room you need. It looks pretty tight.
I am now trying to put WD40 in it, engage the clutch for a couple of seconds and more WD40. There is not much too loose...

What are the high/low side pressures? You could have a clogged expansion valve (screen) creating low high side line pressure and placing a real burden on the clutch. BTW, WD40 is not the solution, it will do more harm than good. Remember, this is a coil activated CLUTCH.

I'll check with the A/C guy what the pressures were. Is there another name for this expansion valve? I don't see it in the Rockauto catalog.
Just before I had the car idle for a minute with the clutch engaged and it rotated at normal speed and the vents blew cool air.
What damage could the WD40 do? Should I clean it with brake cleaner?

To be precise, the smoke was coming from the gap between clutch and pulley.

Expansion valve is the same as an orifice tube. (Shown below)

http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=869805&imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/FourSeasons/623.jpg

The clutch hub/assy consist of a clutch, clutch coil, pulley & bearing. Individual parts to replace the clutch hub assy would cost more than a new compressor with clutch assy. WD40 acts as a lubricant and when comes in contact with the friction disc it can (will) cause slipping. Clean with brake clean! Have you removed the drive belt to check the clutch gap and the condition of bearing?

I did check the clutch gap, it was over 1 mm (.040). I yet have to replace the belt (and idler pulley as you advised)
To see what is going on, I had the car idle while monitoring the temperature of the clutch/pulley.
When it is not engaged, it is about 165 degrees (other pulleys are ±150 except for the alternator which is also ±165)
When the clutch engages it seems to cool and cycle normally (ambient temperature ±70)
After 5 or 10 minutes, the clutch began slipping and the temperature began to rise. At about 230 it began to smoke and I turned the A/C off.
After having it cool to 165, I repeated the test. After a couple of minutes, the clutch began slipping again and I turned the A/C off when it had risen to 195 degrees.
Would this be a bad coil? The clutch didn't turn any heavier at that point than before. Testing was before using brake cleaner btw...
I'm interested to hear what you make of this.

The air gap between frictional surfaces of the clutch plate and clutch rotor, should be 0.50-0.76 mm (.020-.030). It sounds like your gap is too wide, the magnetic clutch coil is getting weak, or the bearing is binding. As previously mentioned, before condemning all compressor/clutch parts, you need to have the pressures monitored, especially when the clutch begins to slip. A blocked orifice valve will cause the same symptoms.

Ok thanks I will have the pressures checked. At Rockauto they have 9 different orifice tubes, ranging from 0,62 ct to $35 and they all seem the same to me! Which one would I need?

Four Seasons Part # 623, or ACDELCO Part # 155754 will work fine.

Thanks! So if I understand this right, if the orifice tube is clogged, the a/c compressor will turn so heavily that it causes the clutch to slip?

I read somewhere that the resistance of the coil can be measured on the socket, is it useful to do this?

Thanks! So if I understand this right, if the orifice tube is clogged, the a/c compressor will turn so heavily that it causes the clutch to slip? If the orifice tube is clogged, high side pressure will be low placing a burden on the clutch. Typically, (depending on ambient) the high side pressure should range between 200-250 psig. If too low, or to high (above 300 psig), you have a problem.

I read somewhere that the resistance of the coil can be measured on the socket, is it useful to do this?I don't know what purpose this would serve in this case. You said the clutch will engage when the system is first turned on; so therefore, it sounds like the coil is not the problem.

That makes sense. At Autozone they mention replacing the O ring too. Which O ring would be the right?

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1019731,parttype,6944

IIRC, it would be the 9mm O-ring. Rather than take a chance, just get an A/C O-ring assortment at your local parts store. Was the system converted to 134a in the past? If the orifice screen is blocked, you have a bigger problem. I would wait & see what you find with the pressure test, before proceeding with other repairs.

No, it has not been converted to r134a. What if the orifice screen is blocked? Wouldn't it suffice to replace it?

No, something failed or contaminated the system if blocked.

So far so good...
The A/C mechanic couldn't check the pressures as the fitting was custom, it had been replaced with something odd. Not a R12 or R134a fitting for sure...
He spoke with his collegues about my problem and he thought the refrigerant could be the culprit. R437a has only been on the market for a year, and he did have little experience with it. He wanted to replace it with R413a which he had been using succesfully for over 15 years. Then check what the A/C would do.
He charged 800 grams instead of 1100 cause the tubing got so cold at this point in his experience the system was functioning fine.
We watched the clutch for about 15 minutes and everything seemed to be functioning fine. The temperature of the A/C pulley did stay cooler now than the other pulleys.
Only thing out of the ordinary was the clutch was hardly cycling while the temperature was less than 60 degrees but he didn't think this was a problem.
I think it's too early to call this fixed, we'll see if everything keeps working fine when temperatures heat up...

So far so good...
The A/C mechanic couldn't check the pressures as the fitting was custom, it had been replaced with something odd. Not a R12 or R134a fitting for sure...
The purpose of the OEM smaller high side port was to prevent DIY's from attaching the charging can adapter to the high side, thus blowing it up. I use an adapter that fits on the smaller access port to convert it to the normal size. Any qualified a/c guy should have one and know about this.

It's also possible that it was once run with R414B.

It is already very hard to find an A/C guy over here who has the normal R12 fitting...

I take it the problem is the clutch gap is too wide, it's over 1mm (largest size on my feeler gauge)
How can the gap be decreased?

It is already very hard to find an A/C guy over here who has the normal R12 fitting...

I take it the problem is the clutch gap is too wide, it's over 1mm (largest size on my feeler gauge)
How can the gap be decreased?You would need a few specialty tools, which may/may not be available where you are located. You can also ask your local parts store or your mechanic friend if you can rent or loan the tools needed. Tools consist of a J33013-B Drive plate installer & bearing. Some good instructions can be found by Clicking Here (http://arrc.epnet.com/autoapp/CHEVY_S10_94-05_F/CHEVY_S10_94-05_CH10_Compressor_Clutch.htm) and going to the INSTALL section, and reading items #23-33. Click Here (http://www.restockit.com/clutch-plate-remover-installer-%28rob41067%29.html) for a good view & price on a Robinair Clutch Plate Remover/Installer Robinair #ROB41067 which is the same as an J33013-B. Good Luck!

Thanks, that was just what I was looking for! It looks fairly complicated though. Even the GM dealer overhere does not have any tools to remove the clutch.
Before I look into the tools, can this be done without removing the A/C compressor?

Before I look into the tools, can this be done without removing the A/C compressor?Features & Benefits:
the tool can be used with the compressor mounted on the vehicle.