My AC died for the 3rd time this summer. Want to guess, HP hose or Compressor?

[Kachow]

Another tip that (so far, fingers crossed) has proved worthy to me...do not replace with another Ford/Motorcraft brand compressor.

What do you recommend?

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[-RAC-]

The one worry I have with the aftermarket parts is it might be the same manufacturer making the part for Ford but just rebranded.

 

[sk47]

I have 79k miles on the clock and daily drive it all summer long.

Hello; The point in my post was about the months some park the cars during the year. The idea told to me often is to run the AC a few minutes at least once or twice a month. The purpose is to keep the oil mixed in the refringent circulated to the various seals.
On modern cars using the defrost setting will turn on the AC if a fan speed is also on.

I get the reason some park the cars during winter. That avoids harsh conditions and road salt. I get the advantage of avoiding road salt. I do avoid driving on salted roads even with my ordinary vehicles.
I live in northern TN. We get snow & the roads are salted from time to time. There are also many good days of dry weather even if cold.

I have no proof that parking a vehicle leads directly to AC problems. I have seen too many nice cars with problems after sitting a lot.

 

[galaxy]

What do you recommend?

Anything from RockAuto that’s not ford.

 

[Joe Mac]

I blew up my ac clutch at 15,000 miles. The compressor was fine but Ford only sells the clutch with the compress attached. The Ford mechanic told me to be sure and turn off the Ac and the defroster if I'm going to shift over 6,000 RPM and never have those turned on if I track it.
Just my 2 cents

 

[-RAC-]

I blew up my ac clutch at 15,000 miles. The compressor was fine but Ford only sells the clutch with the compress attached. The Ford mechanic told me to be sure and turn off the Ac and the defroster if I'm going to shift over 6,000 RPM and never have those turned on if I track it.
Just my 2 cents

I do shut down the AC when I go to play. I got the same advice as well. plus turning off the AC doesn't rob you of 26 HP.

 

[GAGT350]

I do shut down the AC when I go to play. I got the same advice as well. plus turning off the AC doesn't rob you of 26 HP.

On my gt350 does the ac compressor disengage at wot? Gemini responds:
Yes, absolutely. On your Shelby GT350, the A/C compressor is programmed via the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) to automatically disengage at Wide Open Throttle (WOT).
This is standard factory behavior across modern Fords, especially performance models, and it serves two major purposes:
1. Eliminating Parasitic Drag

Even with a 526-horsepower Voodoo V8 under the hood, a spinning A/C compressor saps power. Disengaging the compressor clutch at WOT ensures 100% of the engine’s power goes straight to the rear wheels when you drop the hammer.
2. Protecting the Compressor Componentry

The 5.2L Voodoo engine screams all the way to an 8,250 RPM redline. If the A/C compressor clutch stayed locked up at those high engine speeds, the internal compressor speeds and system pressures would skyrocket, likely causing a catastrophic failure (often called "throwing a belt" or locking up the compressor). To prevent this, the PCM cuts power to the A/C clutch relay based on throttle position and engine RPM parameters.
What to Expect on Track Days

Because the system cuts out during hard acceleration, tracking the GT350 with the A/C on can lead to a few side effects:

• Cabin Warmth: If you leave the climate control on during a track session, you'll likely notice the cabin getting warm quite fast because the compressor is constantly cycling off every time you are hard on the throttle.
• Engine Cooling Load: The A/C condenser sits directly in front of your radiator. Running the A/C dumps extra heat right into the air rushing toward your engine cooling system.

Tip: If you are taking the car to a road course or drag strip, it is highly recommended to turn the climate control completely OFF. This maximizes airflow efficiency through the radiator and prevents unnecessary cycling stress on the A/C clutch components at high RPMs.

This walkthrough video demonstrates how to access and replace the A/C compressor assembly on this specific S550 Mustang platform if you ever need to inspect the clutch hub gap or service the system: Ford Mustang GT350 A/C Compressor Replacement

How i changed the A/C compressor on a 2017 Ford Mustang GT, Touring, GT350 Shelby 5.2l, 5.0l - YouTube
JVFIX LLC · 26K views

 

[-RAC-]

I still turn it off.

 

[TonyNJ]

Even though the PCM disengages the Compressor, that AC belt and pulley is still spinning 24/7. Maybe the unit is just getting beat up at 8k+ regardless if the Compressor is engaged?

 

[Kachow]

Made it 13 minutes into that video, but knew about 1 minute in that I would never attempt this. Is there anything wrong with waiting for it to fail (even though it whines now)?

 

[sk47]

Even though the PCM disengages the Compressor, that AC belt and pulley is still spinning 24/7. Maybe the unit is just getting beat up at 8k+ regardless if the Compressor is engaged?

Hello; I had a 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R bought new and run hard the ten years I owned it. Was the highest RPM redline car I have owned so far. I did run it to the red line RPM's often. The only AC failure in the ten years I ran it was the bearing inside the AC clutch.
I was able to remove the AC clutch & bearing assembly with a set of pullers with the compressor still in the car. That way I did not have to open the AC system. Do not recall if I replaced only the bearing or the clutch assembly.
But as with many things on cars now, you cannot get basic parts often. So having to buy an entire compressor to fix a bad bearing sounds "modern".

 

[-RAC-]

Made it 13 minutes into that video, but knew about 1 minute in that I would never attempt this. Is there anything wrong with waiting for it to fail (even though it whines now)?

Run the risk of spreading debris to other parts of the system which may cause a failure later on.

 

[The Chairman]

Even though the PCM disengages the Compressor, that AC belt and pulley is still spinning 24/7. Maybe the unit is just getting beat up at 8k+ regardless if the Compressor is engaged?

While the A/C clutch may disengage at WOT, as soon as you lift ~1/4” off the throttle, it reengages. Either the clutch fails or the belt shreds. If the A/C belt shreds, it sometimes takes the drive belt with it.
i always turn the HVAC off on the track. I haven’t lost an A/C yet, on any car.

 

[sukhoi_584th]

My dealership has. Two of them. One the mechanic heard it and had it replaced. The other I heard it and complained and the mechanic agreed. The other compressor just flat out broke.

They just heard the supercharger whine and that was enough to get a replacement? How loud was it? Mine has started to whine more than I remember it doing in the past, though I can only hear it when the exhaust is in quiet mode. I have about 10 months left on my ESP, so I'm trying to predict my success rate if I take the time to take it to the dealer .

 

[-RAC-]

Yes the whine was loud with the car parked and I would hear it and the clutch kicking on and off. My dealer was good and worked with me. They just have to confirm which part it is.

Currently taking the car in tomorrow to see which part failed this time. Then I have to go back once the part is in. That sucks but their or Ford rules.

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