A/c clutch disengages after running for a while

[Kmax]

My 1998 XLT A/C blows cold for a while, maybe 15-20 mins, then the clutch disengages and the cabin heats up forcing me to roll down my windows in this Florida heat. The clutch eventually engages again after maybe cooling down? I sat in my driveway letting it idle for about 30 minutes with the A/C on high and it blew cold the whole time. I proceeded to take it for a ride around the block and it disengaged again during the drive and my cabin started heating up again in 90 degree weather. After pulling into my driveway with the car still idling, I opened the hood and touched the clutch and it engaged again. I had the pressure checked and it was fine! Does the clutch need replacing or can it be something else? It almost seems like the clutch could be heating up and disengaging (stops spinning), then maybe cooling off a little and engaging again. Is this possible?

 

[rizzjc]

My 1998 XLT A/C blows cold for a while, maybe 15-20 mins, then the clutch disengages and the cabin heats up forcing me to roll down my windows in this Florida heat. The clutch eventually engages again after maybe cooling down? I sat in my driveway letting it idle for about 30 minutes with the A/C on high and it blew cold the whole time. I proceeded to take it for a ride around the block and it disengaged again during the drive and my cabin started heating up again in 90 degree weather. After pulling into my driveway with the car still idling, I opened the hood and touched the clutch and it engaged again. I had the pressure checked and it was fine! Does the clutch need replacing or can it be something else? It almost seems like the clutch could be heating up and disengaging (stops spinning), then maybe cooling off a little and engaging again. Is this possible?

Did you ever figure this out? This is one of the symptoms I am currently having. My clutch was replaced a few years ago, but a guy I took it to replaced the coil again (with a used one) and said it was fixed. Mine also cycles every 2 seconds when cool. I haven't driven it far enough in the high temp to see if he really did fix the cutting out that it's doing, like yours.

 

[ErnieX]

Kmax,
I had the exact problem - turns out the air gap between the clutch plate and coil face had increased due to wear. Would work when cool but after the clutch heated up the coil would not pull the plate. Could lightly tap and clutch would engage. I removed the clutch face plate and removed the spacer that was in there from the factory (1996) And put back together it worked fine. Gap should not be but about the thickness of a buisness card.

 

[rizzjc]

I had that problem once, but it seemed like I checked that (i.e. I touch it with a screwdriver to see if the magnet is active). That coulda been it though. I thought about that when the guy replaced the coil - he might have just fixed the gap when he put it back together.

Now if I can just figure out why it's cycling all the time (no, refrigerant isn't low).