Ditching the A/C

andyj

andyj

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2020
Messages
159
Location
adelaide
Hi all,
I got some trouble with my drive belt yesterday. It seems to slip on the pulley for the A/C, maybe the bearing or the compressor itself is toast. However I never use the A/C, so I thought about getting a new drive belt for the model without A/C and just skip the A/C compressor altogether. There are a few images in the TJ service manual (page 291) for the 2003 model (4.0) and it looks like all other pulleys and what they drive are in the same spot (the figures don't show measurements though).
Did anyone try this, would this actually be possible?
Cheers,
Andy
 
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I had a compressor go out on my last 4.0 TJ. I went to the parts store and got a belt for same year and engine without the AC option and it worked fine.

didn't know about the extra pulley on the 4cyl.
 
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andyj said:
Hi all,
I got some trouble with my drive belt yesterday. It seems to slip on the pulley for the A/C, maybe the bearing or the compressor itself is toast. However I never use the A/C, so I thought about getting a new drive belt for the model without A/C and just skip the A/C compressor altogether. There are a few images in the TJ service manual (page 291) for the 2003 model (4.0) and it looks like all other pulleys and what they drive are in the same spot (the figures don't show measurements though).
Did anyone try this, would this actually be possible?
Cheers,
Andy
Click to expand...
Hi Andy - if you want to delete the A/C altogether I would be happy to buy it from you! Looking to add to mine and need the compressor, condensor and lines (don't need the dash control panel so you can leave that stock). I can give you a brand new belt that fits the setup without the compressor as part of the deal :) Happy to come over with the spanners and help you remove it :)
 
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andyj said:
Hi all,
I got some trouble with my drive belt yesterday. It seems to slip on the pulley for the A/C, maybe the bearing or the compressor itself is toast. However I never use the A/C, so I thought about getting a new drive belt for the model without A/C and just skip the A/C compressor altogether. There are a few images in the TJ service manual (page 291) for the 2003 model (4.0) and it looks like all other pulleys and what they drive are in the same spot (the figures don't show measurements though).
Did anyone try this, would this actually be possible?
Cheers,
Andy
Click to expand...
I had recently studied this case as I will remove the A/C out of my Jeep..... Seems like is possible and very simple, as Jeeps came without A/C from the Factory. I have not done it yet, but soon will, see the photos. If you look carefully, the photo with the belts, says “with a/c“ and “without a/c” in small letters.

E8D0A71D-AF02-4E8E-8AC1-4E1C99CBBFAD.png


00D8A6DD-2D5E-468E-8A6C-A9807801C84D.png


078D6291-5E60-4D30-915E-8251C99819C8.png
 
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Typically the last three digits at the end of the belt # are the amount in inches.

Remove the belt, route a piece of string over the pulleys to simulate a belt without AC, measure that and go buy a belt.
 
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JKP said:
All you have to do is buy the non A/C belt.

No point in adding a useless pulley that will eventually fail.
Click to expand...
Yup, cause that brand new "non A/C" belt is gonna last forever, right? :ROFLMAO:

I'm not saying the new pulley is the right method for everyone, just that it's a decent option. In my case I had an almost new serpentine belt that I was able to re-use and it was close to the price of the new Dorman pulley ($40 on Amazon). I also have an older belt that I keep in the Jeep as a trail spare that will also work for me now that I have the new pulley. To each his own though. (y)
 
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Bammo68 said:
Hi Andy - if you want to delete the A/C altogether I would be happy to buy it from you! Looking to add to mine and need the compressor, condensor and lines (don't need the dash control panel so you can leave that stock). I can give you a brand new belt that fits the setup without the compressor as part of the deal :) Happy to come over with the spanners and help you remove it :)
Click to expand...

Hi Bammo,

That would be quite a trip - I'm in SA. My mechanic will fix the car next Friday, I'll ask how much it is to remove all that A/C related stuff. Maybe I'll post it to you if you want but the compressor is probably toast.

Anyway, I consider it a very bad design fault to have a non-essential sub-system killing the main system in case of a failure. I was just lucky to make it home, this happened Easter Monday 100km off the next asphalt road, rain pouring down turning the track slowly into an impassable sludgy mud path. No one with a radio around and zero mobile reception...
I poured water over the almost burning belt to cool it down, got the 100 km out of the Murray-Sunset national park and did another 300km back home to Adelaide. The compressor is now completely blocked, I can't even start the car. Nah, I don't want the A/C anymore and I would not recommend it to you either ;o)

Cheers,
Andy
 
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andyj said:
Hi Bammo,

That would be quite a trip - I'm in SA. My mechanic will fix the car next Friday, I'll ask how much it is to remove all that A/C related stuff. Maybe I'll post it to you if you want but the compressor is probably toast.

Anyway, I consider it a very bad design fault to have a non-essential sub-system killing the main system in case of a failure. I was just lucky to make it home, this happened Easter Monday 100km off the next asphalt road, rain pouring down turning the track slowly into an impassable sludgy mud path. No one with a radio around and zero mobile reception...
I poured water over the almost burning belt to cool it down, got the 100 km out of the Murray-Sunset national park and did another 300km back home to Adelaide. The compressor is now completely blocked, I can't even start the car. Nah, I don't want the A/C anymore and I would not recommend it to you either ;o)

Cheers,
Andy
Click to expand...
If you want to unload the rest of the A/C I would be very happy to pay your mechanic to remove it. A new compressor isn't that hard to source and I already have the AC control panel. Equally happy to drop in with a bag of spanners next time I am in Adelaide :) Its the bracketry and coolant pipes etc that are a pain to get. I can furnish a full list of the bits he needs to remove if that helps. Aircon is a must over here - did a long drive in the wheatbelt last month and sweated a bucket...
 
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andyj said:
Hi all,
I got some trouble with my drive belt yesterday. It seems to slip on the pulley for the A/C, maybe the bearing or the compressor itself is toast. However I never use the A/C, so I thought about getting a new drive belt for the model without A/C and just skip the A/C compressor altogether. There are a few images in the TJ service manual (page 291) for the 2003 model (4.0) and it looks like all other pulleys and what they drive are in the same spot (the figures don't show measurements though).
Did anyone try this, would this actually be possible?
Cheers,
Andy
Click to expand...
Quickest way is Amazon au if you want a USA recommended belt you can get AC or non AC one is just longer than the other, if you have time on your side rockAuto is your best bet other than Amazon, if you need one quick Repco sell them but they don't look as good as the US belts. below is a Repco link and price of the shorter non AC TJ belt

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB​

SKU: A9437144
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Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB
A9437144-10.jpg

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB
A9437144.jpg

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB
A9437144-10.jpg

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB
A9437144.jpg

Repco Multi Ribbed Drive Belt 6 Rib x 1905mm - 6PK1905RB
A9437144-10.jpg

Repco


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Bammo68 said:
If you want to unload the rest of the A/C I would be very happy to pay your mechanic to remove it. A new compressor isn't that hard to source and I already have the AC control panel. Equally happy to drop in with a bag of spanners next time I am in Adelaide :) Its the bracketry and coolant pipes etc that are a pain to get. I can furnish a full list of the bits he needs to remove if that helps. Aircon is a must over here - did a long drive in the wheatbelt last month and sweated a bucket...
Click to expand...
I haven't even used my AC only to see if it works every now and then! Hat or hairspray works for me :)
 
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