A/c Clutch Lock up

Hey all this is my first post here so i hope you guys can help me out..

I have a 95 camaro, 3.4L v6.

My A/C clutch starting making alot of noise, didnt realy bother me for awhile, than the a/c just stop working, as the sound stayed constant as i accelerate or if my rps were high enough the noise would stop. But just this past week, the clutch (or whatever it that is) is at a complete hault. So turning the car, its real hard for it to start up but once it starts up, with it being locked. the belt obviously encounters alot of friction and melting away on my belt. So i dont know what is my problem., any ideas? of what it maybe or how to fix it


These are the things ive tried.



take out ac fuse, (hopeing its just engaged and could disengaged)
take silicon lubricant to it


Other things ive noticed is it wasnt locked in the morning when its a little coolor than during the day (salt lake city utah)

Is it the clutch that is locked up or the wheel the the clutch is attached to?

its the wheel, i wasnt sure what exactly it was called

A/C compressor pulley. You need a compressor. Because i believe there is a bearing inside and it has evidentally locked up. At least thats my .02

alright thanks, i was looking into that, and afraid. being a college student im trying to find cheaper methods, how hard would it be to replace it with a bypass pulley? or even replacing the compressor, the compressor cost 180$, for a shop to do it its going to be 500$ (cheapest quote i got).

You could buy a belt for a 3.4 or a 3.8 which ever you have, get a belt for a car without a/c. That should be simple, and cost efficient. You can't have a bypass pully i don't think with the compressor locked up like that. And if the pump is 180 the shop is probably getting it for 140 somethin and 500-140=360. so they are trying to charge you for about 6 hours labor. IF their rate is around 50-60 bucks. That is WAY too much.

oh alright, i was thinking it was way to much as well but that was the cheapest. For the belts i found they do have w and w/o ac belts the difference is only half an inch in length is taht right? Any idea how do route that?

From the looks of the the belt goes by the alternator through the ac and then seems like its hitting a tension something but faceing another way

I stand corrected you can buy the bypass pulley but it bolts on where your compressor is. So if you can't take off the compressor yourself you myswell just buy the w/o a/c belt and install it. Your car should have two diagrams. one with a/c, one without a/c, other wise just put the belt on like your diagram tells you only don't go around the a/c.

ok thanks! ill give it a go tomorrow morning.

and seems like if i were to get a bypass pully i would still have to move the compressor which i dk how to but looks like ill have to move the alternator and such?

Ok so let me get this right... You can just buy a different belt and it bypasses the AC??

No?

Wait you can't?

Sorry, I was thinking you had a V8, my bad.

uummm now I am thoroughly confused :poke:....so on the v6 you can simply bypass AC with a different serpentine belt? Now thats v6 only right?

so I can with a v6

partially lost now hah.

well, i went bought a shorter belt, wasnt short enough but i was going to buy another shorter belt but i couldnt get the tensioner to releaese. after about an hour pushing and twisting, i just gave up and i drove the car out to a shop accross the street from where i was at, (the ac doesnt lock up until it gets warm) the ac was already locked up and snaped but i made it to the shop, they said it wasnt possible with out a bypass pulley, they wanted $320. Anotehr shop want 250$, seems alot of money not much work. Any suggestions on what i should do?