Clutch bearing

Wear out of the AC compressor clutch bearing is a usual unavoidable problem. When the engine is powered on, the clutch keeps rotating. The clutch bearing keeps moving whether the clutch is activated or not. When the mileage comes close to approximately 50-70 thousand kilometers, or just with age, the bearing lubrication dries out and it starts to overheat. Overheating causes deformation of the separator, the bearing can be stuck or the compressor housing and clutch can get overheated. It has a bad influence on the AC compressor normal operation until it finally fails. The possible damages can include the following: leaking of the gland packing, electromagnetic clutch failure or a seizure of the bearing as one of the options. That is why a regular inspection of the clutch bearing is strongly recommended. Or better yet is to replace the clutch bearing on a regular basis.