Swapping AC Compressor pulley?

[Quincy56]

I got a replacement compressor. It looks the same as the old one except it has a different pulley. Can I swap them?

Old Compressor

http://home.comcast.net/~Quincy56/Oscar/OldComp.jpg

New compressor

http://home.comcast.net/~Quincy56/Oscar/NewComp.jpg

[dude8383]

I'm pretty sure you can, you will have to remove the clutch on the compressor.

That looks like its from an E36 that already has serpentine belts.

[Quincy56]

The person I bought it from said it would fit a 91 318i. If it is just a matter of swapping the pulleys, that isn't a big deal. I haven't taken the old one out yet..

I figure early E36s probably use the same compressor, but obviously different belts.

Thanks

John

[dude8383]

Yeh I believe they were the same...just make sure everything lines up!

[Quincy56]

I haven't yet got the pulley off, but I took it to an AC shop and he said my pulley is bad, not my clutch as I thought. The two compressors look almost identical. So any way to just get a new pulley?

BTW, I was expecting the car to not have any pressure, but when I pulled the compressor out I was shocked with a huge volume of R12. Sorry ozone layer.

John

[christophbmw]

your new compressor is for R-134 if its from an E36, so a conversion will have to be done. And whoever sold you that compresor was lying it is not for a '91 318i, all the E30's had v-belts, not ribbed belts.