Update..... it's fixed.
I fretted for nothing.
Well, aside from the wrong size snap ring with the new clutch, the whole thing was easier than I thought .. including gapping the clutch.
After reading about having to drop the sub frame in order to replace the clutch, sheesh, I was freakin' petrified. Frankly, I had no intention what so ever of dropping the sub frame. It just didn't make sense to me. Yes, it's a tight squeeze on the '03 but it's very do-able from the top.
So, here's the recap of the ac clutch job. This was done on my car. It worked for me. YMMV!
A/C Clutch Replacement From Top
03 Taurus Wagon
3.0 Duratec DOHC
1) Plan on getting greasy and learning to be a contortionist.
2) Tools used:
Drop Lamp or flash light
Offset Wrench 8mm
Snap Ring Pliers 90 degree angle
Feeler Gauge
Beer
Belt Tensioner Release Tool
Magnetic Pick Tool
Telescoping Mirror
Hammer
long blunt object ( I used a breaker bar ... so something similar to that)
2 pieces of 2x2 lumber
3) Unclamp from radiator overflow tank and move to the side, the radiator tank over flow hose.
4) Unclamp and move to the side, the power steering fluid fill hose. Be sure to keep the fill hose above the level of the PS pump or else your PS fluid will
evacuate all over! The tube from the pump will drip some fluid so you may want to cap it off with a cork or similar, But I recommend, a good sturdy piece of
duct tape.
5) Remove the belt using the Belt Tensioner Release Tool. On the 3.0 DOHC engine, the belt tensioner is nearly directly under the PS Pump. However, the tensioner itself is facing inwards toward the engine block rather than face outwards to the inner fender apron. It should be a 13mm bolt. Use a socket if at all possible. Connect your tool as best you can and leverage toward the radiator in order to release the tension. If you don't have a belt tensioner tool, get your
Popeye on and brute force the belt off by grabbing the belt on either side of the PS Pump and pulling up. Watch your "
nads"!
6) Unplug the electric connection to the coil. It's a booger. The connector is underneath the compressor. Push the tab on the connector away from the plug to release the plug. Go EASY! Don't break the tab. You might want to wait to do this AFTER the clutch and pulley have been removed just to give you a bit more room to play.
7) Using the 8mm offset wrench, loosen the bolt on the clutch. It's short strokes, so it'll take a few turns. Once it's out far enough and if you don't have a super big hand or really fat fingers (no offense to anyone), you can finger the bolt the rest of the way out. Long fingers are a plus in this situation. Slide off the outer clutch plate. Watch for shims and possibly the snap ring falling out. If the shims fall out, they will most likely land on the sub frame next to the front sub frame mount. Use the magnetic pick up tool .....
8) If the snap ring did not fall out, then grab your snap ring pliers. *NOTE* Snap ring pliers are "sized". Mine used
.070 size tips . Yours may be a different size. This is a
ding dong drag to get out in such close quarters. Use the telescoping mirror to locate the "
eyes" of the snap ring. Then, of course, with all your tenacity, get your snap ring plier tips into those eyes. When you do, expand your pliers and remove it. You may need a
small hook tool to help you get it off the compressor housing nose.
Now that you've done all that, you can remove the "pully" portion of the clutch.
9) To remove the coil from the aluminum compressor housing, use the hammer and long blunt object. Place the long blunt object, in my case, a long breaker bar, at the top of the coil and tap the bar with a hammer. Don't just tap at the top, tap on all sides that you can reach until it starts to slide off. It's shouldn't take too much force.
10) Once everything is off, clean the aluminum compressor housing with some
emery cloth or 80/100 grit sand paper. Lightly sand just to remove corrosion and dirt on the compressor nose.
11) Here comes the fun. Mount your new coil on to the compressor and push is on by hand as far as you can. *NOTE* There is a NOTCH in the compressor housing for the electric connector. You can't see it from above. Align the coil so the connector on the coil fits into the notch.
Once you have it on, wedge one of the 2x2 pieces of lumber on one side of the coil from the top. DO NOT place on the compressor housing nose. Keep the wood on the coil. Do the same from the bottom, only on the other side of the coil. The compressor nose should be sandwiched between the two pieces of wood. Using the hammer, tap the wood pieces from the top and bottom until the
coil is flush against the compressor housing. This will take a bit of time. You want to be sure the coil does not get
cocked to one side and possibly gouging the compressor nose. Keep it even Steven!
12) Slide new pulley on to the compressor nose. Install snap ring.
13) Your new clutch kit should have come with new shims to shim out the clutch. What we need to do here is "
gap" the clutch plate to the pulley. I gapped might @ 0.18MM. Some will say that's a bit close but that's what I did and it works just fine. This is going to be a bit of
tedious work.
Place a shim inside the clutch plate shaft. Install the clutch plate on the compressor shaft. (gonna take two hands) and install the new bolt. (I used my old bolt) Tighten to specs. I did not use a torque wrench as there just isn't any way to get one in there whn going from the top.
Once you have the bolt tightened, check your gap with the feeler gauge. Repeat and rinse until you are gapped as you like it.
14) Reinstall belt and hoses and anything else you may have removed.
There you have it in a
. Kick back and grab that
beer.
Chap
**