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Question about repairing clutch plate on A/C ... pin needed



 
 
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Old August 10th 06, 12:28 AM posted to rec.autos.tech
Greg Bailey
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Default Question about repairing clutch plate on A/C ... pin needed

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.


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