A/C COMPRESSOR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

VAJPS1952

MEMBER
JEEP CHEROKEE

2001 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT 102,000 MILES I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT THE BEARINGS IN THE CLUTCU ASSEMBLY WERE BAD AND COULD LOCK UP AND DUE ALOT OF DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A WAY I CAN BYPASS THE COMPRESSOR WITHOUT REPLACING IT AT THIS TIME, OR CAN THE BEARINGS BE REPACKED?

1 Reply

TOBYU

MEMBER
89 POSTS

It is really a bearing assembly. They should have called it the clutch bearing.
They are a permanently sealed unit that cannot be repacked like some wheel bearings.

You can only bypass it if you can get a shorter belt to go around everything but that. And not rub or hit anyhting due to the angle being different cause the belt is routed different.
I had a 95 and I think it would be "possible" with the right length belt.
It would be easier to get a replacent compressor from a junk yard and put it on. Most of the Jeeps put it near the top.
There is a"proper" way to switch a compressor but that can be addressed it you decide to do it.

You can get replace just the bearing in the clutch. Or buy a new clutch asssembly that will have the bearing. But. The clutch will cost more that a whole used compressor. And the bearing itself is cheap but hard to install in the pully hub.