i tried the search but couldn't find anything. i hope this is the right spot for this question. an a/c compressor bearing in the recently acquired 91 z28 is making noise while disengaged. it has a harrison compressor on it. the bearing sounds dry with the belt off and spinning it by hand, with the car running sounds like any bearing that's on it's way out. can this be changed without having to drain the system? i was hoping it would just be the tensioner pulley wheel, but i guess i'm not so fortunate this time. any help is appreciated thanks, cale

the compressor cant be changed without draining the system i don't think, im sure if you wanted to waste all your freon then go right ahead, but im pretty sure you have to drain it or something, just take it to a shop to drain it, replace the compressor yourself to save money then go back to have them refill it haha.

obviously you're guessing at this, and i'm not asking about changing the compressor. if it can't be done i will resort to buying a new compressor.

does anyone else know? the compressor still works perfectly, save for this bearing noise.

cale

i have the same problem with a brand new compressor that i just put on my bird. picked it up for 50$ at my dads old job. its not failing me so im just ignoring it.

more than likely its your a/c clutch , they go for around $80 " new one " from autozone , i also have that same noisy a/c unit when engaged

i was actually going through some spare parts the other day and found another a/c compressor. i'm going to tear it down and see if this can be fixed without draining the system.

cale

Bringing this one back from the dead. Were you able to take care of your noise? Mine is making some noise when on. If I take the belt off, hold a screwdriver to it and spin it, I can hear a little bit of the same noise through it, so I'm with you, I'd guess bearings. Any luck or does that mean a whole new compressor?

if you turn on your A/C while your car is in idle , pop your hood open and watch when the A/C clutch engages and then listen for the noise . if it only does it when the clutch engages well then ... there you go , i still havent fixed mine , its on the "i'll do it when i feel like spending $80 dollars-list" so its my fault if it falls off or something someday .

Does anyone know of a write up on how to remove and replace the clutch on a Harrison compressor? I've got an 89 Firebird.

I think my clutch pulley bearing is bad. I got the clutch wet some when changing coolant hoses. A few days later I go to burp the coolant and run the engine with heat on. And notice smoke coming from the compressor. And I can see the clutch turns some and stops like it is gummed up. And the clutch got real hot.

Shut it down after running it for 30 seconds. I can turn the clutch by hand, so that means the compressor isn't seized. But I noticed the pulley turns but with resistance. On another GM car, I can get the pulley to spin like turning a wheel off the ground.

So, I say the water caused the bearing to start to seize. And with the pulley having resistance to turn, when the clutch engages. It causes the pulley to not turn some since it is having to also turn the compressor as the pulley bearing is starting to seize.