2001 Volvo V70 Air Conditioner Clutch Replacement

Doe anyone know if it is possible to just change the Air Conditioner Clutch on the Air compressor for the volvo V70?
it is rattling and all I can find online are new compressors.

The AC clutch was installed on the compressor by someone so it’s possible someone else can do it as well. However…I did find several comments on a few Volvo forums that say the compressor must come out to replace the clutch. I find that to be very asinine engineering if it’s true. I also found out that Volvo clutch rattling is very common and the fix is shimming the clutch.

@MakerMig

I’m going to offer some advice, which some of the guys won’t like

My advice is to replace the entire AC compressor assembly with a new or remanned unit. Make sure it comes with a clutch installed. The compressor is 12 years old, and you don’t know what’s going on inside.

In most cases, a remanned compressor only costs a little more than a decent ac clutch assembly

I’d hate for you to replace just the clutch, only to have the compressor let go 6 months later, sending debris into the system. Once that happens, you’re going to have a hard time getting your system working correctly again.

Do you even have the tools to replace the clutch? Not all clutches use shims. In some cases, you use the special installer tool to set the gap, which you verify with feeler gauges.

“I find that to be very asinine engineering if it’s true.” It’s true more often than not, and I don’t think it’s asinine, just a fact of life. Not everything on a car can be easy to fix.

I agree with @db4690. Unless your car is quite new and low miles, the rest of the compressor has as much use as the rest of the car. Since you’ll likely be discharging the A/C and removing the compressor you can probably spend half again as much on parts and get a whole new compressor assembly.

@db4690…I agree with your thinking since the vehicle is 13 years old. @asemaster…I still think “asinine” is appropriate. Just about anything that you can design and build bad…you can design and build good.

Thanks everyone for the help. I live in Norway and it’s damn expensive to get anything done around here but due to the age of the car, I think I agree with you guys about getting the compressor changed. I’ll see how much it costs. I think the quote initially received was 12 thousand Norwegian Kroners for a used compressor installed which is about 2000 dollars.

@MakerMig

$2000 is outrageous to have a used compressor installed

Norway is a lot closer to Sweden than the US. Considering the part doesn’t have to travel very far, it should cost a lot less