1988 A/C area noise

[Fizz88]

A new noise has started happening on my TC, and its coming from the A/C area shown here. I can't tell if its a bad tensioner or the compressor is making that thumping/cranking sound. The sound is hard to describe. You can hear it slightly in the video but in person its a lot louder. Some of it may be due to the belt since when you actually start driving theres this horrible squealing thatd go away after 40 or more minutes of driving but the thumping/cranking never does. Any help appreciated.
View attachment 20260830_200601.mp4

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[mcm51]

I can't hear the noise your talking about in the video, but I can tell you this, both can make strange noises when needing replacement, BUT, over the years I've heard a lot more noise coming from a worn-out tensioner than from a compressor clutch, If ya don't know if tensioner ever been replaced, swap it out, it's a lot cheaper/easier than playing with the compressor......

 

[Fizz88]

I can't hear the noise your talking about in the video, but I can tell you this, both can make strange noises when needing replacement, BUT, over the years I've heard a lot more noise coming from a worn-out tensioner than from a compressor clutch, If ya don't know if tensioner ever been replaced, swap it out, it's a lot cheaper/easier than playing with the compressor......

It's the original tensioner, so I'll go ahead and get a new one then.

 

[mcm51]

Any tensioner that has over 80k on it, I'd swap out for sure, noise or not, just not worth it if it was to come apart while running down the road, maybe you could give an update after ya swap tensioner...........I noticed on rock auto that there seemed to be a couple different tensioner sizes pertaining to how wide is the belt, had no ideal they cost that much, I'm glad my SVO don't need one, If you can afford it, you best bet may be to take your off and take it up to your local parts counter for a match-up................

 

[Fizz88]

Any tensioner that has over 80k on it, I'd swap out for sure, noise or not, just not worth it if it was to come apart while running down the road, maybe you could give an update after ya swap tensioner...........I noticed on rock auto that there seemed to be a couple different tensioner sizes pertaining to how wide is the belt, had no ideal they cost that much, I'm glad my SVO don't need one, If you can afford it, you best bet may be to take your off and take it up to your local parts counter for a match-up................

car currently has 94 or so thousand miles so way past 80k. I've ordered a new A/C tensioner assembly from rockauto and it should be coming soon, the one on rockauto was 53 dollars. I'll let you know when I put it on, also saw that the serpentine tensioner arm was bouncing a little bit today so I'm gonna have to order that too..

 

[mcm51]

"car currently has 94", Just want to throw in a thought for ya, I've never seen a timing belt make it to 100k, and as you probably know, it's a whole lot easier to swap out that timing belt before it breaks, then ya have to line-up all 3 gears before slipping belt on, BUT, if you swap it before it breaks, a couple chaulk marks on the gears for reference and start to finish is less than an hour, AND, if you ever get to that point, make sure to get a real good look at that tensioner in there, most people swap it out while they are in there so when ya put the timing cover back on, you will not need to go back in there for another 80k plus...............

 

[Fizz88]

"car currently has 94", Just want to throw in a thought for ya, I've never seen a timing belt make it to 100k, and as you probably know, it's a whole lot easier to swap out that timing belt before it breaks, then ya have to line-up all 3 gears before slipping belt on, BUT, if you swap it before it breaks, a couple chaulk marks on the gears for reference and start to finish is less than an hour, AND, if you ever get to that point, make sure to get a real good look at that tensioner in there, most people swap it out while they are in there so when ya put the timing cover back on, you will not need to go back in there for another 80k plus...............

that's been a thing I've been meaning to do for a bit, already have the new belt and tensioner from rock auto just need to get one of the loaner tool sets from a parts store so I can pull the crank pulleys and stuff off that are covering the timing belt area up, and also need to do a lil more research since this would be my first time doing a timing belt. The belt doesn't look cracked or anything so I'd say its been replaced before, most likely needs to be replaced again though.

 

[mcm51]

Gosh, I just swapped my timing belt on my SVO about 5+ years ago, IIRC, it was a pretty easy job, and mine broke while I was starting it, so I'm pretty sure I had to move the cam or dist. gear, about all I remember is taking off a couple belts, then removing three or four bolts then pry the tensioner back to slip belt off, I DO NOT remember removing lower crank pully, pretty sure I slipped it over that, I'm pretty sure the belt cover comes off in your hand, I hate to pull pulleys, I'd certainly remember and I can tell by the way my crank pully looks, it's never had a puller on it, my timing belt that I took off was the o.e.m. one, I've got just under 30k on my 2.3 turbo(I did'nt worry about swapping tensioner that had less than 30k on it), I never drive it, if I'd had a puller on that crank pulley 5+ years ago surely i'd still show marks...........
I'll make a suggestion, until you attempt this timing belt job, I'd carry that timing belt and tensioner in the trunk, ya never know when a timing belt is going to go, I've seen them go as early as 60k, and I did one one a '79 Cobra that went to 90k before it broke........

 

[Fizz88]

Gosh, I just swapped my timing belt on my SVO about 5+ years ago, IIRC, it was a pretty easy job, and mine broke while I was starting it, so I'm pretty sure I had to move the cam or dist. gear, about all I remember is taking off a couple belts, then removing three or four bolts then pry the tensioner back to slip belt off, I DO NOT remember removing lower crank pully, pretty sure I slipped it over that, I'm pretty sure the belt cover comes off in your hand, I hate to pull pulleys, I'd certainly remember and I can tell by the way my crank pully looks, it's never had a puller on it, my timing belt that I took off was the o.e.m. one, I've got just under 30k on my 2.3 turbo(I did'nt worry about swapping tensioner that had less than 30k on it), I never drive it, if I'd had a puller on that crank pulley 5+ years ago surely i'd still show marks...........
I'll make a suggestion, until you attempt this timing belt job, I'd carry that timing belt and tensioner in the trunk, ya never know when a timing belt is going to go, I've seen them go as early as 60k, and I did one one a '79 Cobra that went to 90k before it broke........

Looking at it closer, it probably doesn't thankfully. the only thing that I see now that'd really get more in the way is that serpentine tensioner, I'll most likely still be able to get the belt but it'll just be a little harder trying to slip it out with that there.