Back again, car terminal PARTS ANYONE?

[JonL]

Hello all again and I'm back for a little more advice!

So all has been fine after the engine conversion, except a very noisy top end so it sounds like a tractor, but in the last two weeks it has eaten two AC compressors! The first time, I noticed, was in a car park when I started the car and the "charging fault" light was on and the power steering had failed. I looked under the bonnet and discovered that the serpentine belt had come off. When I looked a little further the AC compressor was loose. I called out the AA, no jacks or tools to investigate, and he found that the bottom lugs had sheared off the compressor making it loose and able to move and throw off the belt. No real problem as the water pump is internal so I drove home without power steering, blimey that car is heavy, and swapped out the compressor for the one I took off the engine when I swapped it. No problem pottering around town and normal routine until Fri evening when we drove 200 miles to my mum's and on the motorway I heard something drop off the underside. It got us to our destination but on arrival there was a very nasty sounding mechanical rattle. On Sun I went under and once again one of the lugs had sheared off the compressor! The other bolt was loose but still whole. I tightened the bolt and the rattle went so we chanced it for the trip back. Que a tense drive as I waited for a clunk and then the belt being thrown and having to limp to the nearest services hoping that the battery would last, but it lasted al the way and we were fine. On arrival the rattle wa back but I can get under today and tighten it back up so it will get us round and about, I hope, for a few days. I have been looking for a replacement, 13 years and 200,000 miles have taken their toll on the old girl and the wife wants 7 seats. Unfortunately I bought her a house this year and all the work required means that there is next to no funds available for a replacement. Thus I have been watching e-bay like a hawk for a very, very cheep replacement and I think the old girl has noticed and is now giving up the ghost.

So after all that on to my question, does anyone have any idea why this might be happening and thus a solution or was the HDi 90 engine ever produced without AC so is there a shorter belt I can fit and get rid of the compressor? Note that I do not want to spend anything at all, if possible, as i am looking for something else.

Many thanks in advance,

Jon

[gordonw]

Just a thought but have you checked that the A/C compressor pulley is lined up with the rest of the pulleys ,could be there is a spacer missing that would put extra strain on the compressor bolts causing them to become loose and the belt to become slack.

[JonL]

The alignment should have been correct, it did cover over 40,000 miles before it ate the first one. I did check that the compressor lined up, at least visually, when I fitted it. as normal there was the easy obvious way where all the bolts were accessable and fitting was easy and there was the difficult awkward bugger of a job way. Guess which one lined up the belts!

Jon

[jasper5]

Clearly the compressor is under tension when fitted, you need to be sure there is no tension anywhere when another is fitted.

If you are not going to fit another one and want to fit a shorter belt, do this.....

Undo the tension from the belt and lock the tensioner in its "off" position (allen key or pin in the tensioner holes).

Get some string and wrap the string around the pulleys you are going to use (same route as the full belt but without compressor) and measure the length needed.

Look at your old belt, it will say something like 6PK1420 on it or 5PK...not sure, but anyway, get a new belt 5PK or 6PK the length of the string but add 10mm for the release of the tensioner onto the belt.

Fit the shorter belt and release the tensioner....check that the belt is tight and away you go.....if the belt is too slack buy a shorter belt.

I hope you understood what I'm trying to say.

[JonL]

Clearly the compressor is under tension when fitted, you need to be sure there is no tension anywhere when another is fitted.

If you are not going to fit another one and want to fit a shorter belt, do this.....

Undo the tension from the belt and lock the tensioner in its "off" position (allen key or pin in the tensioner holes).

Get some string and wrap the string around the pulleys you are going to use (same route as the full belt but without compressor) and measure the length needed.

Look at your old belt, it will say something like 6PK1420 on it or 5PK...not sure, but anyway, get a new belt 5PK or 6PK the length of the string but add 10mm for the release of the tensioner onto the belt.

Fit the shorter belt and release the tensioner....check that the belt is tight and away you go.....if the belt is too slack buy a shorter belt.

I hope you understood what I'm trying to say.

That makes perfect sence, thanks Jasper.

[steve_earwig]

Apparently it was, the code is something like K6 LE 1468 so it looks like it's about 1468mm (is that possible?) but I'd think your local parts place will be able to pull it out of the system (if they're any good...)

[JonL]

Well I got into her this morning and noticed the rainbow colour on the road of an oil leak. Que the ramps and a look underneath, and the compressor is ok but the sump has cracked and the oil was the entire contents of the engine! So she is now being stripped of personal possessions and will be going for scrap after Christmas. If anyone wants any bits let me know and I'll take them off before she goes.

Jon

[highlander]

If you haven't started the engine, you could potentially just replace the cracked sump and fill her up with fresh oil, no?

Or is it likely something else has died as well?

[JonL]

200,000 miles and a susoect pulley somewhere else on the serpentine belt coupled with SWIMBO wanting 7 seats means that she has to go!

[lozz]

If your looking for smaller belt.
look at other vehicles. jumpy vans, Xsaras etc. xantia
they have none aircon options.

idont think the 406 hdi had the none aircon option,