The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop '68 Chevy factory a/c

My '68 Chevy with 350 is running well thanks in part to advice from this group. Thank you!

My latest issue is the a/c. It looks like factory to me. It has worked well for the 20K miles I have owned the truck. Until recently.

When driving along running running A/C blowing cold, it started to scream, and now the rubber on the front of the clutch is torn up at the edges and the next piece of the clutch - a plate - is white with "burn" marks. I am not sure if the compressor froze, or just the clutch. I see the clutch for about $100.

Any thoughts out there?
1. Can I cut the belt for the winter? (The fan pulley would only have torsion from the alt belt from about 9-12 o-clock)
2. Way to tell if the compressor is shot or just the clutch?
3. Is the clutch hard to change?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

See if the the comp. turns by hand. If so it may be all right. You can run it with the belt on & unplug the wire to the clutch if the brg in the pulley is ok & the clutch is not running. Loosen the belt & see if the pulley will spin with out any noise. They are not hard to change but you neen 2 special tools. They are readily available in salvage yards. The pull your own type get about $10 for a clutch & $20 for the whole thing. They are interchangeable from many years. The position of the wire hookup varies.

Thank you George!
Your '70 and '58 both look mighty fine.
I need to get a picture into my signature block.