Check out any Ace hardware for a straight key for this shaft.

Bush

On 9 Aug 2006 16:30:08 -0700, wrote:

>I have a 1990 Plymouth Sundance, bought it new, have had it for 16
>years, it's getting a little long in the tooth but I've kept it up
>mechanically and it's a good "running around town" car.
>
>A couple of weeks ago, the air conditioning cut out. I took it to my
>mechanic and learned that what had happened ... since he found this
>part laying on the engine where it had come off ... was the plate
>that's the front part of the clutch assembly (you have this plate, then
>the clutch, then the coil, if that gives folks a better idea of what
>I'm talking about) had broken.
>
>Of course you can't buy just that plate. You have to buy the entire
>clutch assembly. I tried the recyclers and they wouldn't sell the
>clutch assembly separate from the compressor, which is understandable.
>
>However, I found a clutch and compressor assembly from a recycler, with
>a one-year guarantee, for a very good price and ordered it. I figured
>"what the heck," my mechanic could take that plate off to replace my
>broken one and if the rest of the clutch and compressor go out ... and
>they're all in good working order, FYI ... I'll already have the parts
>in hand.
>
>The clutch and compressor arrived today ... and it's not going to work,
>at least from the standpoint of being able to take the clutch plate off
>and replace my broken one, because they're two different plates, even
>the shaft that goes through from the A/C to the clutch is different. On
>mine, there's a nut that holds the plate onto the shaft, along with one
>other part that I'm going to discuss later. On this one, there's an
>actual bolt that connects into the shaft, looks like it literally
>screws in. I imagine what the deal is, this compressor/clutch is not
>out of a 1990 Plymouth Sundance but will work on one if you replace the
>whole unit.
>
>I'm sure the next question is "why not replace the whole unit?" My
>mechanic, who I trust completely from him working on my cars for years,
>says he would prefer not to do that except as an absolute last resort,
>because of the trouble in doing it, the fact that I'd have to recharge
>the unit after just recharging the Freon in my current unit, and
>because in his judgment it could touch off other problems elsewhere in
>my A/C system.
>
>So, I sat that aside and went to the local parts store and purchased a
>new clutch assembly ... cost significantly more than the
>clutch/compressor I got from the recycler, but I'm trusting my
>mechanic's judgment on whether to change the whole thing or not ...
>took it to my mechanic and he said it will work fine, but there's one
>problem.
>
>I mentioned that there's a nut that holds this plate onto the shaft
>coming out of the A/C in my car. There was one other thing, a little
>rectangular looking black metal pin, almost like a key pin or
>something. You can see the notch for this pin on the clutch plate. My
>mechanic says it fits onto the shaft to keep the plate steady. He says
>if you don't have this, all the parts will wobble, etc., and the end
>result will likely be tearing everything up.
>
>The problem is, this little pin broke when the plate broke off on my
>car. And there was not a new one included with the clutch assembly.
>
>I'm sorry to be going so long in getting to the point on this ...
>basically, can anyone tell me what this pin is called and how I might
>go about getting another one, or if it's not possible to get another
>one what might work as an acceptable substitute?
>
>Because as I said, I'm trusting my mechanic's judgment in his opinion
>that the best course of action here is just fixing the plate instead of
>changing out the entire clutch and compressor. But if I can't find a
>replacement for this little pin, I may have to change out the whole
>thing and just keep my fingers and toes crossed and say a prayer.
>
>Thanks in advance for any help.