April 4, 2001
OK, back to work… You may remember that when we last left off, I had run into a problem getting the A/C compressor mounting bolts off, as they didn’t want to make it past the pulley. The solution?
The Die Grinder!!!
Yes, that’s me. Note that despite my obviously deranged state, I am using the proper protective eyewear. Kids, remember that a pair of safety glasses can be replaced, but your eyes can’t! Well, not with ones that work, anyway…
A few moments with the die grinder and voila! The bolts can now easily be slid past the rim of the pulley.
Here’s a closeup showing just how little material needed to be removed.
When I got the compressor out, here’s what I found. I’m guessing that the florescent green glop is tracer dye from two years ago when the GM Quality Service Monkeys recharged the AC and looked for leaks. Since it still blows cold air after all this time, I can only guess that this was the result of ham-fisted technicians rather than a leak.
This is as far as I dared to bend the AC lines. I think the compressor is far enough out of the way to pull the engine now. I also decided to take a few minutes to replace the crappy masking tape labels I had on the electrical connectors with those snappy red tags.
In our next episode, we attack the transmission, driveshafts, and transfer case! Hopefully, the die grinder will not be needed.
