Just diagnosed the sound coming from drive belt area as the compressor clutch. (The small wisp of smoke coming from the area was a good clue.) The clutch is pretty wobbly.

I've ordered a new compressor clutch, which will arrive in a week. I'm wondering if I can still drive without (further?) damaging anything. I've taken off the the armature plate, which didn't engage anyway. but I still get nearly the same bad hum from the clutch. It does a little bit more smoothly since it's not trying to engage (which it never does successfully anyway).

Okay to drive like this? If not, any way to do it safely?

Also, would you recommend getting an AC clutch holder holder to properly tighten this (18 ft-lb)? Any multi-use recommendations that would be useful for other applications as well? (Alldatadiy recommends one of these three: Robinair 10204, Kent-Moore J37872, or Honda Tool and Equipment KMT-J33939.)

 

Probably not a great idea. Sounds like the bearing is shot. If it is bad enough to smoke it won't be long before it seizes and takes out the snout on the compressor and stalls the engine. Then it will be a tow and a compressor.

 

@Ryanthegreat1 Thanks for the advice about potential issues. That's good to know! I guess I'd better leave her be until I get the part.