[secretsquirrel956]

First off here are some reasons to bypass your AC

-Performance: Going to the drag strip? On a perfectly functional AC compressor it takes about 6 horsepower to run you gain an instant 6 horsepower back. If you have an old compressor and AC mechanical issues you might gain much much more horsepower from the pulley drag alone.

-Life Span: An effect way to save your compressor pulley extra and two idle pulleys work and gain a little extra HP. By bypassing the pulley in the winter months when you don't need it you effectively extend your compressors life span.

-Troubleshooting: Bypassing the AC Compressor can be a useful tool in troubleshoot pulley noise/belt noise/ or compressor seize. By removing the belt you can rotate each pulley and find the culprit or see if the noise went away. If it is the AC Compressor, Bypassing the AC on a daily driver or if you have little money can be the best way to temporarily fix your problem.

What you will need

10mm Socket or wrench
1/2'' socket
Ratchet

x1 2000-2004 V6- 6 Ribbed Idler Pulley ($23.00 @ autozone/orielly)
x1 washer set ($4.59 @ autozone/orielly)
x1 6 Ribbed 70.5'' serpentine belt. (28.99 @ autozone/orielly)

Total $56.00.

It takes roughly 7 Minutes to do it on your own.

How To


With your car off put your parking brake on take your standard sized ratchet and insert the socket end into the square on the tensioner pulley and pull it to the right. While holding the tensioner pulley slip the belt off. **USE EXTREME CAUTION NOT TO PINCH OR SLAM THE PULLEY ONTO A FINGER**

Take your 10mm socket or wrench remove the mounting bolt out of the center of the tensioner pulley arm. Remove the Tensioer pully Arm.

Flip your Tensioner Pulley Arm over and take your 1/2'' socket and remove the bolt holding the Idler Pulley to the arm.

Replace the smooth pulley with the ribbed pulley you bought (When you do so ensure that you put the pulley on the right way otherwise it will fail to spin freely) Hand tighten the bolt and then apply about 1 turns worth of torque. Don't over tighten it.

Take the bolt that held the arm to the block and thread it through the arm and half way through the block. With your free hand grab the 70.5" belt and slide it behind and onto the tensioner pulley (Not putting the belt on now will result in you having to loosening the arm back up to slide the belt onto it) hand tighten the pully down and apply about 1.5 turns worth of torque. (test the tensioner pulley and ensure that it spins freely and doesnt rub the engine block. If it does take your waster kit, remove your arm and apply a thin washer to the back side of your tensioner arm bolt and reset it back into the block)

The routing pattern for you will be as such following the belt off the topof the tensioner pulley and to the right. rib side should be on ribbed pulleys and smoot side should be on smooth pulleys Off the top of the tensioner pulley -> over the top of the Alternator -> around the right side of the power steering pump --> under the bottom of the crank and around it to the right side of the water pump --> around the right side of the water pump and over top of it back to the bottom of the tensioner pulley.

Start your stang and see if it the belt works. If not correct.

I WILL POST PICS in the follow days please bare with me

 

[NickPohlAandP]

Or you can just turn your AC off and then the clutch disengages and turns the AC pulley into an idler pulley. That seems easier to me. That only requires you to turn one knob. Then, if you want your AC on a hot day, you turn the knob the other way.

 

[WickedSnake00]

That and the fact an A/C delete bracket/pulley is about the same price as the V6 idler pulley alone. If I were to do it, I'd go that route.

 

[96BLUEGT-T]

Great right up man! I'm going to do this little mod tonight. I had a '03 svt focus I did this too and it helped a good bit so I can't wait to do it to my Mustang.

 

[justAbullitt]

Cool write up but I don't see the need unless its a dedicated track car. At that point you would remove the HVAC system all together for weight savings though. You A/C clutch should disengage at WOT too, in case you get in a spunky mood with the A/C on.

 

[96BLUEGT-T]

There are definite pro's and con's to this mod. For me it's all about keeping the car cool. My turbo sits a few inches behind my rad so getting rid of that a/c condensor which covers the entire rad is a big plus in my book.

 

[PALADIN]

3 Reasons why NOT to disconnect the AC

1. 45 years of age.

2. 50lbs overweight in my middle age years.

3. (the best reason) I can afford the gas in my middle age:naughty:

 

[iRoush]

this does not work on 96-99's...

 

[96BLUEGT-T]

Here is a picture of this mod on a '02 GT motor. It works very well, eliminates two pullies, total weight loss for me was 27lbs, and it really cleans up the engine bay. :naughty:

 

[Stang42088]

Cool write up but I don't see the need unless its a dedicated track car. At that point you would remove the HVAC system all together for weight savings though. You A/C clutch should disengage at WOT too, in case you get in a spunky mood with the A/C on.

Cool write up but I don't see the need unless its a dedicated track car. At that point you would remove the HVAC system all together for weight savings though. You A/C clutch should disengage at WOT too, in case you get in a spunky mood with the A/C on.

I am for sure doing this small mod today on my stang, ran into a big problem with the ac compressor squealing and going crazy to the point of shutting her down, would replace the ac compressor but I also have a convertible top and I see really no point in ac because if I get hot I'll drop the top, and it also is a gain of around 6hp because of the fact it's an actual idler pulley and not riding on a clutch style idler pulley like everyone says, to me it's gonna be a huge change and I will update as I go.