Hello all. I have a 1996 s10 4wd 4.3L Blazer with 186,500k miles(free-way miles) & just replaced the original ball joints over the weekend with help from this forum(thanks everyone). Also replaced the original starter, not an easy starter to replace.

My A/C compressor is just about shot & i don't want it locking up on me somewhere. Can i use a serpentine belt from a non-A/C blazer to by-pass the compressor altogether? Looks like a wide range of belts for this vehicle.

 

I would replace the a/c compressor with a pulley of the same diameter and run a belt for a system with a/c.

 

Thanks rriddle3. I found a company that sells by-pass pulleys for a reasonable price. Don't even use the a/c up here in the northern midwest. Would love to have 2 heater cores though! brrrrrrrr. Here is a link for anyone else that's considering this route.

http://www.partspros.com/a-c-bypass-pulleys.html

 

Update. I ended up buying a non-a/c serpentine belt & a non-a/c idler pulley. The idler pulley(6 groove) sits right below the a/c compressor. The threaded hole for the pulley was already there. I didn't disconnect a thing. Now all i have to do is switch drive belts for a/c.

This saved me a few hundred for now. Might replace the a/c in the summer or just leave it, but hope this helps someone else with a similar issue. Only problem was the idler pulley. Most auto part stores only carry the pulley. You will need to find a COMPLETE pulley(pulley,spacer,bolt,dustcover). Found mine on ebay for $20(new).......Cheers!

 

BoB 55 is quite right. I by passed my ac unit the same way. I went to the junk yard and pulled off a idler pulley for the bolts to put on the new idler pulley. 20min job.

 

Anyone know the part number for the non-AC idler pulley?