Last post of the night. I let the engine run for about 5 minutes flipping the A/C on and off to make sure the clutch on the compressor didn't hang when it wasn't supposed to. So far all looks good. I turned the A/C off, then turned off the engine and checked the clearance again. Now I've got about .013 inch. Earlier I think I was trying to put the feeler gauge a little too far in. I'll report back later in the week how it is doing.

 

Maybe the field coil is a little weak and you are able to compensate for this problem with the smaller gap. I think it's worth a try testing your idea. Who knows, maybe it will be fine. Good luck.

 

Removing the shim from the compressor clutch fixed the problem. I've had ice cold A/C for 2 months now, not a single issue. Thanks!