AC pulley bearing fix

[TriX5]

So far, so good. :-) Yesterday started on replacing my radiator as the tank seal had failed and the car was starting to shed coolant at a rate higher than I am comfortable with. Having pulled the radiator, it seemed like an opportune moment to investigate an outstanding issue with a noisy bearing on the front of the engine. Already replaced the idler pulley and the two belt tensioner assemblies which improved things greatly but not completely. So, then checked the alternator which seems to spin smoothly and the power steering pump which is not that old and seems smooth as well. Then remembered a video where the pulley on the A/C pump was noisy and sure enough mine was not smooth at all.

So, on to disassembling the A/C pulley. The clutch plate is held on with a 6mm bolt. I used my chain wrench (originally acquired for oil filters) to hold the clutch plate while removing the bolt. Then there is a funky looking clip that is not too stiff and can easily be removed with a screw driver. I sprayed the whole thing with PB and left it overnight. The pulley can be removed with a puller but I didn't have one to hand and used some tools to pry against the A/C pump body on opposite sides of the pulley. The fit is snug and when levering only on one side of the pulley it refused to budge but with two tools pushing out it moved easily. Could not do it by hand but very easy with a little force.

I used my press to remove the bearing from the pulley but in a pinch could also be done with a hammer and a socket and some well placed blocks of wood. But that is a bit of violence I prefer to avoid and the press made very easy work of it.

The size in MM is OD:52, ID: 30 and width: 22mm. The are some Ebay sellers that offer off brand for just over 10 bucks but I think I will try to find an SKF or an INA.