A/C belt delete

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Jukelemon

Jukelemon

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Joined
Dec 29, 2003
Threads
283
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2,381
Location
Louisville, KY
Hi all.

Well, I think the A/C belt on my truck is shot. It continually squeaks now and I can rub on soap and it goes away.

It is nasty here and cold. I think I know the answer to this but...

Can I just cut off the belt now and leave it for a Spring project? I rarely use the A/C anyway. I have not read one post that states this will damage the system.

Thanks.
 
I haven't had a belt on mine in a while, but my AC hasn't worked since I got it... It will not hurt anything, and it will save your idler pulleys... Though I would not let them sit for too long if you want to fix it at some point...
 
Cheap belts suck

every belt but the water pump is expendable... (in an emergency situation)

lol.. Had a 2WD one time that popped a water pump belt... You should have seen the way I rigged it to get back to advance...

I believe (I can't remember) I put the AC or PS belt over the water pump pulley ON THE BELL, NOT IN THE GROOVE, around the crank then around the AC or AC tensioner and cranked in a little tension... Amazed it stayed on, but it did... :D
 
I haven't had the AC belt on mine for a few years now. No issues.

You can make an emergency belt with pantyhose. I did it once and it worked, got me home.
 
Old Post from the grave...

Do you notice any change removing your a/c belt and if so what do you notice? On this same topic I want to completely delete my R12 system - at least it's on my mind every time the weather is nice.

Has anyone swapped over an R134a compressions and system? Thoughts from the American Experiment
 
Northwestern said:
Has anyone swapped over an R134a compressions and system? Thoughts from the American Experiment
Click to expand...

I just did this. Replaced everything. Note that a compressor is a compressor. While my new compressor came with R12 oil, I just dumped it out and put in the correct oil for R134a, which was PAG 46.
AC Evaporator Issue
 
Northwestern said:
Has anyone swapped over an R134a compressions and system? Thoughts from the American Experiment
Click to expand...

When I got my '87 in '01 it still had the R12 factory setup, and that thing would frost the windows on a humid day. Best AC setup I'd ever owned (still).

Eventually (2008 I think) it developed a leak around the shaft of the compressor, so I had it evacuated and I rebuilt the compressor, new seals and bearings. PITA job and the parts weren't cheap, had to buy a special snap ring tool, but it was still cheaper than a new compressor. No way to get R12 recharged, so i had a shop do the conversion to R134A. It wasn't anywhere near as strong, really disappointed. Then it started leaking again, so I ripped it all out. Never missed it, honestly.

So much nicer in the engine bay without all that stuff. Pulled out the evap coil section under the dash, replaced with the segment from a non-AC truck, really improved the passenger legroom too.
 
KLF - Thanks your the reply - What Segment did you need to replace and what's the reason for replacing if everything is being pulled anyway? Not 100% up to date with how my A/C works but can't wait to start the learning process.
 
There is a chunk of the HVAC system that holds the evaporator coil, it sits right behind the glove box, it is the "cooling" part of the AC. The blower motor blows air through it to the left into the section where the heater core resides. It's kinda a big chunk, whereas non-AC trucks got a much smaller piece of ductwork that takes it's place. When I pulled out the AC system, I sourced the piece from a non-AC truck and swapped out this part.
 
OK. Lots of opinions of how the engine is gonna run if he takes off the belt, but not really about the AC system

It's not good to leave your compressor not turning for a long time. Also, the AC runs when you have defrost on and it will make a noticeable difference in keeping your window clear, especially if you have an older regular cab truck. An idler is also happier spinning than sitting in one spot for a long period.

That being said, I think you'll be OK until spring.

edit - Assuming he did it in the spring 8 years ago.
 
I'll agree that it's not a good idea to just pull the belt off a working AC system and let it sit for a long period of time.

But in my climate I rarely used the AC, the parts were in the way when I was working on the engine, and my compressor was leaking refrigerant. I had the R134A properly evacuated before it all escaped. I installed a York compressor in the spot where the Denso compressor used to be. I never missed the AC.
 
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