I have a 3.3 liter 1991 Plymouth Voyager with about 120,000 miles. It just started to make a loud noise under the hood. I hesitate to describe it. As a layman/backyard mechanic, my description might be misleading to those of you more experienced in fixing cars/vans. Anyway, I narrowed it down to the side of the engine with the alternator, water pump, and a/c compressor. When I take my ratchet and put one end on the a/c compressor and listen on the other end, the noise I hear is the same. It makes no difference whether or not the a/c is running or not. I think there is a clutch assembly on the end of the a/c compressor. Knowing nothing about such things, are there some sort of bearings in this clutch that could be bad? Note, my a/c works just fine, my oil pressure is good, and I'm not losing any radiator fluid (i.e., from the water pump indicating maybe the water pump is going bad). I guess what I'm wondering is how to further narrow down the problem, and could it possibly be this a/c compressor clutch assembly. Could some lube in this clutch assembly help. I'm way over my head and reaching a little here. Any help would be appreciated.
When it rains it pours. I just replaced by rear brakes and then here comes this noise.
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