Schocki

What is the tool number for the Autozone A/C clutch removel tool?
My A/C clutch on my 944 S2 is shot, otherwise the sytem was always running great (on R-134). Compressoer is an OEM Nippondenso unit.

Porsche-O-Phile

I have one downstairs in my tool box that I "rented" and just opted to keep. You can do this, you just sacrifice the $15 fee or whatever it is. If you need to borrow it, shoot me a PM I'll just mail it to you to borrow. No worries.

Schocki

Jeff,
The car is hibernating right now and my 928 is my daily driver. I would like to buy the tool and keep it in my collection.
Would you mind looking at the autozone homepage and let me know what the number is? Is it this one?
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...ub_remover.jsp

Or this one?
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...te_remover.jsp

My A/C clutch solenoid receives power but doesn't engage the compressor anymore. Can the solenoid be changed while the compressor is installed in the car? Have you tried this?

Porsche-O-Phile

The one they gave me is the first one (OEM 27005) and it worked fine. Strangely on mine though the box itself says "59571 puller" on it, but it has "27005" hand-written on the side and the picture exactly matches the one you posted. I'm 99.999999% sure that the OEM 27005 one is therefore the one you want. It's VERY straightforward to remove the clutch & pulley assembly but be forewarned that even with ENORMOUS care and attention to being gentle, the carbon-faced seal on the front of my Nippondenso let go when installing the new clutch. I was told word-for-word by an a/c specialist familar with 944s and their Nippondenso compressors that "those seals will blow even if you look at them funny". As such, I wish you luck but don't be suprised if the seal goes and you lose refrigerant. You have to put the new clutch on PERFECTLY straight (no wiggling it on or crookedness allowed). Even then it's a crap-shoot as to whether the front seal on the compressor will hold. Best of luck. Let me know how it works out.

Porsche-O-Phile

Oh BTW a new front seal for a Nippondenso compressor is about $270 too. That's why I'm saying "screw it" and just replacing the entire compressor.

Rob

I got a new front seal for mine from NAPA and it was less than $50 IIRC.

Porsche-O-Phile

No kidding? And the compressor worked fine after the replacement? Do tell - I might be VERY interested in this. . .

Schocki

The compressor is a rebuilt unit and is only 3 years old. That's why I don't want to replace the complete compressor. I found a bunch of guys selling compressors on ebay for $199. The solenoid itself is already $150. I will probably buy a complete compressor and take the solenoid of the new unit. That also gives me a good idea how everyhting is assembled and where the fragile seal is.

Scuba Steve

Not what I was looking to hear... My a/c clutch doesn't sound too healthy these days; I can hear it spinning. How much is a new clutch anyway? I have no idea if my a/c has any freon in it or not. It doesn't blow cold air.

Porsche-O-Phile

Well, the clutch assembly I bought from Zim's for about $150 (but there's a $100 core too, which I got zero back on since my clutch / pulley was so badly destroyed so watch out for that). Then there's the issue of the seal. The more I think about it the more I think I'm just going to convert to the Sanden unit and be done with it.

Rob

Yes, the compressor works just fine after replacing the front shaft seal. I found a re-seal kit from somebody off the web, but the front seal I got from them wasn't correct. The one from napa is just like the original.

IIRC, you dont have to touch the front seal while replacing any of the clutch/pulley/solenoid parts

Porsche-O-Phile

You're correct, you don't touch it, but since you're working in that vicinity it's easy to get bumped out of place or whatever. At least that's what I was told. Again, the tech I talked to said "if you so much as look at those seals funny, they'll blow on you". Trust me, I was VERY careful and as soon as I got the new clutch on and shimmed and tightened on I rotated it by hand and "PSSSSSHHHHTTT!" There went $200 worth of r12.

Scuba Steve

So it's $150 assuming that my core is good? At this point it's just making a little noise. If it's that much and I stand a good chance of blowing the seal (if it's not already gone) it's tempting to just replace the compressor.

But then the question becomes R-12 vs 134a.