I am trying to move the A/C compressor out of the way so I can get to the front timing belt but it is stuck, literally. It looked like it was going to be a tight fit so I pulled all the studs out but I still can not get it out. It is pinned against the fuel tank, the water pump pulley and the crank pulley. Anyone else had this issue? what did you do? am I doing something incorrectly? Image Unavailable, Please Login
It goes UP and Back rather than down if I recall. FYI find a 17mm (?) ratcheting open end wrench, it will make the install a LOT easier. And fabricate a ground wire with a connector so that you can leave it hooked to the dipstick tube and not have to disconnect it.
You just have to get it into the right position and it comes right out. Make sure to get all the studs out of the way.
I pulled all the studs out before i even started to move the A/C compressor. worked for an hour last night on different paths for the compressor to come out and it still gets stuck between the fuel tank, the water pump pulley and the crank pulley. Is it possible that the fuel tank has shifted toward the engine? how much space should there be between the fuel tank and the inside of the fender?
You need to ... Remove all the studs Remove the main crankshaft damper and maybe remove the water pump pulley Then hang it to the back of the fuel tank (front to back relative to the car)
three nuts on the top bracket, three nuts and studs on the bottom bracket, ac tensioner and studs done! no other space needed. no need to remove the pulleys
If you are leaving the lines intact without losing your freon, it isn't easy. You are better off removing and refilling, no matter what the expense, unless you are the Marquis de Sade of auto repair, then you will enjoy it. Anyone who tell you that just moving the compressor out of the way to do a belt service is a masochist...and remove all coolant lines also...just get that stuff out of the way. You will have enough trouble making sure the belt is on properly and worrying whether or not you destroy your engine the first time you crank it.
Mike, I already did everything you listed above and I have not found enough room for it to come out. There is some slack in the hoses. I think I'm going to try to move the fuel tank over a little to see if I can gain enough room.
I'll put it another way...If you're mechanical experience is such that you are having trouble just removing a part, just think what's gonna happen when you try and install the belts and related parts with the compressor still hangin' in your way...just sayin'
I took a look at the photo, I have no idea why the comp is touching the pulleys and tank. I just did mine and there was enough space.. another thing to check is if the ac hoses are stuck at the 3 vent tubes to that black thingy just above and towards the outer frame tubing. it might give you some room to lift upwards. If you gotta move the tank over ,the crossover pipe might limit your movement.
Dear Tinterow, Your comment was not very helpful. Given you no nothing about my background or mechanical experience, if you don't want to help don't comment.
If you want to keep the AC hoses on the compressor you have to remove the three hoses between the fuel tank and the vapor separator. This will allow you to swing the two hoses and the compressor forward and around to the front of the tank. With the compressor in the original position, you have to lift the compressor straight up into the engine bay. Two people really helps because the compressor is really heavy and with the hoses attached it has to be maneuvered up, then forward, while you are fighting the stiffness of the hoses and making sure you do not damage the three tubes coming up from the gas tank. They are fragile and will take a minor amount of bending, but not much. Lifting it requires a lot of strength and is better done with two people. One in the wheel well pushing the compressor up and another person on top guiding it, pulling it up and swinging it to the forward part of the gas tank while making sure the two AC hoses do not get snagged on the three gas tank tubes so as not to bend or break them. The idea is to get the compressor high enough so the compressor pulley will be above the water pump pulley. then you can slide it over. I did mine recently and it had to be one of the worst jobs ever on the car and that was the first time. I have a working AC system with R12 and no way I was going to disconnect the hoses. After 4 hours of pulling studs, removing brackets, keeping track of spacers in brackets and moving the compressor every which way, I was defeated. My arms were wasted and the next day I tried again until I had enough strength to finally lift it up high enough to clear the water pump pulley and swing it back and around to the rear of the gas tank. During the installation, which took about 6 hours including stud installation, bracket installation and torquing the nuts, etc, as I was putting in the final stud that threads into the cover I noticed the new nylock nut seemed to offer a lot of resistance and was not really tightening. The stud was starting to strip the threads of the cover...so off came everything again, including moving the compressor. I kept an eye on the hoses hitting the three gas tank tube and they did bend a little, but gently bent back. After a helicoil repair on the cover, I had to do the install a second time. So...it could be worse!
I replaced the timing belts, tensioner bearings and water pump on my 84 QV 2 weeks back and I had to disconnect the A/C compressor Hoses.
While I agree that it is a pain to do, it can all be done without disconnecting the A/C hoses. Mine, last week: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Charles, I had to pull the water pump pulley to get my ac compressor out. I bought a $50 air wrench to spin off the water pulley nut. I couldn't do it with hand tools. The air wrench spun the nut right off. Good luck! Jeff
Thanks for everyone for the comments and words of advice. I had my son-in-law over last night and between the two of us we did manage to get the compressor moved out of the way with the hoses still attached. I did have to move the fuel tank quite a bit for it to slide past. When I put it back I am going to either pull the water pump pulley or try to go up and over it to see if that works better.