Hi. We have an 03. It's our third tracker we love them.
AC froze up (no pun intended) and broke the belt. We never switch on the AC because it's always been broken (5 years) , but car had recently been making moderate scraping tinny noises from AC. Now since belt broke the motor is nice and quiet, but no power steering of course.. I had just welded the frame where lower control arm meets front frame sort of under front of engine and am not sure about lifespan and therefore prefer to not replace the AC ($200 min.+65+gizmos+time+cussin') because we do not use it and I'm watching the rest of the frame. it's mostly rusty fair to rusty good.
SO
1-Can I gut/convert the AC easily into a pulley and use like an idler or are they a mess inside? I am assuming it seized because something broke off inside, there are no smells of burning bearing etc.
2-Was there ever a non AC tracker version? I could use that setup then (belt length, perhaps idler etc)
Thoughts?
thanks

 

It sounds like you may have a seized clutch bearing. If you can't find a replacement bearing, a good clean and lube may get it spinning again.

 

I will look for that. When you sight straight down toward the pump assembly the part closest to the front looks a few degrees crooked. Itys the round plate in the lower left of your diagram. THX

 

When the field coil is not energized the pulley should turn freely. If the pulley is not turning you either have a bad bearing or the front plate is binding. Removing the A/C pulley is fairly straightforward after the radiator has been removed.

 

Someone named racer x posted this elsewhere - will try first I think.....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.

 

> When you sight straight down toward the pump assembly the part closest to the front looks a few degrees crooked. Itys the round plate in the lower left of your diagram
Is the front plate in physical (metal-to-metal) contact with the pulley?

 

finally going out to pull radiator to see whats ....;.

 

OK WE ARE RUNNING!! The AC compressor was toast. The spray trick loosened it up enough to rotate and make sure it was toast. Turns out that Federated Auto found a 40" belt sold as "power steering" for that year. I had to move the AC out of the way (won't be fixing yet) and adjust the belt idler but it fit. Thanks guys for the diagrams I will keep them for the AC rebuild.
lk

 

Congrats and thanks for the follow up.

 

OK ALL SET!!!
THEY make a 40" non AC belt. I removed the AC pump adjusted the idler ( a lot) and am up and running. THANKS ALL!!!!1