Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal. DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful. Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either. Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
This is exactly what the mechanic did for my 2010 toyota hilux. He just removed a single washer at the back of the plate. The gap was causing the clutch plate to not rotate and disengage my ac.
Two of the three rivets(?) on mine are gone. Just one left with two exposed grommets. Mine wasn't engaging and I was looking at that front plate with the three rivets (used to be three). When I pushed in on the remaining rivet, the clutched engaged and my compressor started. So I know now that is why it has been working off and on with a mind of it's own. I did what you suggest in this video. Hopefully it will keep it working for the two weeks until my appointment to install my new one. My 2015 Forester has 262K miles and A LOT of idling with the AC on all day. Time for a new one.
Hi thank you it helped a lot in both understanding how it works and fixing the problem temporarily. AC now works super fine even after not being used for pretty much half a year. I pushed paper towel pieces in between with a screwdriver next to the grummets so now that pushes the clutch against the outer metal part and that closes the gap between the clutch and the rolling part making it easier for the magnet to lock it. But my question is. If the grummets are the only thing worn out then this is pretty much a permanent fix, I mean paper towel pieces won't wear out and now they do what the grummets could not. But if the electromagnet is worn out then of course I'll need to change it because its too weak now and it can't engage the clutch with the original gap. So which one? Magnet or grummets? Because it is the magnet as far as I know but in the video you said the grummets are the ones that are worn out.
A semi permanent fix is to put zip ties around the O shaped metal loop going around the rubber shim. The zip ties act as a shim to keep the clutch spacing in spec. Just get a tube of zip ties variety pack to try out different thickness zip ties. Worked for our 2014 Crosstrek for 5 years so far.
Thanks for the tip. Just did this on my '06 Forester, works great for now! We will see how long it lasts. Dealer wanted $290 for the replacement part... no thanks.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal. DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful. Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either. Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
@NoCoastOutdoors how long did this 'quick fix' work for? About how much time do you think it bought you? Did you need to replace the whole compressor, the clutch or just the bearings inside? I'm about to do this to mine & was looking for some feedback on someone else who's done this :) Thank you
@@S0ulSUrviv0R713 Follow Mike Lamb's instruction of correcting the air gap issue, that is the proper way to do it. There could be 3 or 4 shims inserted in there for this purpose if none we remove before. The air gap should be re-adjust to 0.020" - 0.030" by removing 1 right shim thickness.
Wonder if it will work on a 2010 ford fusion sport V6 replacement ac compressor part from autozone but ac clutch won't engage has been recharge but pep boys says it may need a flush or electrical I'll give this a try see what happens
Can a failed expansion valve cause the clutch not to work? My AC works off and on, each day is different. I had someone look at it and they thought it may be the expansion valve. Someone else said it was the compressor and another guy told me the clutch just needs to be replaced. I don't know who to believe. The guy who said it was the valve seemed the most honest.
I wonder if this is my problem too. When i drive and have the ac on sometimes the car actually drags. Like a belt isn't moving properly.the ac stops boring cold then It will jerk on and off slowing down then eventually it goes away and my ac blows cold air again.
Just tried this on my 2001 Forester. It usually cuts out after running for 10+ minutes when the engine is warm. Maybe the metal expands just enough to be out of reach of the magnet. Hopefully it gets me through the summer.
Thanks for the video and your technique for an emergency repair. For a more lasting repair, you could just remove the front plate of the clutch by removing the center bolt and the plate, and remove however many spacers are necessary to close that wide gap down to factory specs. You would have more even pressure on every point of contact with the inner clutch plate, and a longer lasting repair. Using an impact wrench to remove the bolt, it would even be quicker than your method.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal. DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful. Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either. Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.10". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal. DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful. Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either. Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
If you take out the center bolt there and pull the clutch itself, there are 2-3 thin shims inside. Just get rid of it until you're satisfied, easier permanent fix.
Tried removing the clutch - with 3 x m5 40 mm bolts - after multiple turns the clutch did not even move - worried I may strip the thread of the m5 holes ( bolts come out almost unsalable again thread damaged) . YES I did remove the 10 mm bolt that lock clutch in place. I know it magnetic - but how far do one have to turn the 3 x 5 M bolts before there is movement on the clutch being released ?.
