1995 Volvo 960 Accessory (Serpentine) Belt

I am wondering if there is anyone out there who can answer a question about
my 1995 Volvo 960.

Yesterday the Serpentine Belt broke on my wife whilst she was driving home
from an errand. Naturally the car kept running on the battery, and my wife
didn't stop, she just drove till the battery ran out.

I got the car home and upon inspection I realized that the AC Compressor
went "tango uniform". It's grinding and making all sorts of horrible noises
when it is spun.

My question is is it possible to replace the belt in such a way that
bypasses the compressor? A new one will be prohibitively expensive I am
sure.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Robert in Massachusetts

 

If the AC is not turned on the clutch should not engage allowing the pully
to spin freely. If it won't the compressor clutch is locked up. Rare but
possible.

 

Rod

The wierd part is that it seems the compressor is siexed and the part that
the belt rides on is turning very 'umsmoothly' my fear is that it will cause
another belt failure.

Robert

 

Sounds like the A/C compressor's clutch siezed, as well as the
compressor. You might get away with just replacing the clutch and not
turning it on. Or, get a compressor from a junkyard. You could buy a
dead one with good clutch and use it OK without working A/C, if that's
OK with you.

POSSIBLT a helpful parts store will look up those belts by length, not
just by what-fits-what, and thus sell you one that will fit if you mount
it bypassing the compressor completely. You might have to use
trial-and-error to find the right length. Be sure to save the info if
you do, so you can buy another one day when you need it. You do this
kind of thing at your own risk, you know.

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Hi Robert,

If you measure the distance around the rest of the pulleys, you might be
able tp purchase a belt of the right size. I'm not intimately familiar with
your car (Used to much older Volvos) but have had similar problem with the
Ford F450 Chassis ambulance I used to drive in the fire department. The
trick is to make sure that the "strait line" between the pulleys on either
side of the belt "threading" pattern have nothing in between that the belt
could hit if hte AC compressor is out of the way.

Another thought is that if the compressor is grinding or bindign up only
when the ac is turned on ( it often turns on automatically when the
defrosters are turned on even if the AC switch is off) try disconnecting the
plug on the clutch. This will ensure that the clutch remains disengaged,
and should allow the unit to free spin until it can be worked on.The only
time this is incorrect is if the bearings in the clutch are completely shot.
When replacing the belt, also check the idler (tensioner) pully for signs
of excess slop. When they go, they can often seize up and shred the belt as
well.

Again, my knowledge is not Volvo specific, but based on experience with
other vehicles with serpentine belts. Hope this is useful.

Scott S.
Baltimore, MD