I use my 1988 GT as a daily driver. This past week it started making a grinding noise after about 10 miles of driving. Then the noise would gradually fade away. This morning I took it out and it did the same thing. I was in an area where I could pull over so I put my engine stethoscope on the water pump and alternator and they sounded good. I couldn't reach my AC compressor from the top. But it sounded like that's the area the noise was coming from. So I reached in and turned on the AC, it immediately changed tone and was much quieter. I turned it off and it got louder. With the AC running it isn't nearly as bad but I still hear a metallic rattle from time to time.
So what do you experts think? Clutch bearing going bad?
FYI, I rebuilt the entire AC system a little over a year ago. Yes, it's now out of warranty. Just my luck.
Hopefully just the bearing for the clutch pulley. You can replace it without discharging the system, just need a couple special tools. Here's a video on how to do it. The compressor shown is an R4, but the process is identical for our DA6/HR6. You may have to unbolt the compressor from the car to get the tools on, though, never done it on the car. Once you get the pulley off, the bearing is on the pulley.
It was a typical day in the garage for me Saturday.
I figured that I could do it myself. I bought the special tools needed and got the bearing.
After removing the three mounting bolts I was ready to try and ease the compressor around from underneath, where I could get the clutch off.
So here I am, on my back under the car, no room to move, when the bolt that holds the AC muffler hoses to the back of the compressor stripped out, discharging the system in my face. I cut about a 1 inch gash in my left hand scrambling out of spray.
So now I get to buy a new compressor, dryer and orifice tube and start over. Yippee