When I removed the center bolt from the clutch itself since the bearing on mine broke, it was easier for me to remove it. Some people just pry that clutch w/ no problem, make sure you pry it evenly though. Good luck.
my ac clutch on my 1995 Lexus sc400 is not engaging when I do turn on my ac on I hear a click but no spinning, any help would be much-appreciated thanks great video
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal. DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful. Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either. Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
NO. you want no lubrication on your clutch plate. Electromagnetic coil causes the plates to close the gap and mate up. Lube will make them slip. Like running on an oil spilled road.
A great example for how to make a TH-cam video - short and right to the point.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal.
DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful.
Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either.
Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
This is exactly what the mechanic did for my 2010 toyota hilux. He just removed a single washer at the back of the plate. The gap was causing the clutch plate to not rotate and disengage my ac.
Thank you so much I was looking for answers for 3 hrs .
You should make a video on this.
@@apollo11capcom39 There are already a number of videos showing what I described. Not worth spending hours making something so obvious.
I’ve taken the centre bolt out but the clutch plate is stuck on good and proper. What tool do I need to get it to come off?
Life saver !
We’re driving 20 hrs in tropical North Queensland Australia ! It was nearly a sweaty one ! Thanks for posting
Definitely put this in the "Used Car Salesperson's Handbook."
🤣
Lol
Super helpful, thanks for the quick, simple video man.
Two of the three rivets(?) on mine are gone. Just one left with two exposed grommets.
Mine wasn't engaging and I was looking at that front plate with the three rivets (used to be three).
When I pushed in on the remaining rivet, the clutched engaged and my compressor started. So I know now that is why it has been working off and on with a mind of it's own.
I did what you suggest in this video. Hopefully it will keep it working for the two weeks until my appointment to install my new one.
My 2015 Forester has 262K miles and A LOT of idling with the AC on all day. Time for a new one.
Dude this saved me so much trouble!! You are doing the Lord's work
Hi thank you it helped a lot in both understanding how it works and fixing the problem temporarily. AC now works super fine even after not being used for pretty much half a year.
I pushed paper towel pieces in between with a screwdriver next to the grummets so now that pushes the clutch against the outer metal part and that closes the gap between the clutch and the rolling part making it easier for the magnet to lock it.
But my question is. If the grummets are the only thing worn out then this is pretty much a permanent fix, I mean paper towel pieces won't wear out and now they do what the grummets could not.
But if the electromagnet is worn out then of course I'll need to change it because its too weak now and it can't engage the clutch with the original gap.
So which one? Magnet or grummets? Because it is the magnet as far as I know but in the video you said the grummets are the ones that are worn out.
A semi permanent fix is to put zip ties around the O shaped metal loop going around the rubber shim. The zip ties act as a shim to keep the clutch spacing in spec. Just get a tube of zip ties variety pack to try out different thickness zip ties. Worked for our 2014 Crosstrek for 5 years so far.
Thanks for the tip. Just did this on my '06 Forester, works great for now! We will see how long it lasts. Dealer wanted $290 for the replacement part... no thanks.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal.
DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful.
Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either.
Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
@NoCoastOutdoors
how long did this 'quick fix' work for? About how much time do you think it bought you? Did you need to replace the whole compressor, the clutch or just the bearings inside?
I'm about to do this to mine & was looking for some feedback on someone else who's done this :)
Thank you
@@S0ulSUrviv0R713
Follow Mike Lamb's instruction of correcting the air gap issue, that is the proper way to do it. There could be 3 or 4 shims inserted in there for this purpose if none we remove before.
The air gap should be re-adjust to 0.020" - 0.030" by removing 1 right shim thickness.
@@michael47lamb
Very good write up there. Thanks
My 2013 outback engages, the charge is there but it don't blow cold, what do you think?
Wonder if it will work on a 2010 ford fusion sport V6 replacement ac compressor part from autozone but ac clutch won't engage has been recharge but pep boys says it may need a flush or electrical I'll give this a try see what happens
Can a failed expansion valve cause the clutch not to work? My AC works off and on, each day is different. I had someone look at it and they thought it may be the expansion valve. Someone else said it was the compressor and another guy told me the clutch just needs to be replaced. I don't know who to believe. The guy who said it was the valve seemed the most honest.
IS that clutch supposed to spin freely even when engaged?
Do you think this will work for a Ford crown Victoria police interceptor? Because if it does that will save me a shit ton of time and money for sure
I wonder if this is my problem too. When i drive and have the ac on sometimes the car actually drags. Like a belt isn't moving properly.the ac stops boring cold then It will jerk on and off slowing down then eventually it goes away and my ac blows cold air again.
