OEM 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee A/C Clutch

2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee A/C Clutch Parts and Q&A

• Q: What Steps Ensure the A/C Clutch Replacement Doesn't Affect the Refrigerant Charge on 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

  A: A full refrigerant charge can be maintained when replacing the compressor clutch, pulley or coil in the car. The first step should be to remove the battery negative cable and proceed to remove the serpentine drive belt. Next, take out the bolt holding the clutch to the compressor shaft, while using the band-type oil filter wrench to maintain the clutch's pressure. Hit the clutch plate with a plastic mallet to loosen it, then take off the clutch plate and any shims held by the splines. Do not insert anything to separate the clutch plate and the pulley, as it can cause harm. Slide the equipped snap ring pliers (Special Tool C-4574) under the external clip holding the compressor clutch pulley to the compressor front housing and then pull the pulley off. First, disconnect the screw and retainer from the clutch coil lead wire harness on the compressor front. After that, take the snap ring pliers and remove the external snap ring attaching the coil to the front housing, then remove the coil assembly. Check the surfaces of the clutch pulley and the clutch plate to see if there is too much wear or dirt. If it appears so, replace them. If the surfaces feel oily due to friction, then check for refrigerant oil beneath the compressor's shaft and nose and also around the felt wick. If the wick is saturated, it probably means that the seal on the compressor's shaft is leaking, so you should replace the compressor. Examine the clutch pulley bearing for any harsh feel or a lot of grease coming from it and change it out as needed. Bring the mouth of the hole in the front compressor housing in line with the dowel pin at the back of the clutch field coil, then push the coil down into position. Apply the retaining clip to the clutch coil lead wire harness and tighten the screw where necessary. Align the snap ring sidepiece to the outside of the clutch coil and attach it to the clutch coil with Special Tool C-4574, positioning both eyelets on one side of the pin in the compressor. Be sure to push in the snap ring all the way so that it doesn't slip out or else you could cause the clutch to fail and the compressor front housing to become badly damaged. Put the pulley assembly onto the compressor, but do not seal the pulley in case the hammer damges the friction surface. Using the Specially Designed Tool C-4574, place the retaining snap ring (with the bevel facing outward) into the groove of the pulley assembly. If the clutch plate and pulley come from the same clutch, you can reuse the old shim or shims; otherwise, put a stack of shims on the shaft that equal the thickness of the ones before. Assemble the clutch plate on the shaft tightly on top of the shim, then measure the air gap between the clutch plate and the pulley face. The air gap should fall between 0.35 and 0.65 millimeters (0.014 to 0.026 inches). Move the shims so that there is the recommended air space, then screw in the compressor shaft bolt and tighten it to 13 Nm (115 in. lbs.). Following the tightening, thoroughly look for the correct air gap in at least four places, after rotating the pulley. After that, perform these removal actions in their opposite order to complete the installation. Operate the kick-down valve and then take the clutch through 20 cycles of running, stopping for a few seconds each time, with the A/C button engaged, the heater-A/C switched to the Recirculation mode, the blower at full speed and the engine running at 1500 to 2000 rpm to seat and strengthen the opposing friction surfaces in the compressor clutch.