Hi everyone. I have an '03 Lancer OZ rally with 112,000 miles and I believe my A/C clutch is going bad. At idle the car will occassionally make weird clanging and metallic noises (almost sounds like a loose bracket or pulley). It's worst at idle and comes from the A/C compressor area. When I look down at the pulley on the compressor it looks like the outer plate (router) of the clutch vibrates, wobbles and clangs around just enough to make noise.

The noise is erratic and intermittent. It happens with the A/C on or off. Other than that the A/C works perfectly. The clutch does engage and the a/c blows ice cold.

I've done a little searching online and I noticed in the Mitsubishi parts catalog they sell a "Repair kit". It looks like it consists of a new nut, snap rings, and shim(s). Could this potentially solve my problem or do I need to buy an entire clutch ($200+) that I can't afford.

I'm assuming there is a pressed in/built in bearing assembly on the clutch pulley and that is going bad. Any chance that can be pressed out and replaced?

What has me perplexed is why a bad bearing wouldn't make noise ALL the time. Sometimes this thing will embarass the SH-- out of me in a drive thru sounding like marbles banging around a metal coffee can. Other times it's quiet as can be.

Here are a few of my questions:

1. Has anyone replaced the clutch before that can offer any tips or insight?

2. Would simply installing the "repair kit" do anything to help? I'm not too familiar with a/c clutches and I'm not sure what if anything physically wears out. Could it simply be worn and require shimming?

3. Do I REALLY need the entire clutch and pulley assembly? I believe I can get just the rotor (Pulley and magnet assembly?) separate from the coil from the dealer for about half the cost of the ENTIRE clutch and pulley. Couldn't I just replace the pulley and magnet plate "thingy" and install the repair kit while reusing the coil? I'm assuming it's fine since everything works.

4. Any chance the clutch pulley on the a/c compressor has a replacable bearing?

5. Does anyone have any idea where I might be able to get the parts cheaper than Mitsubishiparts.net etc? (There are no lancers in local bone yards and all the local auto parts stores sell only the entire a/c compressor)

6. Can the clutch assembly be replaced with the compressor on the car? I HATE to vac out and open up an otherwise perfectly working a/c system.

I'm a single dad with limited funds and I need to fix this as economically as possible. Sorry for the long post and thanks for any and all help!

 

Hi JB2003OZ,
Did you solve your A/C compressor clutch issue? I have a similar problem on my 2002 Lancer ES. The clutch bearing is seized and needs replaced. Wondering how you fixed it.

 

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/la...or-clutch.html

Hope this helps