vantasy1

AC compressor is making a screeching, whirring noise. I don't need or use AC, so I want to remove the AC compressor and install an AC Bypass Pulley with a new
serpentine drive belt.

My current mechanic claims ignorance when he told me that he never heard of that. It's a shop where they don't want to install parts that a customer buys on their own. He then tells me well then the belt might not fit, blah, blah, blah. He then tells to not worry about the noise, that everything looks good. I said ok, I will take it to another mechanic, you just lost a long time customer(9 yrs).

On the diagram under the hood it shows the belt routing with AC and without it. So my question is all the new mechanic has to do is order the AC pulley bracket(Dorman) and a new serpentine belt, remove the AC Compressor and pulley along with the old belt and install the new items. Did I miss anything? This isn't a job that I feel I can do myself, don't have the right tools
and mechanical ability, thanks.

RacerX

why dont you douse, literally douse the A/C clutch with penetrating oil to stop what may be a seize in effect? It should only be squealing when you have the A/C on.

I had a Grand Marquis that I converted to R134a and then early this spring it started to do the same thing. I pulled over and sprayed about 2 or 3 ounces of penetrating oil with graphite all over the clutch. Front side, back side, real liberally, under the belt all over. Let it sink in and then it never squealed again AND I had ice cold air.

I dont know what kind of nutjob can do without A/C. It was "hott'r 'en blazes" this summer in NYC where I live. It is just so 19th Century to live without A/C.

vantasy1

I can tolerate the heat but I can't tolerate lazy incompetent mechanics, besides I don't drive the van that much anyway.

I forgot to mention that the AC is off when the noise happens and the AC compressor isn't the original one, when I bought the van back in 2001 it was used by a Pittsburgh refrigeration company and sometime between 1995-2001 they replaced the original AC Compressor.

My mechanic tried that already but he said the noise will come back, which it did. I think the bypass pulley is worth a shot, however by removing the AC clutch I might have problems defogging the windshield. Bottom line the noise is very irritating and it definitely doesn't go away after the engine is warmed up.

RacerX

Hey man, have you ever replaced the belt on this car? The squeal could very well be an old belt. If it squeals when the clutch is engaged you can say that maybe the AC clutch is seized. But if it squeals when the AC is off, then it cannot be the AC because the clutch is freewheeling. And it didnt squeal when he put the graphite spray on it for a while? But then it eventually came back? Sounds like the serp. belt has stretched and needs to be replaced.

YOu can defog the windshield simply by rolling down a window or keeping one open if you have vent windows.

vantasy1

The belt was replaced back in March along with the serpentine belt tensioner, idler pulley, alternator.

A/C Compressor was replaced back in April, they told me they had a hard time finding the same one for my van, turns out when I bought the van used the previous owner installed a compressor that wasn't the one for my van, whatever....but I had AC back then unlike now.

Fast forward to this October, I am driving and making a tight right hand turn on 37th Ave off of Broadway in Jackson Heights, BOOM, lost my steering, battery, alternator, the belt came off, but didn't rip or shred, I was able to pull over to the side of the avenue and I called AAA for a tow to my mechanic.

Got a new power steering bracket and had 3 bolts drilled
out of the engine block, they told me it was a very big job
$675.00+$37.00 for the new bracket and bolts. Van ran fine up until 2 weeks ago. They put on the same belt.

I get the noise mainly when I am accelerating, at idle it's
quiet. The van runs fine, no hesitation or stalling, just the
noise. Maybe something is loose I have no clue, going to
take it to a mechanic in the next few days. Going to tell him do what you have to do to stop that noise. Maybe we
should try a new belt to see what happens, thanks man.

RacerX

I didnt know you were in NY man. Me too. I think you should look for a new guy. $700 for a power steering bracket? Why did you need a NEW power steering bracket??????? If the belt slipped off why didnt they just reinstall the belt? It sounds like you cut the wheel ALL the way in that turn and cut off the power steering pump and the serpentine belt slipped off the routing when the pump pulley locked up. Dont do that. Thats why when you cut the wheel to the complete left or right it squeals, so you just let up on the wheel a little to allow some pressure in the PS system.

1. I think they put in a used compressor from a junkyard. Nothing is hard to get in a Chevrolet van in the United States of America. But its actually lifespan and condition was never known.

2. Squealing on acceleration is a symptom of a loose belt. Look at your engine as it idles, does the idler, or a pulley or the belt seem to jump around? One of these things is not putting enough tension on the belt letting it flippity flop all over.

3. Try a new shop, these guys sound like they giving you the ol' prison shower wine & dine.

vantasy1

I live in Woodside,Queens. There are plenty of auto repair
shops around me. I once had a noise that sounded like a
police car siren, turned out to be the idler pulley, but it took them a long time to figure out where the noise is
coming from.

You are right, it was a tight turn and I should have been
going slower because I wasn't even halfway through the making the turn when the belt came off. Live and learn.

Most of it was because of labor, they showed me where the bolts had broken off and were inside the engine block, they had to call in a guy with special tools, etc.

The AC Compressor is most definitely from a junkyard.
But the Van was quiet up until a couple of weeks ago.

What bothers me is the mechanic said.."don't worry, everything looks good." I heard Goodyear gatorback makes a good quality belt.

vantasy1

Guess what happened this afternoon? Belt came off while I was at a light, so I pulled it over and found the belt in the exact same spot where I was stopped.

AAA tows me to their station, they put on the same belt, much quieter now, yes, there is a little bit of a noise but you can only hear it if you are outside or with the window open.

He thinks maybe the belt was misaligned or loose, he noticed all the new parts(pulleys, etc). I wasn't making a sharp turn like last time when the belt came off, I was slowing down at a red light. $39.50 half hour of labor, cool, I got home
without a problem. 12 month warranty, so I am going to give it sometime to see what happens. Oh and he told me to never spray
anything on the belt, which my previous mechanic did, that could have been the problem.

But I do want to buy a higher quality belt in the near future, this belt came off 2 times already, no cracks
or anything on it. Just to compare and see how it sounds.
Anyway I have to get a new mechanic now, even though I broke down about 5 blocks away from my old mechanic
I didn't want to go there no matter what.

RacerX

it doesnt matter what belt you get if you install the pulleys and tensioners wrong.

vantasy1

Yeah but not all serpentine drive belts are of the same
quality/price. I have read good things about gates belts and goodyear gatorbacks. I am going to wait and see how it is for the time being.

There still is a little bit of noise so I don't think the problem has been fully solved YET.

I should try Auto Zone and use their serpentine belt tool.

It was close to closing time when they put back on the
drive belt, but he told me was that the pulleys,etc
looked new, I should have asked him if he tested them
though.

On the repair order he wrote 1995 Ford E-150 instead
of 1995 Chevy G20,...I can tell the difference between
both vans from looking at them from any angle.