AC mounting bracket

scottfridrich · Feb 10, 2008

89 Ranger, 2.9 L with factory air, finally have stripped the square hole in the bracket which allows you to tighten drive belt. Other than the obvious locate and install another bracket with intact square hole, anyone come up with another fix? I thought about perhaps a wheel lug with lug nut and fastened through the useless hole, then you might be able to get a socket on it?

Thanks for any suggestions, may have to check the salvage yards for one with intact hole.

Scott

MAKG · Feb 11, 2008

It's just a hunk of steel. You can, for instance, weld a nut on it. You could take a file and expand the hole to 3/4 inch.

But most importantly, you can stop overtightening your drivebelts. How the HECK can you round that off without killing your compressor almost instantly? Spec is 1/4-1/2 inch deflection in the drivebelt. That's it. You can ALMOST do that without using the square hole (though it's rather inconvenient). With a 1/2 inch breaker bar, it takes next to no force.

scottfridrich · Feb 11, 2008

MAKG,
Thanks for the input. Vehicle is 19 years old and I am aware of the deflection specs. I was thinking about this and perhaps I am not loosening all the proper fasteners as it takes quite an effort to get it to spec. I am 6'3" and 260 pounds so it is not a matter of strength. I probably loosened at least seven fasteners, usually there is one pivet bolt and one tightening bolt. Original factory compressor, still R-12 and working great. So while I have not managed to kill off the compressor, killed off the mounting bracket. I have read that too tight or too loose is bad for PS pumps, alternators, and AC compressors. Thanks for your time.

Scott

MAKG · Feb 12, 2008

Yeah, you're missing a bolt then.

I could almost (not quite) get the compressor drivebelt in spec with my bare hands when I had a 2.9L.

If I remember right, there is a pivot bolt and a lock-bolt, front and rear.

scottfridrich · Feb 12, 2008

MAKG,

Thanks for the information. Today rechecked my "work" and found on the backside of compressor a lock bolt, lower down than the one I thought, loosened that and as you said, moves pretty easy. Feel like an idiot, you would laugh if you knew I considered using a cheater bar with tha 1/2 inch breaker, no wonder you cautioned me about overtightening the belt. I ended up buying a one inch long bolt, half inch diameter, then a nylon locking nut and tightened that down snug. Then used a 3/4 inch combo wrench to tension. Thanks for your time, you put me on the right track. It hit me after I read your response I had to be missing a bolt. Next time I will probably just tighten by hand.

Scott

AC mounting bracket

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