Just tried this on my 2001 Forester. It usually cuts out after running for 10+ minutes when the engine is warm. Maybe the metal expands just enough to be out of reach of the magnet. Hopefully it gets me through the summer.
I got the same issue with my 04 outback. Sitting still it's fine but when I take off it stops and I gotta re do it all over again
Will this work on an astra?
Is the same with a 94 Subaru?
Two of three rivets were gone and I have to buy new ones.
Does anyone know what the names and functions of these three rivets are?
Thanks for the video and your technique for an emergency repair. For a more lasting repair, you could just remove the front plate of the clutch by removing the center bolt and the plate, and remove however many spacers are necessary to close that wide gap down to factory specs. You would have more even pressure on every point of contact with the inner clutch plate, and a longer lasting repair. Using an impact wrench to remove the bolt, it would even be quicker than your method.
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal.
DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful.
Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either.
Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
OK so the thing is not supposed to be spinning or not supposed to stop spinning?
In my ranger is the opposite. When I engage the AC, it sounds relly loud and horrible. Ac off, no sound. I would try this tip!!!
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.10". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal.
DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful.
Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either.
Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
I have the opposite problem, Subaru outback clutch stays on, won't disengage
Works on new compressors as well
If you take out the center bolt there and pull the clutch itself, there are 2-3 thin shims inside. Just get rid of it until you're satisfied, easier permanent fix.
Tried removing the clutch - with 3 x m5 40 mm bolts - after multiple turns the clutch did not even move - worried I may strip the thread of the m5 holes ( bolts come out almost unsalable again thread damaged) . YES I did remove the 10 mm bolt that lock clutch in place. I know it magnetic - but how far do one have to turn the 3 x 5 M bolts before there is movement on the clutch being released ?.
When I removed the center bolt from the clutch itself since the bearing on mine broke, it was easier for me to remove it. Some people just pry that clutch w/ no problem, make sure you pry it evenly though. Good luck.
my ac clutch on my 1995 Lexus sc400 is not engaging when I do turn on my ac on I hear a click but no spinning, any help would be much-appreciated thanks great video
Go on eBay and order one they're pretty inexpensive and very easy to install
No presure in my compressor help plz
I’d say that’s a band-aid, not really a fix. Follow Mike Lambs suggestion if you want a fix. Good luck!!
Hopefully this fixes my shit not engaging in tester mode where u connect the two green connectors - tomorrow awaits
Im glad ur ac is that easy to get to lol😂😂😂
EXCELLENT Solution AND Comments💯🥇🛟✅😄!
Doesnt work for me. Its pretty tiny gap and still not working.
How do I stop the noise when ac is off
Turn the engine off.
@@stanktail still not working
Is that like....nwurd rigg'n it for better terms?
My ac clutch is way at the bottom under the hood. Hyundai accent
can i spray wd40 on the clutch to make it smooth or should i change the clutch?
Many older cars with lots of miles on them have a similar problem. A MUCH better and PERMANENT fix is to take off the clutch plate and remove one of the little washers that creates the air gap. Either find a thinner washer or grind/file off some of the thickness. The air gap should never be more than 0.010". or half a mm. Use a feeler gauge. The clutch has just one bolt or nut right in the center for removal.
DO NOT loose the washer when you lift off the clutch plate! It will fall on the ground and roll off if you are not careful.
Use large channel lock pliers or oil filter wrench to hold the plate from spinning while you loosen the center bolt. It is not very tight, so DO NOT break it off when you assemble things again! I am not sure of the torque, maybe 10ft/lbs. NOT VERY TIGHT! Do not use an impact gun on it either.
Also while you have the clutch plate removed, sand off the rust between the plate and magnet. Old cars always have lots of rust in there and this will cause the clutch to slip (and make a lot of noise). A wire wheel does a fine job of cleaning up these surfaces. DO NOT paint these surfaces. Just leave them bare metal.
NO. you want no lubrication on your clutch plate. Electromagnetic coil causes the plates to close the gap and mate up. Lube will make them slip. Like running on an oil spilled road.
@@michael47lamb my clutch isn't engaging and when I turn my ac on I don't hear it kick on is that because the clutch doesn't engage
@@B-S1999 It sounds to me like the magnet is not working or not getting power. Check the magnet coil for continuity and voltage to it.
@@B-S1999
the magnetic clutch relay could be bad. Look for this relay in the fuse box. The relay is cheap,