Hi all. My AC compressor on my 99 burb 5.7 has leaked for a year now but I haven't had the means to replace it yet. The pulley/clutch has started to make a scraping sound and I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a smaller belt I can carry around with me in case the pulley fails on the road. There doesn't seem to be any play in the pulley, like a failing bearing but I'd like to be prepared. I do know that there is a replacement idler pulley to take the place of the compressor but that would require me to disassemble the whole ac system ( and costs about $50) and I do hope to replace the compressor at some point and don't need the extra work. Anyone know if a shorter belt will work in a pinch? Thanks up front.

 

Dont know of any. Sounds like a jerry-rig setup anyhow. You need to get one of the towing company plans (AAA- and the like). Towing a car isn't cheap and you can get all kinds of perks with these plans.

 

Sounds like more work to bypass it than to address the problem to be honest.
You can drive w/out a belt - just not far. you'll over heat the engine, followed by kill the battery. Also no power steering. Then you'll really be hurting when that engine tops 260 and the oil breaks down

 

go to pick and pull and get a used compressor for $40. I have had good luck with pick and pull compressors...look for one that hasn't been sitting for a long time and its a plus if it still has a charge in it...you know its leak free. most will have been recovered by the pnp staff.


Any other quick repairs sounds like more effort and its not fixed.

 

Thanks for the replies guys but no, I'm not trying to jerry rig this. I'm only asking if anyone has been able to use a smaller belt, in a pinch, to bypass the ac in a breakdown situation. I have AAA but I don't like waiting for someone to tow me if I can fix the problem with an easy belt swap.As most of you know, an AC repair is an expensive one, and I'm not ion the position at this moment to put that kind of money into an almost 20 year old vehicle especially in the upcoming seasons where it is an unnecessary appliance in cold northern winters. There may be no one out there that has done this but I thought I'd see. Thanks again for your thoughts.