IDI AC Compressor noises

[jtt220]

Here is a video clip of what I understand to be my A/C compressor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FouyR4k3IlU&feature=youtu.be

Please ignore my voice portion of the audio "...uh... duh... it sounds weird... whut is that thingy??"

Since I shot this video, it's gotten worse. It engages/disengages continuously and makes a racket doing it. The AC hadn't worked before I bought the truck and I'm not concerned with getting it working since I don't mind using the window-cooling method. However, the sound is driving me nuts and I want to stop it.

So...

What should I do here? I want the sound to cease but don't want to invest the hundreds it would take to fix the AC. Suggestions?

 

[RLDSL]

it's got a low charge, and most likely has leaked out a bunch of oil hence the extra noise. you could try giving it an oil charge and charging up the refrigerant to get it working, or just remove the plug if you dont want to fuss with it

 

[jtt220]

What plug are you referring to?

...and should I pull the belt? I don't want to do damage to the compressor in case I'd like to get the AC working in the future.

 

[FordGuy100]

Thats the other route, to pull the belt. I had that on my truck for a good year and a half

 

[jtt220]

Thanks for the input guys!

So just so I get this straight - I can: A) Pull the belt, or B) pull the plug (what plug?), correct?

Is their any advantage / disadvantage to either? Will I be possibly doing any long-term damage to the compressor either way?

 

[snicklas]

The electrical plug that is on top of the compressor in the video. This is what causes it to cycle the clutch.

 

[jtt220]

Awesome, thanks snicklas!

 

[RLDSL]

With that v belt, if it doesnt effect anything else, you can just yank the belt, if it were serpentine, it would be more complicated, it would make the sealed bearing last longer, thats the only advantage to removing the belt. otherwise uts a whole lot easier to just yank the plug out to prevent it from turning on.

 

[jtt220]

I unpluged it.... no change. Then I pulled the belt... still nothing. Anyone ever experienced that??

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

HUH? You pulled the belt and the plug and the clutch continues to cycle. Either I don't understand your last post or you should try an exorcist on it next.

 

[jtt220]

Maybe I have another issue altogether. It's not cycling at idle anymore, but it stopped doing that before I unplugged and pulled the belt. It sounds like it's cycling dependent upon RPM. No cycling at idle, slow at low RPM, and constant "tick, tick, tick..." at higher RPM - even after unplugging and pulling the belt. Really no change from before I did those two things.

I'm stumped!

EDIT -

to clarify: When I shot the video, it was obviously cycling at idle. Before I posted the video, it stopped cycling at idle, but I could hear it cycling when I increased the RPM while driving. It's still doing that despite unplugging and pulling the belt.

 

[FordGuy100]

It shouldn't be cycling at all without the belt to spin it.....

 

[tbiagent69]

It's probably still cycling because you have the AC on.
If there is no belt to turn it, you aren't hurting anything by having it cycle on and off, but you may as well disconnect the plug on the back of the pulley.

The A/C system for these trucks is extremely simple (as AC systems go).

Follow the line that goes from the compressor to the front of the truck and inspect every component until you find one that is wet with oil. When you find the wet part, that's your leak. It doesn't have to be very wet or dripping, but the majority of the AC lines are far enough away from anything else that they shouldn't be wet from something else leaking.

Since you're low/out of freon, I'd say to crack open the system and replace the orifice tube for a variable orifice valve, they are absolutely awesome.

 

[jtt220]

Thanks tbiagent69, I'll look over the lines. FWIW - I did unplug the compressor... and yet still the clicking...

I'm thinking that perhaps I've fixed the cycling problem after all and the clicking I'm now witnessing is being produced elsewhere. The noise is speed dependent, and constant. It's tough to troubleshoot because I only have the truck moving, and therefore produce the sound, when I'm behind the wheel and driving. ****.

I'll try to get a video of it.