Ramos617
Joined:
Jan 2013
Fresno, Ca
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Just got my ac kinda fixed
So my ac didn't work, I had no idea of what shape the ac system was in other than the previous owner telling me it was drained to replace the heater core
I really wanted it fixed for the summer and I of course don't have the equipment to repair it myself
I found a legit guy on craigslist to give me sort of a diagnosis
Anyways he said for 35 bucks he'll check it out
He put new ports for r-134, vacuumed the system, it checked out no leaks, so he filled it with r-134.
So we called it even on 60 bucks with him leaving the Freon in there.
He told me I can leave it as is or do the full conversion for r-134 for 300bucks minus 50 credited from the 60 I already paid him
So I want to know if this is a good idea or if I should just leave it as is
As of right now it blows pretty cold, cold enough for my liking as a matter of fact.
The conversion he will do if I commit will include new orings, dryer install, full vacuum, flush, and fill, the whole shebang
He said right now it has mineral oil in there and it doesn't mix with r-134 and it needs ester oil , the way he explained it was that my compressor will crap out sooner or later but will last longer if I do the full conversion.
What would you guys do? Right now I'm pretty happy with the performance of the ac and I would not mind at all leaving it alone if I know it won't fail soon.
1987 T-Bird
Too much stuff to list
Running better than ever
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Not B Anymore
Joined:
Apr 2001
Nokesville, VA, USA
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I have read that changing out the dryer is fairly important when converting. That seems like a good price - I would go ahead and do the whole thing.
Brian Leavitt
'86 TC 5-Speed -- MS2x w/COP | 83 lb. injectors | T3/T4 50 Trim Stage 3 .63AR | Full 3" Exhaust - No Cat | Motorsport FMIC | Ranger Roller | Ported E6 | Walbro 255HP | Kirban | 20psi | 120-amp 3G | 8.8" 3.55 rear | '03 Cobra Wheels
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BJL
Joined:
Apr 2001
Williamstown, New Jersey
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If it works for now give it a month or too to see if it leaks. did he put a a/c leak dye in also?
if it doesn't leak out its best to go with the full retro fit to ensure the compressor stays good.
the mineral oil not good at all for r134a refrigerant.
as Brian suggested get a new dryer when the retro fit is done. you may also need a new condenser to work correctly with the r134a. the guy you have doing it may be able to adjust the amount of refrigerant to compensate for the r12 condenser.
if you have any other questions ill do my best to answer them
Brian Larkin
88TC 330,000 miles
Slightly Modified
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Ramos617
Joined:
Jan 2013
Fresno, Ca
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Well yea I wanted to wait it out a bit since he is giving me 30 days to get that 50 bucks credited towards the conversion
And no I don't think he put any dye in it, he vaccuumed the system in front on me and said the numbers are spot on and he seemed very confident that the whole system had no leaks and that it was in great condition
He also said that the compressor sounds a bit noisy (from his standpoint of course) and said after the conversion is done it will be ran with the ester oil and it will quiet it up
So if I left is as it sits right now, is the compressor prone to going out soon or will it last a while?
1987 T-Bird
Too much stuff to list
Running better than ever
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vegas_ss
Joined:
Jun 2005
Las Vegas, NV
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I'm sure some here will disagree, but the HR980 can not take the higher head pressures needed for 134a to work correctly... The HR980's are also getting hard to find. Depending on your climate, the A/C may be good enough, but no where near what r12 will deliver.
Mineral oil, which is used in r12 systems, will not be carried by 134a which will certainly cause your compressor to fail quite quickly. Was any oil (PAG, ester) added to the system?
To correctly retrofit, you need to flush all the old mineral oil out of the system and replace the accumulator and liquid line which has the orifice tube in it.
The liquid line is pretty cheap, however I was not able to find just an accumulator with the correct bead lock fittings. Ended up getting the suction hose/accumulator assembly, but that line is routed differently than stock (cuts across in front of the intercooler rather than down the fender well and over). It did fit, but the original routing seemed better...
O rings are cheap and should all be replaced... Look at all your connections, an oily residue with dirt/grime on the lines near the connections are a sign that the O rings are leaking. Most common at the condenser fittings. Also check the front of the compressor as the front seal may also be leaking (only replaceable part of the compressor).
