Mach 1's A/C clutch blew up real good...

[Rick]

I was planning on taking the Mach 1 to SEMA earlier this month. A couple days before I took the car out for a shake down as it's not driven often. Just wanted to make sure everything seemed right. I drove 20 miles into Wickenburg for lunch. Just as I got there I started to hear a metal to metal scraping sound. Opened the hood, and listened, but it didn't seem like it was coming from any of the pulleys. I thought it might have been a throwout bearing, but the sound didn't change when I moved the clutch pedal. I drove it home figuring I would look into it more when I got it back. On the way home I started smelling buring clutch. Made me think it was the transmission's clutch again.

I didn't have time to look at at when I got back so I checked it out the first thing the next day. I pressed on the serpantine belt to check tension, and the belt was broken. Fully in place and laying across the pulleys. It must have failed as I was pulling in because I didn't lose powersteering or hydroboost brakes on my ride. Most importantly the engine didn't overheat!

WIth the belt out of the picture I started spinning pulleys. The A/C pulley was locked up tight. Seized. Check out the damage! I am so lucky this didn't happen in the middle of the desert somewhere between Las Vegas and Home. That could have been an expensive tow.

 

[Turdle]

Crap! Thought I'd seen this

 

[Rick]

Crap! Thought I'd seen this

I thought I had posted a photo of the bearings but not the electrical. Searched for Mach and I couldn't find it.

 

[Josh P]

I've had a few A/C clutches burn up, but not quite like that. I had one go out on a 60 series detroit in the middle of nowhere Kansas. I pulled into a Napa and the guy behind the counter was kind enough to measure the pulleys for a short belt to bypass the A/C. Of all things, a belt for some 4 cylinder Honda fit, was only a 4 groove belt instead of 8 but it got me home.

 

[Rick]

I nearly forgot to add that the fun wasn't over unitl it was over. LOL

After I got everything put back together with a new accumulator, orifice tube and compressor manifold I evacuated and recharged the system. I got two cans in it without it running using a pail of hot water to increase the pressure in the cans. When I turned on the compressor I got nothing. I checked the owners manual and found a fuse for the AC under the dash. It was good, and I was nervous.

I didn't look far enough into the owners manual. There is a 2nd fuse for the AC system in the under the hood fuse box. Replaced the fuse and all is good. Except for the smell of burned clutch. Even after a 15 mile test ride the smell is still in the vents.

 

[410Fortune]

Ac pro makes some
Stuff you can get that smell out of the vents with

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NCBACP17900

Stuff works awesome

 

[Rick]

Ac pro makes some
Stuff you can get that smell out of the vents with

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NCBACP17900

Stuff works awesome

Thanks, I'm going to give that a try.