My compressor is shot and going to be $800 to replace. It makes a lot of noise and may be risking damage to belts and more, I'm told.

If I rarely use the AC anyway, can I just have the whole system disconnected? I love my truck but it's a '98 with over 220k miles and I'm just trying to get another year out of it without spending too much. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

you should be able to completely take the pump out of the truck and replace the belt with a shorter one. Just take a piece of string and run it the way the belt should go. Measure it and take it to your local auto store.

 

Just make sure everything will be spinning the same way with the ac pump disconnected

 

Wow, thanks for the advice! I was worried that even deciding to disconnect the system would be easier said than done. So as long as the belt is the right length with the pump bypassed and everything else is the same, it should work?

Also, will I still be able to run the defroster with regular vent air, since it is connected to the AC pump? Thanks again.

 

you can still run regular vent air and stuff.

 

Is there any reason this AC pump could be affecting my overall engine performance? Like if my check engine codes say that both banks are running lean? That code has come on and off for years but Im not sure if it's just the O2 sensors or the actual engine. Gas mileage seems normal.

 

hey im about to tear my a/c out of my 1997 and i have a few questions because i want to tear all the lines and everything out. first if i diconnect the connecters will it throw codes?. second what do you about the lines to the firewall?

 

So a quick update and question - I asked my mechanic to replace my serpentine belt with one that cuts the AC compressor out of the loop. He tried one made for my model truck that doesnt have an AC but it didnt fit AND said that no other belts fit right with the right length and tension.

Instead of an easy belt swap now he says we can keep the same belt but need a dummy pully kit, with brackets, for $60.. fine. But says he also needs 1.5 hours to take out my busted AC compressor? I questioned it and they said 1 hour to take it out and 30 min to put the brackets and dummy pully in. Really? FYI.. here in CA these guys charge $100/hr. I think they are being honest and helping me with the cheap fix, but also wonder if I'm getting taken for the wrong kind of ride here..

 

If the compressor pulley runs smoothly with the clutch off, then just don't run the compressor. Remove the AC clutch cycling switch connector or the clutch connector at the compressor.

 

Thanks for the reply! When you say clutch off do you mean the same as having the air switch turned off?

The pulley and belt do not run smooth when the air is off. There are loud squeaking and wobbling sounds.

I think I'm confused because your suggestion and the suggestion to use a shorter bypass belt make sense to me. Adding 'dummy' components to remove a system, not so much. And how can it take an hour to remove an AC compressor that's already broken??