I wouldn't run your A/C with r134a and mineral oil as it will most certainly cause a massive A/C compressor failure possibly contaminating the entire system.
1987 TC, 5sp, Boport Stage 3 Head/2.1 Cam
1996 Impala SS, DCM, Borla Cat Back, too much other stuff!!! (SOLD)
2009 Pontiac G8 GXP 6M, 6.2l LS3, Kooks Long Tube, Hi Flo Cats, Mild Cam
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TurboCoupe50
Joined:
Apr 2001
Chesapeake, Va
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vegas_ss Wrote:I'm sure some here will disagree, but the HR980 can not take the higher head pressures needed for 134a to work correctly... The HR980's are also getting hard to find. Depending on your climate, the A/C may be good enough, but no where near what r12 will deliver.
Mineral oil, which is used in r12 systems, will not be carried by 134a which will certainly cause your compressor to fail quite quickly. Was any oil (PAG, ester) added to the system?
To correctly retrofit, you need to flush all the old mineral oil out of the system and replace the accumulator and liquid line which has the orifice tube in it.
The liquid line is pretty cheap, however I was not able to find just an accumulator with the correct bead lock fittings. Ended up getting the suction hose/accumulator assembly, but that line is routed differently than stock (cuts across in front of the intercooler rather than down the fender well and over). It did fit, but the original routing seemed better...
O rings are cheap and should all be replaced... Look at all your connections, an oily residue with dirt/grime on the lines near the connections are a sign that the O rings are leaking. Most common at the condenser fittings. Also check the front of the compressor as the front seal may also be leaking (only replaceable part of the compressor).
I wouldn't run your A/C with r134a and mineral oil as it will most certainly cause a massive A/C compressor failure possibly contaminating the entire system.
What vegas said...
If the O rings are orig, there is a 110% chance they are leaking...
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Ramos617
Joined:
Jan 2013
Fresno, Ca
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Hmmm from what I see the right way to do the conversion will require a dryer, accumulator, and a condensor to run r-134a
The way I see it is it will be pretty expensive with the conversion plus parts
Is there a chance I could just have the guy vcuum the r-134a that is in the system right now and just have him put r-12 in since I know there is no leaks
1987 T-Bird
Too much stuff to list
Running better than ever
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Pete D
Joined:
Apr 2001
Northern OH
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R-12 could be expensive. Check before you decide
Pete Dunham
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Ramos617
Joined:
Jan 2013
Fresno, Ca
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Yea I know its very expensive compared to r-134a
The guy that worked on my ac said he'll charge $80 a pound, and the TC takes 2lb 10oz correct?
I'm just trying to go with the most economical way that will work right
1987 T-Bird
Too much stuff to list
Running better than ever
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vegas_ss
Joined:
Jun 2005
Las Vegas, NV
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04-07-2013, 04:46 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-07-2013, 04:48 AM by vegas_ss.)
R12 is still around and available on ebay. I just got 5 cans for $110... I try and have a few around Not sure about the capacity, I'm running 28 ounces now and the pressure is good and it is very cold.
Too bad you had him put the r134a fittings on as they are sort of permanent as they come with thread locker. You can still use those fittings though. I would see if he will use his gauge set with r12 or maybe you just need to get him hoses. He shouldn't care if you supply the hoses (under $20) and the r12 (probably $75 or so for two cans)...
You will want to empty and measure the oil from the old accumulator and also remove the compressor and dump that oil. If you are changing all the O rings, that's only three bolts and the belt. That will tell you how much oil to add in the replacement accumulator... you can also pour some in the compressor. I would add 1 or 2 oz. extra if you compressor is noisy... You can add the extra oil later on by pouring the oil in the charge suction hose if you want to wait until you get one can in and see how noisy the compressor is.
I just recharged my AC for the same reason (replaced the heater core)... I got the liquid line and the suction/accumulator line from rock auto, got mineral oil of ebay and had some r12. Used two cans and the system is icy cold! My only issue is when I disconnected the high side hose, the schrader valve was leaking... screwed the cap on and it's holding. I think next time I will replace the valves too
1987 TC, 5sp, Boport Stage 3 Head/2.1 Cam
1996 Impala SS, DCM, Borla Cat Back, too much other stuff!!! (SOLD)
2009 Pontiac G8 GXP 6M, 6.2l LS3, Kooks Long Tube, Hi Flo Cats, Mild Cam
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