Ac Compressor

I'm not sure they were ever made w/o the A/C....

Is it the compressor or the pulley bearing that's failed? If it's NOT the pulley, just disconnect the power lead to the compressor and keep your original belt....:yup:

Otherwise, hope someone else has done this. I prefer to have things work when they exist, so I would go to the trouble to replace the pulley bearing if it failed.:stirpot:

Only my opinion, of course... Good luck!:thumbsup:

No Cadillac was made without A/C, so you won't find a belt in the official part numbers. Some posts here have indicated it can be bypassed, but it seems to me the water pump gets shortchanged on belt surface when this is attempted. I could be wrong.

To get the bypass belt size, remove the old belt and route a string around all the components except the A/C, measure the result (you might want to subtract an inch or so to give yourself some tension), and take the number to an auto parts store. They should be able to set you up.

well i got it done today and the right belt length to bypass the ac compressor is 79 in. for anyone else out there that might need it. there is still plenty of engagement on t all the other pulleys because of the smog pump being there. so good luck to all out there and thanks for all the help.

Nice work! Good to know it can be done.
Not sure if this is vital, but you'll probably want to only use the ECON setting on your Climate Control until your compressor is replaced. Using AUTO energizes the AC compressor regardless of the temp your have set. Not sure whether this could damage something else your AC system when the compressor is bypassed, but it's not worth the risk. You might also see the SERVICE AIR COND light popping on from time to time.

Other than the Service Air indicator, there would not be a problem with the AUTO setting, other than wasting electrical power energizing the clutch for nothing....
Since the pulley is bypassed it's not gonna spin, period.
No spin, no wear, no cool.
No problem!