Which AC compressor (pulley) is correct?

[mrau92me]

My daughter has a 2009 SEL 2.3L AT (3FAHPU8Z99R169714) that needs an ac compressor.  Car's got 165k miles on it.  I'm looking on rockauto.  There's only one Valeo listed, that I'd prefer to get for $245ish but it says it has a 128mm (5inch) pulley, which I think is only for a car with an MT.  The Motorcraft one is almost $400 but doesn't say the pulley diameter or whether it's the AT or MT version.  It seems there's a difference between the AT and MT car's compressors.  One of the other brands, UAC, has two listings, each listing seems to state clearly what it's for.  Another thing I think is odd is that there are more MT-version compressors available than there are AT-versions.

 

Anybody have any insight on this?  I do remember about 5 years ago putting a new serpentine belt on this car, and I fought for a few hours trying to get it to go on even after enlisting my daughter's help holding the tensioner in its bottomed out position.  I had to basically roll it on, and I was sure that I had the correct size belt.  Could it be that Ford put the wrong ac compresor having the 5" pulley on this car?  That would explain the belt not fitting without rolling it on using the pulley (that's what I had to do to get it on the car.  When I replace this compressor, I'm going to just cut it off and put a  larger size by 2 mm that I've seen as an option.

Edited February 22, 2023 by mrau92me

[bbf2530]

2 hours ago, mrau92me said:

My daughter has a 2009 SEL 2.3L AT (3FAHPU8Z99R169714) that needs an ac compressor.  Car's got 165k miles on it.  I'm looking on rockauto.  There's only one Valeo listed, that I'd prefer to get for $245ish but it says it has a 128mm (5inch) pulley, which I think is only for a car with an MT.  The Motorcraft one is almost $400 but doesn't say the pulley diameter or whether it's the AT or MT version.  It seems there's a difference between the AT and MT car's compressors.  One of the other brands, UAC, has two listings, each listing seems to state clearly what it's for.  Another thing I think is odd is that there are more MT-version compressors available than there are AT-versions.

 

Anybody have any insight on this?  I do remember about 5 years ago putting a new serpentine belt on this car, and I fought for a few hours trying to get it to go on even after enlisting my daughter's help holding the tensioner in its bottomed out position.  I had to basically roll it on, and I was sure that I had the correct size belt.  Could it be that Ford put the wrong ac compresor having the 5" pulley on this car?  That would explain the belt not fitting without rolling it on using the pulley (that's what I had to do to get it on the car.  When I replace this compressor, I'm going to just cut it off and put a  larger size by 2 mm that I've seen as an option.

 

Hi mrau92. If you can not be sure while trying to purchase online, then the best course of action to get the proper part number and part for your vehicle would be to visit the Parts Department at your local Ford Dealer and ask them for the correct part number for your vehicle. Have the VIN handy, as that is how they properly cross reference the correct part number/parts for your particular vehicle.

 

Also...Get a price and negotiate the price while there, since that may be much easier than trying to do it online. Then, once you have the correct part number and a price, you can do your online shopping.

 

Concerning whether Ford put the wrong AC compressor and/or pulley on your vehicle from the factory? Highly doubtful. Are you the first owner?

 

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

Edited February 22, 2023 by bbf2530

[WKelley]

I can attest that the 6spd manual cars do have some manual specific parts, but that RockAuto listing is confusing.  I saw 3 different specs for aftermarket yet only one listing for the Motorcraft.  I personally have been avoiding cheap aftermarket parts as they just don't last.  I might not go straight to the dealer, but my mechanic uses factory parts whenever possible.  Either way the RockAuto listing is a mess.

[mrau92me]

On 2/21/2023 at 8:30 PM, WKelley said:

I can attest that the 6spd manual cars do have some manual specific parts, but that RockAuto listing is confusing.  I saw 3 different specs for aftermarket yet only one listing for the Motorcraft.  I personally have been avoiding cheap aftermarket parts as they just don't last.  I might not go straight to the dealer, but my mechanic uses factory parts whenever possible.  Either way the RockAuto listing is a mess.

The confusing listings are not Rockauto's fault; they're limited to what each brand gives them.   However, I think I've figured out that the compressor itself (without the clutch/pulley) is the same, regardless of AT or MT.  I happened to look at similar year Motorcraft compressor listings on RA, and they indicated that the clutch & pulley components are not included, so I think this one just fails to say they're not included.  I also looked at TascaParts.com, and it shows that the compressor is the same but two separate options for the pulley.  They also show that the compressor/clutch/pulleys are all discontinued, so it seems the dealership may not be an optional source.

 

I will say that I put a new Spectra Premium (correction from GPD; hey, it was 9 yrs ago  ) branded compressor in my 1994 Ford Ranger one time, along with replacing all the hoses and other components, except evap,(which I flushed), and had awesome results.  I think some people often just simply replace the comp, and when it fails prematurely, they get on the forums and blame the brand.

Edited February 24, 2023 by mrau92me

[mrau92me]

I think what I've decided to do is buy the Valeo compressor on Rockauto, even though it's got the MT pulley on it, then disassemble the clutch components on it, then replace the 5-inch pulley with the 4-3/8" one from the compressor that comes off our car.  That way, I have the new clutch and coil from the Valeo one.  I strongly suspect Valeo was/is the OEM compressor supplier to Ford/Mazda (it is a Mazda engine, ya know).  As far as the condenser goes, I'm gonna buy the Motorcraft one since it says it has the filter/drier pre-installed.

Edited February 25, 2023 by mrau92me

[mrau92me]

I think I've located the leak to the far right (passenger) side of the condenser. Using my die-detecting flashlight I see some faint residue in that area.  One would think it would be more obvious, but I think rain being drawn into the grille is washing the oil and dye away.

 

Now the debate is:  On a 167k mile car, should I just replace the condenser/filter and recharge it, taking the chance that one day the compressor will fail and ruin it and everything else, or should I stay with the plan to replace both the compressor and condenser?  When I turn the clutch by hand, it turns rather easily but it doesn't necessarily free-wheel. Wish I had something to compare to.