Hey folks - The AC compressor on my 96 passat is held on by two 16mm bolts into the AC/Alternator bracket. The bolts are around four inches long. Problem: 3" from the Bracket is the wheel well. I've got the bolt loose but when I try to pull it out there's not enough clearance. Am I missing something here? Do I need to lift the engine off of its mounts before I can get this bolt out?
It helps when an engine type is mentioned! ;-) VR6, TDI, or ???
Sorry about that - VR6.
The Bentley CD just says very little about them!
Loosen hex bolts a couple of turns and knock-back threaded sleeves from compressor. Then remove hex bolts.
You had to go through a lot to take off the a/c compressor according to them. :-(
Good luck, dave (One out of many daves)
Just to vent a very little, for a book that cost more than a hundred and takes two thick volumes, the Bentley for the 95-97 Passats really stinks. Impossible to find things, no internal logic that I can see, poorly cross-referenced, no index. A few decent diagrams, but a lot that aren't detailed enough. No photos.
Typical for this volume: on the page for the AC compressor (V87-50), it says "loosen hex nuts -10- a couple of turns and knock back threaded sleeves from compressor, then remove hex bolts." What the heck does "knock back threaded sleeves" mean?
Still, I must be missing something here, because I can't believe that you have to lift the engine off of its mounts just to remove the AC compressor. Maybe you have to remove the alternator first and then the bracket? I don't know. But Bentley on this is pretty worthless.
Thanks - Chris
Just from the discription from your bentley quote, my > guess < is : There are bushings in the compressor on the side away from the nuts, that is hammered out by having the bolt in place with just the nut loosened by a few threads then tapping the nut towards the bolt end. Then with that bushing popped out you'll have enough sideways movement to get the bushing and the bolt out all the way. ( IF ) the bolts you've tried to remove have threads all the way to the head ( non shouldered) my thoughts would be that is the case. Would you mind telling us why you want want the a/c comp. off?
On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:08:53 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote: a second thought : do the re-installation instructions yeild any clues?
Oh no I think you need to remove almost the front of the vehicle, bumper, a/c condensor, radiator in order to remove the a/c compressor. So it is not a small job here.
YES Bentley is NOT user-friendly!! If there is someth>> The Bentley CD just says very little about them!
ROFL What re-installation instructions? There are none in my Bentley CD (Version 00.01) There is only a description of how to disassemble things along with torque specs.
I think the OP will not find it in his Bentley manual either, but I could be wrong. ;-)
getting a good laugh from you is nearly as good as helping someone ! , not even the old " refitting is a reversal of removal " ? dang...
Seized cam. I'm removing the engine. The hoses for the AC are looped through the frame, so I need to get the compressor separated from the engine in order to get the engine out. The alternative would be to open the AC lines and I have enough headaches as it is . I can see no bushings and there are none in the cruddy diagram in Bentley. The bolts are only threaded on the last inch or so.
I'm just going to lift the engine a few inches once it's ready to come out and then slide the bolt out when it clears. Then I can set the compressor out of the way and ease the engine forward and up.
Still, what if you had to just replace the AC compressor? Crazy.
So the bolts did not push their nuts back through the other side of the a/c compressor bracket like Bentley states? Did you try to push on the bolts while they were only slightly loose from their nuts? Might need a little more force or pressure on them. It will probably become clearer AFTER you have them out! ;-)
You can also join this Passats group
Thanks , I now recall (somewhat) your posts when troubleshooting the failure to begin with. Replacing an engine is involved on even the simplest cars. I understand why you don't want to have a/c charge / cost / time in addition to what you already have. I make notes as I disassemble things, then use these notes to aid in getting it back together again. Kinda like a flow chart with notes to do this before doing that or point out to myself to remember to get that little seal / o-ring / whatever. Dave the vw doc knows what he's doing and I'd heed his advice almost w/o question. Sometimes what looks to be the long way around is actually the shorter coarse and the ones that have - been there and done that - should be listened to for smoother sailing. Good luck.
uhhh not me! Never changed the VR6 engine! lol Although I think I would like a chance at removing one, rebuilding it and then making sure it works well in a future Passat. ;-) I agree with you about not opening up the a/c system! Not if you can avoid it!
Samstone has the proper way of taking things apart so you can easily reassemble it. Notes, Pictures, Plastic Bags with notes for your little pieces are WAAAAYYY better than quickly removing nuts bolts and throwing them all together in a bucket! lol Nightmare to put things back again unless you KNOW what goes where. Hey then you can do a write-up to help all of us!
Other devices such as old muffin pans, egg cartons are other means of keeping parts separate. Even duct tape will work.
Books and your common sense plays a big role in carefully repairing vehicles. Read the books to try to understand what you will come up against. Bentley is not too user friendly so buy a cheap Haynes or other for a different perspective. ;-) Common sense comes in to play when you try to understand what the book says as you look at those a/c compressor bolts that seem like they just don't have enough room to come out. ;-)
JMHO
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