[Bob Lincoln]

The clutch itself can be replaced without losing the freon. Essentially you undo the center bolt and use a gear puller or pry the clutch off (after removing the belt). Mine, and maybe all, have a keyway, and the metal shims will come out with it.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

I can sympathize, though, if he still has a good R12 charge, and doesn't have the technician's certificate to buy R12, or the money to invest in it. An R134a conversion can be done, but is undesirable if the R12 charge is still sufficient. I'd be tempted to change just the clutch in that case. If the charge is depleted enough, I'd convert.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Thank you for saying "needs to be replaced" instead of "needs replaced". Sometimes I need reassurance that I'm still in an English-speaking country.

 

[Bob Lincoln]

How did you determine that the clutch is bad? What electrical measurements did you get? Did you jump 12V directly from a battery to the clutch's terminals to see if it actuates? Otherwise, it could be a bad AC or fan relay, a low-pressure cutoff switch, a wiring problem, a climate control switch problem, etc.