kb0nly
Full Access Member
I did some research on the subject back when i was looking at two KJ's and trying to decide which one to buy. The guy said the AC clutch wouldn't engage on the one he had for sale, he took it to a shop and they diagnosed it as the clutch coil being bad, he even showed me their estimate sheet, etc.. Anyway, the coil could be had for about $20-$30. I could get a clutch rebuild kit for around $60-$70 as well.
If its just the clutch itself and the compressor is fine then its not that much more expensive to get a reman compressor, Rock Auto and a few other places i checked were in the $150-$200 range. Since the compressor itself is ok then the rest of the system is fine, when the compressor goes it usually fills the system with shavings and crap and you have to replace the accumulator and orifice tube, as well as flush the system out to clean the lines and condensor and the evaporator.
Where you are at now... Do you spend around $100 to rebuild the clutch, or do you spend a bit more and just replace the compressor. You could have a shop evacuate the system then replace the compressor yourself and take it back and have them vacuum it down and recharge it. That would save you a little labor, not much as the mechanic i talked to said the compressor swap on the Liberty is easy and maybe a half hour labor tops. It might be better to just find the best deal on the compressor and the seals for the lines and then take them with to the shop and let them do it if you go that route.
Ok, now for the rebuild. It doesn't take much for time and tools if you know what your doing to replace a compressor clutch. You need some snap ring tools, a puller, and a lot of patience. You can even do it with the compressor on the vehicle and in the case of the KJ it would be a lot easier than most since its there on the top of the motor and facing forward, easy access. Here is just one source i was able to find online selling a clutch kit, you have to clean up and re-use your pulley.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Comp...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1497wt_779
But after its all said and done, you have an original compressor with a new clutch on it, yeah you can do it a bit cheaper, but what if the compressor itself fails next?
If its just the clutch itself and the compressor is fine then its not that much more expensive to get a reman compressor, Rock Auto and a few other places i checked were in the $150-$200 range. Since the compressor itself is ok then the rest of the system is fine, when the compressor goes it usually fills the system with shavings and crap and you have to replace the accumulator and orifice tube, as well as flush the system out to clean the lines and condensor and the evaporator.
Where you are at now... Do you spend around $100 to rebuild the clutch, or do you spend a bit more and just replace the compressor. You could have a shop evacuate the system then replace the compressor yourself and take it back and have them vacuum it down and recharge it. That would save you a little labor, not much as the mechanic i talked to said the compressor swap on the Liberty is easy and maybe a half hour labor tops. It might be better to just find the best deal on the compressor and the seals for the lines and then take them with to the shop and let them do it if you go that route.
Ok, now for the rebuild. It doesn't take much for time and tools if you know what your doing to replace a compressor clutch. You need some snap ring tools, a puller, and a lot of patience. You can even do it with the compressor on the vehicle and in the case of the KJ it would be a lot easier than most since its there on the top of the motor and facing forward, easy access. Here is just one source i was able to find online selling a clutch kit, you have to clean up and re-use your pulley.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Comp...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1497wt_779
But after its all said and done, you have an original compressor with a new clutch on it, yeah you can do it a bit cheaper, but what if the compressor itself fails next?
