Honda civic ac compressor clutch not engaging

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy from the correct seller and get the right tools beforehand
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2021

I first bought the kit from AiKai for $49+tax and received a kit for a Subaru WRX for some reason. I returned it and re-ordered it from North America A/C Distribution for $39+tax and received the correct kit for my 2007 Civic EX (the Amazon listing as I write this is now $59, so the price seems pretty volatile). After watching a few YouTube videos I was able to complete this in about 4 hours (I’m not especially skilled at auto repair but I’ve worked on my own cars for about 7 years). The snap-ring pliers that other reviewers recommended, the Knipex 4611A2, are not PERFECT for the job, as the tips are almost too big for the snap-ring holes, but they are probably the best tool to complete this job, as they are long enough to reach the deep snap-ring holding the coil in place. Just keep in mind you’ll have trouble getting the tips in and out of the holes.The 1 OEM shim on my compressor was .5mm (.023”) thick according to my calipers, and this kit from North America A/C Distribution included 2 shims that were both .4mm (.018”) thick. Both the OEM and aftermarket shims had an internal diameter of 10.0mm, so for those of you worried that the kit will include incorrectly sized I.D. shims, as other reviewers have experienced, then buy your kit from North America A/C Distribution, as they seem to have gotten it right. Using the OEM shim, the clutch plate was touching the pulley, so I used the 2 shims from the kit and my feeler gauges said the gap was .021”, which is .008” greater than the recommended .013” gap. I was worried that this was too much, so I tried sanding down a shim to make it thinner, but the steel they used is pretty tough because I couldn’t get it a single thousandth of an inch thinner. I installed it as-is and the clutch worked fine, only engaging when the A/C was switched on.As other reviewers had trouble getting the pulley off, I bought a set of 3-jaw gear pullers on Amazon, but amazingly I was able to work it off without the pullers after spraying the inside with Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil (I’m sure other brands will work too). I was also lucky unscrewing the grounding wire without stripping it using a Phillips head bit on a 1/4” ratchet. Basically, spray stuff with penetrating oil if you fear them getting stuck.You will need to unbolt the A/C compressor using a 12mm socket in order to pivot it slightly to get the pulley off, and you can hold the clutch plate still while you take off the 14mm nut using a pry bar against the three rivets on the face of the clutch plate, so you don’t need a special tool to hold it. You can also get the belt tensioner to loosen with a 19mm wrench, levered using another wrench (watch YouTube to see how they arrange the lever).This project was a PITA, but you CAN do it yourself if you have basic mechanical experience and prepare for it by getting the right tools before hand. It’s sure as heck better than paying several hundred to replace the whole compressor, and this part is way cheaper than the clutch kit from the Honda dealership at $160+ (oddly, O’Reilly doesn’t carry any clutch kits for this car). Good luck, and don’t buy from AiKai.

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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 25, 2021

I first bought the kit from AiKai for $49+tax and received a kit for a Subaru WRX for some reason. I returned it and re-ordered it from North America A/C Distribution for $39+tax and received the correct kit for my 2007 Civic EX (the Amazon listing as I write this is now $59, so the price seems pretty volatile). After watching a few YouTube videos I was able to complete this in about 4 hours (I’m not especially skilled at auto repair but I’ve worked on my own cars for about 7 years). The snap-ring pliers that other reviewers recommended, the Knipex 4611A2, are not PERFECT for the job, as the tips are almost too big for the snap-ring holes, but they are probably the best tool to complete this job, as they are long enough to reach the deep snap-ring holding the coil in place. Just keep in mind you’ll have trouble getting the tips in and out of the holes.

The 1 OEM shim on my compressor was .5mm (.023”) thick according to my calipers, and this kit from North America A/C Distribution included 2 shims that were both .4mm (.018”) thick. Both the OEM and aftermarket shims had an internal diameter of 10.0mm, so for those of you worried that the kit will include incorrectly sized I.D. shims, as other reviewers have experienced, then buy your kit from North America A/C Distribution, as they seem to have gotten it right. Using the OEM shim, the clutch plate was touching the pulley, so I used the 2 shims from the kit and my feeler gauges said the gap was .021”, which is .008” greater than the recommended .013” gap. I was worried that this was too much, so I tried sanding down a shim to make it thinner, but the steel they used is pretty tough because I couldn’t get it a single thousandth of an inch thinner. I installed it as-is and the clutch worked fine, only engaging when the A/C was switched on.

As other reviewers had trouble getting the pulley off, I bought a set of 3-jaw gear pullers on Amazon, but amazingly I was able to work it off without the pullers after spraying the inside with Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil (I’m sure other brands will work too). I was also lucky unscrewing the grounding wire without stripping it using a Phillips head bit on a 1/4” ratchet. Basically, spray stuff with penetrating oil if you fear them getting stuck.

