Chrysler Repair: 1998 Chrysler Sebring a/c-generator drive belt, crank pulley, crank shaft

Question
The A/C compressor on my car needs replacing but I would like to wait because of cost. With the drive belt, can I bypass the compressor and run a shorter belt from the crank shaft directly to the alternator? And if so, is there a way to ajust the belt either from the crank shaft or the alternator?

Answer
Hi Laura,
If your "free" clutch position (e.g. a/c compressor not being called upon) does not bind up or make noise, then your solution would be to remove the electrical plug (for the wire from the clutch relay to the a/c clutch) at the clutch and just defeat the operation of the compressor/clutch as an assembly.
Otherwise, it is likely you can find a small enough belt that would just go around the generator and crank pulley and it would appear that the normal tension adjuster pulley might be an effective tensioner if you chose the belt judiciously to just fit with the tensioner at full left position and then to be tight enough to drive the generator at the full right position (when viewed from the right side of the car, is what I mean by left and right). Check a belt catalog to see if you can find one with the same drive grove surface but of an appropriate length. You can figure out the approximate size you need with a piece of non-stetching string. Have you consulted an AC shop for advice?