loud rattle noise, any help?

[klafrance]

So I've recently switched from a ranger to an F150, but thought Id toss up this question here too to see if someone has good advice.

the A/C compressor clutch has recently been rattling when the A/C is OFF. when i turn the A/C on, the clutch engages and the rattling goes away. I've determined that the sound is coming from a ring that sits between the front plate on the A/C compressor and the pulley itself. This ring can easliy be wiggled back (when the engine is off, of course). The bolt holding the plate on seems nice and tight. Any suggestions? easy fix, or do i need a new compressor? Also, is this simply annoying, or is this a major problem that I should fix as soon as? Definitely don't want to delay fixing it if the delay could make more stuff break.

Thanks

 

[thegoat4]

Fix it. There is an idler bearing that supports the pulley when the clutch is off. When the AC kicks on the clutch, the pulley and clutch shaft rotate together and the bearing no longer has to work. The noise and looseness says it's about to fry. When it does it will likely cook the front seal out of your compressor.

A "clutch" for the AC compressor will include the idler pulley and bearing.