Hey guys, the A/C system has a few leaks in my 93 jimmy...I barely use the thing and was wondering if I pull everything out but the compressor will I have any issues...like the compressor seizing? Its not worth fixing the leaks because it needs new lines and a new dryer and in indiana it doesn't get too bad I just put the windows down. I searched all over and only found a few but they put a bypass pulley in. I will eventually but I kinda want to do it this weekend when I replace the radiator.

On a side note...it's been getting to 0 degrees Fahrenheit here the past week and I can't seem to get my motor to warm up past 110 until I'm just about home(15 minute drive) so I know it's running open loop the whole time and it doesn't put out heat. Any suggestions for that? I figure it's just a thermostat but maybe it's normal for a Cpi vortec to run cold? It runs 200 all day and night no matter what in the summer and if I drive it longer than 15 minutes, but leaving it idling for 5-10 minutes puts one line on the temp gauge(digital dash ...around 110) thanks in advance!

 

i also have a 93 and did the same thing. i was told you are supposed to oil it to keep it from seizing but i never had any issues yet. you can just cut the lines close to the compressor and pour some oil into it (no idea what kind of oil is supposed to go in there.) i actually turned mine into a air compressor after i ripped everything out, it turns on with a toggle switch

 

If you unplug the clutch the only thing that will rotate ever is the pulley. Unless the clutch is engaged the compressor does not turn. If you have no Freon the clutch will not engage. You can unplug the low pressure switch from the receiver dryer and the clutch will not engage. The bottom line is if you pull everything but the compressor the only item that is going to rotate is the pulley. No issues at all. The only item that can occur is that the bearing on the pulley wears out.

 

Thanks guys. I'll being doing that then, and I'll just thread some bolts in where the lines hooked up...maybe hold the oil in the compressor? I understand that if the switches are unhooked it won't turn on but I have heard they seize up after a while. Any ideas about the motor running cool? And also when I cold start it, with the radiator cap off it starts overflowing into the overflow tube and eventually over. I thought this was weird when it's cold? I figured the stat was stuck open. Sound right? Thanks!

 

Yeah sounds like the T-stat is stuck open. It will also do that with a blown head gasket, but if she's running good, I wouldn't worry about that.

If your not using the A/C, you could load the compressor with sand and it will not matter one way or the other to your engine running. When the A/C is OFF, the clutch does NOT engage the hub in the center. The belt just freewheels over this large bearing inside the pulley. Yes - sometimes they do seize or fail, just like anything. Just spin the pulley by hand with the belt off - if you feel any resistance to it's movement, or hear any noises at all, then just grab a bypass pulley. I have one on mine.

I had just changed that bearing out for squawking like hell, and then ended up doing a 2nd gen motor swap, so I went with the bypass and sold the compressor. It's a big bastard, and doesn't usually fail unless it has sat in humid conditions a long time, or was driven in many salty winters. Edit just to say I used all the 1st gen accessories on the 2nd gen engine, so this one should be the same for yours.

Here's the bypass pulley: