2002 Ford Taurus Repair Question
Mileage: 130,000 miles.
Serpentine Belt Misaligned
Asked by MHJAnswer
You probably have the wrong compressor if that is the only pulley out of alignment.
I drove the car for about 5000 miles after first buying it without any belt problems. The only reason I replaced the belt was because I needed to replace the water pump. While I had it torn apart I decided to replace the idler and tension pulleys and the belt. Since then have I gone through 3 belts in another 5000 miles. I'm about to install the new PS pump bracket. Would a couple of pictures of the A/C pulley and driveshaft shed any additional light while I still have a clear view? Do you have any specs on the measurement from A/C pulley to back of A/C compressor that I might compare to what is actually installed?
You're the one that said it was the compressor that was not in line. If that's really true, then it has the wrong compressor. If you were wrong when you said that, then it could be any of the other pulleys causing it. There are no specs of measurements for those things. You just need to get the belt installed and then look down the pulleys for one that is either out of alignment or leaning for any reason.
I'm about 90% sure the only misaligned pulley is the A/C pulley. I was not able to get a clear line of sight with the driveshaft pulley until I had the front torn apart. While operating, the only misalignment I could see was between the PS pump and A/C (so I assumed a bent pump bracket). Only after I pulled it apart did I notice the A/C was also misaligned to the driveshaft. I will install the the new PS bracket. If still misaligned, I will compare the model/serial number on the compressor to an OEM compressor. If they match, there is nothing else to try, is there?
Double check that the compressor pulley isn't loose or wobbling before putting the belt back on.
I confirmed that my A/C compressor is the only pulley out of alignment. I could not recover any numbers off the compressor itself, but the clutch had the following stamp [F51Z-19V703-AA]. All my research tells me it is wrong, but the Ford dealership said it was correct. When I looked at the replacement part on the Autozone web-site, the picture showed the pulley turned around with the spacer facing the compressor. My clutch is installed with the spacer facing the wheel well(see attached picture). The pulley is off by exactly 3/8", the width of the spacer. Can I just turn the pulley around?
No, there is no spacer. That is part of the pulley and it can't be installed any other way. It's just the wrong part.
Everything is saying you have the wrong compressor and/or clutch installed.
Do I need to evacuate the A/C system to replace the clutch? That's assuming I can make the room to install the pulley removal tool. I could unbolt the compressor from the bracket and move over just enough to get the tool attached as long as I don't have to evacuate the system.
I don't think you want to try that on the car. In theory it can be done but you need a direct line of sight deep into the center of the clutch and hub to remove and install the snap rings that hold it on. It would be much smarter to pay a shop to recover and hold your refrigerant so you can remove the compressor and have him recharge it when done.