You will need to unbolt the A/C compressor using a 12mm socket in order to pivot it slightly to get the pulley off, and you can hold the clutch plate still while you take off the 14mm nut using a pry bar against the three rivets on the face of the clutch plate, so you don’t need a special tool to hold it. You can also get the belt tensioner to loosen with a 19mm wrench, levered using another wrench (watch YouTube to see how they arrange the lever).

This project was a PITA, but you CAN do it yourself if you have basic mechanical experience and prepare for it by getting the right tools before hand. It’s sure as heck better than paying several hundred to replace the whole compressor, and this part is way cheaper than the clutch kit from the Honda dealership at $160+ (oddly, O’Reilly doesn’t carry any clutch kits for this car). Good luck, and don’t buy from AiKai.

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy from the correct seller and get the right tools beforehand
By K-Bear on July 24, 2021

I first bought the kit from AiKai for $49+tax and received a kit for a Subaru WRX for some reason. I returned it and re-ordered it from North America A/C Distribution for $39+tax and received the correct kit for my 2007 Civic EX (the Amazon listing as I write this is now $59, so the price seems pretty volatile). After watching a few YouTube videos I was able to complete this in about 4 hours (I’m not especially skilled at auto repair but I’ve worked on my own cars for about 7 years). The snap-ring pliers that other reviewers recommended, the Knipex 4611A2, are not PERFECT for the job, as the tips are almost too big for the snap-ring holes, but they are probably the best tool to complete this job, as they are long enough to reach the deep snap-ring holding the coil in place. Just keep in mind you’ll have trouble getting the tips in and out of the holes.

The 1 OEM shim on my compressor was .5mm (.023”) thick according to my calipers, and this kit from North America A/C Distribution included 2 shims that were both .4mm (.018”) thick. Both the OEM and aftermarket shims had an internal diameter of 10.0mm, so for those of you worried that the kit will include incorrectly sized I.D. shims, as other reviewers have experienced, then buy your kit from North America A/C Distribution, as they seem to have gotten it right. Using the OEM shim, the clutch plate was touching the pulley, so I used the 2 shims from the kit and my feeler gauges said the gap was .021”, which is .008” greater than the recommended .013” gap. I was worried that this was too much, so I tried sanding down a shim to make it thinner, but the steel they used is pretty tough because I couldn’t get it a single thousandth of an inch thinner. I installed it as-is and the clutch worked fine, only engaging when the A/C was switched on.

As other reviewers had trouble getting the pulley off, I bought a set of 3-jaw gear pullers on Amazon, but amazingly I was able to work it off without the pullers after spraying the inside with Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil (I’m sure other brands will work too). I was also lucky unscrewing the grounding wire without stripping it using a Phillips head bit on a 1/4” ratchet. Basically, spray stuff with penetrating oil if you fear them getting stuck.

You will need to unbolt the A/C compressor using a 12mm socket in order to pivot it slightly to get the pulley off, and you can hold the clutch plate still while you take off the 14mm nut using a pry bar against the three rivets on the face of the clutch plate, so you don’t need a special tool to hold it. You can also get the belt tensioner to loosen with a 19mm wrench, levered using another wrench (watch YouTube to see how they arrange the lever).

This project was a PITA, but you CAN do it yourself if you have basic mechanical experience and prepare for it by getting the right tools before hand. It’s sure as heck better than paying several hundred to replace the whole compressor, and this part is way cheaper than the clutch kit from the Honda dealership at $160+ (oddly, O’Reilly doesn’t carry any clutch kits for this car). Good luck, and don’t buy from AiKai.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 24, 2022

Perfect alternative over a shop replacing the entire compressor. I’ve had a 2007 and a 2010 civic. Both had to have this clutch replaced.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 6, 2022

Product was well made and of good quality.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2022

2006 Civic EX . 210K miles ,well maintained AC .... diagnosed AC clutch not engaging.... perfect replacement .... pia job but can be done with regular tools except for the recommended snap ring pliers .... youtube is your friend

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2022

This is a perfect fit but you should use the orginal snap rings and shims (washers) from the manufacturer/ OEM part. It was suggested in the comments and I agree because they are different in thickness. The clutch is 3 pieces, 2 of them fit into one another and then the face plate (this is normal). The 2 pieces that fit together took an hour with a rubber mallet to get them together and flush. Is that normal? I don't know but in the end it works perfectly.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2022

Fitted perfectly my Civic 2010. Before this, i bought a kit from Ebay and the pulley weren't good (grooves were different so the belt didn't fit). Bough this kit and everything was perfect. Shipping was also fast. Positive vibes :)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2022

Wish to have more space from Honda design to get it fix a lot easier

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 19, 2022

For 50 bucks, this replacement was worth a try. My bill from the autoshop was around 2.2k, told me I had to replace the whole thing. I gave this a shot and boom, Ac works. I have to say, the installation took me about 4 hours, and it had a lot of tricky bolts to reach, the snap rings were also annoying to get out. Before you buy this, make sure you troubleshoot before you replace this, maybe it could be something else. Best of luck and find a good pair of pliers.

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