A/C Compressors & Clutches for Toyota Pickup

Toyota Pickup A/C Compressor and Clutch

At the heart of any pickup A/C unit is a compressor. Your Toyotas compressor provides the necessary pressure for the coolant that it then pumps throughout your air conditioning system. The clutch is the device that allows you to control the operations of the compressor, and understanding how your compressor and clutch work is essential to maintaining and repairing the system.

Most vehicles use an electromagnetic clutch device to engage or disengage the air compressor. Power from the truck first sends energy to the clutch coil, which then creates a magnetic field that pulls on the clutch to engage the shaft of the compression unit. This power is provided by a drive belt that is connected to the crankshaft on your engine. Once the unit starts, the coolant that is kept under very high-pressure conditions is pumped into a condensation device. There are five main parts involved in a vehicles AC unit:

• The compressor is the part in the front of your car that is responsible for putting the refrigerant under pressure. This is also the part that is controlled directly by the compressor clutch.
• The AC condenser is a part that functions much like a radiator. Gases move through this component after the heating process is complete. Once inside the converter, these gases convert to liquid as the heat is removed from them.
• An evaporator pulls the refrigerant into a vacuum, where it becomes cold.
• A thermal expansion valve is the part of the AC unit that changes things from high to low pressure, moving them from hot to cold.
• An accumulator removes excess moisture from the air conditioning system. This part plays a vital role as ice crystals can form without it, damaging the engine or other parts of the vehicle.

If you find that the clutch on your compressor unit is not engaging properly or will not disengage, it could be time to repair or replace some parts in your clutch assembly. These components include belts, pulleys, valves, sockets, switches, or the clutch itself. You can follow the guidelines below to replace the whole unit or just the failing parts of it.

1. Remove both the front and rear bolts on the compressor clutch.
2. Take off the nut fastened to the shaft of the compressor and expose the pulley, which you can then remove.
3. Uninstall the coil assembly by first removing the snap ring that secures it in place.
4. Attach the coil pack to the compressor and install a large snap ring once this is done.
5. Install your new pulley and a second snap ring to hold it in place.
6. Clean the grooves in your clutch assembly and combine it with the face of your compression unit.
7. Hold the center bolt while you tighten down the nut using recommended torque specifications for your pickup.
8. Lastly, make the necessary electrical connections, install the device in the car itself, and add the belts and pulleys.