AC clutch replacement

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May 16, 2015 | 08:44 PM

Chocker

Thread Starter

Driver School Candidate

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 23

Likes: 0

From: Quebec

AC clutch replacement

Hi,
I am having trouble with my AC clutch. I have no cold air in the AC and when I turn it on and look down in the engine bay the clutch is grinding and making sparks. Not good, so for the time being I'm not using the AC. I bought a clutch kit with the pressure plate, rotor, bearing and magnet. I would just like to know if anyone has replaced this without removing the AC compressor. If so, I am having a hell of a time trying to find the clutch holding tool. I don't want to pay a lot of money for something that I will probably use once for this car. I would like to get this done tomorrow because I have the parts on hand presently. It's weird, the new pressure plate does not have the holes to fit the tool inside but it seems to be an OEM Denso part. The old plate I really don't care about because it is being replaced but I definitely don't want to damage the new one.
Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks for the help,
Mark

May 17, 2015 | 03:49 PM

salimshah

CL Community Team

Joined: Apr 2001

Posts: 16,595

Likes: 1,400

From: Austin, TX

service manual recommends removing the compressor.

Special service tools needed are:

SST 0712-76060 (wrench with 3 prongs to hold the pressure plate).
SST 07112-66040 (special bolt to push off the pressure plate .. goes where the center bolt goes)

After removing the snap rings you have to use a plastic hammer to tap the rotor off the shaft.

I too would try to work without opening up refrigerant, but the hurdle is securing the sst or equivalent.

Salim

May 17, 2015 | 06:51 PM

gazi001

Lexus Test Driver

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 954

Likes: 5

From: NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocker

Oem clutch cost about $102.00. You could get complete denso ac compressor for around $200.00. If you wants to keep the car for next few years think it.

May 24, 2015 | 06:15 PM

Chocker

Thread Starter

Driver School Candidate

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 23

Likes: 0

From: Quebec

Well,
I have the clutch, rotor,bearing magnet stator. I see that it's definitely the clutch that is causing the problem. I tried to remove the clutch with the compressor still on the car and there was not enough room. A little trick worth noting is that you have enough torque on the rotor with the belt on to loosen the bolt on the clutch. At least this way you save on using the clutch holding tool which I already have anyway. Now I know that I have to remove the compressor to service the clutch. That definitely looks like a pain in the *** to remove. Do I have to remove the alternator first? I heard that the compressor has to be removed from the bottom. I don't really see any room to get it out once unbolted. I also would have to get the refrigerant removed professionally first as well. Oh Lexus why do you make models that are terrible to work on.

Mark

May 31, 2015 | 07:14 PM

Chocker

Thread Starter

Driver School Candidate

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 23

Likes: 0

From: Quebec

Well I removed the alternator and the compressor. You can remove the compressor from the top without removing any other piping except for moving some wiring. The only problem I'm having is trying to put the locking bolt back on. There is no space and it happens to be on the bottom of the alternator. This has to be the most annoying part of the work. It's weird when I removed the clutch plate there was only one shim. When I installed the new one, it was way to close. I had to buy one from a hardware store where it seemed to be within spec but I had to grind the edges to fit the hole. I checked with a feeler and it seemed to be ok and the rotor spun freely without any grinding. I will try to put a drill bit the other way to guide the bolt but other than that, anybody have any tricks.

Thanks,
Mark

Apr 11, 2020 | 08:27 AM

Gew

Driver School Candidate

Joined: Apr 2018

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

From: N/A

Thanks for this thread, it addresses my issue pretty well. My car had made an ugly belt sounds on start ever since I got it a couple of years ago. Last Christmas the clutch finally seized which of course snapped the multi rib belt which of course lead me to a non functioning alternator and these sudden events of course happened in the middle of friggin' nowhere. Sigh.

Anyways, I've been running a short (850 mm) belt between crank shaft and alternator ever since, simply overriding the AC. Works great except for the back of the belt just slightly touching the AC pulley. So, now I was thinking about either fixing the compressor or simply tossing it out.

First question, what's the safest method for emptying up the system on refrigerant on my driveway? Perhaps it's not even legal to just release it out into the ozone. Anyways, I'm pretty much in a third world country far away from the states, where no laws apply! 😏

Apr 11, 2020 | 08:51 AM

Margate330

Lexus Champion

Joined: Apr 2019

Posts: 11,367

Likes: 1,631

From: FL

The way we did it 30+ years ago before the fancy recovery machines were invented and imposed on us all we
did was hook up our gauges and crack the low side valve just a little and let it gas out thru the yellow hose.