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LSU DP · 11-24-2019, 05:00 PM

‘13 Fleetwood Discovery isc380 engine # 73381073 cummins belt 3978279.
My belt popped and i found the compressor locked. Im 700 miles from home and hoping to bypass the a/c with a shorter belt to get home. I will take the belt to the part store and try to find a few that are shorter than the original that hope will work. I read another thread similar but wasnt my RV. I havent found a schematic for my engine. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Im not a mechanic and havent found much luck with cummins or freightliner over the weekend. I will be hiring a mechanic to do the work but wanted to narrow my options down vs total a/c replacement. Thanks for any help.

Jyrocharlie · 11-24-2019, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSU DP

‘options down vs total a/c replacement. Thanks for any help.

It's likely the bearing inside the pulley is bad, it's separate from the compressor and freon system. See if the mechanic will just remove the pulley and change that bearing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn9N5sypuME

LSU DP · 11-24-2019, 06:15 PM

Thanks Jyrocharlie! The freon was low and was working at 50% but i thought i could wait till it warmed up before fixing a/c. The green a/c light was illuminated on the dash on the way down here 700 miles on Thursday, but when we headed out friday the green a/c dash light would not come on, so we turned off a/c when discovered. We traveled about 75 miles with a/c off and stopped and turned off the engine for 30 min. When we started it back up, the belt must have popped b/c it overheated within 10 min. Not sure if any of that is significant, but wanted to share everything i knew. Thanks again.

153stars · 11-24-2019, 07:08 PM

It it puked with AC off Like said it's probably just the bearing 80% chance . Worst case bearing locked up the clutch and ran compressor to death my van did that this spring.
Do you have the diagram of pulley arangment to see if shorter belt can be done. Its going to be hard to get that measurement even if you can reroute it.

153stars · 11-24-2019, 07:21 PM

Take a pic of compressor and post or if someone will chime in . If it matches with domestic truck autozone has the compressor bearings and rental pulley/clutch puller for comp.. Is it toward the top ? Discovery is rear radiator right.

LSU DP · 11-25-2019, 04:47 AM

Thanks 153stars, Im not with the coach currently but am headed back this morn. I can take a pic and post. Autozone has the original belt and i was hoping to grab a few shorter ones. The compressor is top left side of the engine and it does have a rear radiator. Gonna call my Freighliner service location in Gaffney SC when they open this morn to get the schematic and hope the have a better idea on a bypass belt part number.

LETMGROW · 11-25-2019, 05:12 AM

Personally I would replace the entire compressor. By the time you remove the compressor and replace the bearing in the clutch, install the compressor back on the engine, evacuate the system and recharge the system you will have time and money invested and maybe have the compressor go out in a few miles anyway. If a bearing has failed there has been a lot of heat created which can damage the clutch assembly and make it prone to failure quickly after it's put back into service.
If the system has been running low on Freon and oil the compressor has probably worn internally and may be why the bearing failed in the first place.
Lynn

Cincy Steve · 11-25-2019, 05:46 AM

If your experience follows ours, the compressor will have blown an inline fuse, located under the dash, near the evaporator box.

153stars · 11-25-2019, 07:18 AM

If accessible an enough distance in front of pulley there is no need to to remove the comp. I've done them through wheel wells on transverse autos just removing the belt .wheel and splash shield .The hoses usually have enough flex to get comp. somewhat out of the way for other repairs ,as not to have to evacuate and recharge. Good luck .

iowaone · 11-25-2019, 08:09 AM

Last winter my ac locked up and broke belt under similar conditions. I had driven all day with AC off. Stopped to check into campground and then restarted and drive about five minutes to site. Red light came on as backing into site. Locked up AC and broken belt. Anyone have insight into way it locks up when compressor not running???

Cincy Steve · 11-25-2019, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iowaone

Last winter my ac locked up and broke belt under similar conditions. I had driven all day with AC off. Stopped to check into campground and then restarted and drive about five minutes to site. Red light came on as backing into site. Locked up AC and broken belt. Anyone have insight into way it locks up when compressor not running???

Clutch locks up - no longer freewheeling. Ours showed evidence of heat build-up.

GypsyR · 11-25-2019, 08:20 AM

I had a similar situation with a car a couple hundred miles from home. I took the broken belt and figured out how to install it so it bypassed the locked up component. Then I installed it by clamping the two broken ends together with a pair a vice grips. Tricky to do and I needed a third hand to hold the belt tensioner off while I fiddled the ends and vice grips. Eventually I got where I thought it would work. I then took my "belt" off and into NAPA and asked them to match it up by length as close as possible. They gave me some funny looks but it worked and I got home.

Wild Card · 11-25-2019, 08:49 AM

ISL or C of the pre emissions era with separate ac belt. The serp belt for those engines are the same for yours to uses as AC bypass belt.

And I wouldn't mess with bearings on the compressor. Labor for labor it's not worth it.