Chevy & GMC Vans

I am selling the van, so it has not been driven a whole lot in recent times. I did have it out a week ago Sunday, and everything ran fine, and I have been starting it occasionally and giving it a brief run, but definitely not the daily driver it has been.

This past week had been extremely cold with lots of lake effect snow in Southwestern Ontario, so while shoveling I wanted to move the van. I couldn't get it to start as the battery was a little run down and very cold, or so I thought.

I hooked up the charger and checked back the next day. Battery was charged, but when trying to turn over, there was a squeal like a belt on a seized pulley. Either way, I couldn't get the van to start and figured that it was snow getting under the hood from it being open for the charger.

Today was much warmer so I tried again. The van started with some work, but there was a horrible screech from under the hood. I looked and saw that it was the AC compressor pulley which was not moving at all.

Any idea on a quick fix that would be inexpensive? BTW, the compressor has been leaking and not working for over a year, so I know it is shot, but since I don't use the AC I didn't expect the clutch to engage much less seize.

If it's only the clutch it should run free if you unplug it. If it's the clutch bearing frozen then you will have to replace it.

Much too cold to be working on it right now in the Great White North. Where exactly would I unplug it? Now I think I should have taken out the compressor and put in a bypass pulley when it started to leak a couple of years back.

It's the connector right behind the clutch.

Spray some rust penetrant on it. Hopefully you can break it free. The next option is a bypass pulley and new belt.

A warming trend is supposed to be coming so I won't freeze while working on it. Hopefully I can get it to break free since I don't want to put more money into it.

I was going to look at this two months back when things warmed up, then I broke my hand in a cycling crash, so I have been out of commission for things like this.

I am pretty sure the compressor is seized as unhooking the clutch wire doesn't make any difference to the situation. I am selling the van as I have switched over the a Silverado, but I would sort of like to get it running with the minimum of work/expense.

My question is, can an AC delete pulley be installed without removing the clutch and compressor on my '97?