Air conditioning

[drink2mny]

Hey any of you guys used the kit you can buy at napa to retrofit your a/c 134 refrigerant..

Was just curious.
It comes with oil that works with the old oil and stop leak in it..plus 3 cans..
I have to get 1 more can i think.The instructions says it will fill 85% of my a/c..
It seems to be working, but wanted to hear what you guys have done for reconditioning the whole setup..

[Phillip Johnson]

Wallmart sells a kit like that, yet, I paid $800 to an a/c shop in Chico to convert an 87 Chevy Duellay I had as a ranch truck. I was told that "you get what you pay for". If you want it done right, it will cost. If you want a quick job that will cost you in 6 months or so, buy the $39 kit and do it yourself. Then later, pay for a complete new system. I might add, the 87 is still blowing cold yet, the guy across the road, went the other route and after 8 months, had it done right and admitted that he should have spent the money up front as now he had to replace more parts.
Just my 4 1/2 cents worth

For the record, I just was quoted $950 to convert my Corvette. No more $75 a pound R-12 every year. The vette leaked about 1.5 pounds a year. It now needs a recharge and I am just gonna have it done right as I will NEVER sell this car. I just hit 70k miles and its almost 24 years old.
It just gets better with age! Just like our trucks

[drink2mny]

Yeah I figured It won't last long, but atleast it last the summer up here and then I can save money to have it all checked out this winter..Servicing should be cheaper in the middle of winter..

Just wondering also if anyone knew how many 1lb cans do i put in it..The kit comes with 3 of them..

[C.B.'s 72]

I can't believe what a puss you are. Man up, it ain't that hot here. Just messin' with you Jon.

[Locutus]

3 Cans is about par. If you are serious about converting the system then you do not want to mix anything R-12 and R-134a. They use different oils and in the case of PAG oil it does NOT mix with the mineral oil used orginally with R-12. The other major concern is o-rings. You need to replace all your o-rings or your system will slowly leak out the r-134a. You need o-rings specific to your type of system. Since you will have the system apart it is also best to flush the evaporator and condensor with varsol or other solvent to get out all the oil and to drain the compressor completely. Put in the recommended amount of oil in the compressor. Then re-assemble all your lines with new o-rings and a new dryer. After you are done you can pull a vacuum and then leave it for a couple of days. If you did everything right when you recheck it in a couple of days it should still be holding a vacuum. If it is you can start charging the system with R-134a. You need to go up to at least 35 PSI though I think it cools better with 40 PSI. Put a thermometer in the vent and check you temp it should be around 40-50 degrees.


Mike

[drink2mny]

Thanks Locutus for the info I wondered how hard it would be for myself to change it all.. Of course that kit doesn't say anything about seals..But does say the oils will mix, but that just sound right..

I did use the kit and put about 3 1/2 cans in it..And 1 of them had the uv stuff in it. Which i was told by a a/c place in town to use a black light to look for leaks..I guess i'll ask my buddies from the 60's if they have a light handy

It reached around 100 today and the cab wasn't ice cold but i wasn't sweating with the widows up. It felt around 50-60 degrees
i figure not bad for the temp outside.

As for you C.B.
Have i mentioned I have A/C
And your right it ain't that hot in my office

[Piston]

Thats not bad at all for 134A, im surpised it it blowing that cold. The trouble with 134A is its ability to only cool 30 degree's off ambient tempurature. Meaning, if your cab is not air tight and the recirculation system is not closing off all outside air, its just not going to cool like it should. Also, the condensor is made for R12 and has a considerably smaller capacity than the 134A systems. Meaning it doesnt have the ability to remove the heat from the cab as fast as a R12 system would.

Check all your seals and holes in the cab, then consider adding a pusher fan to your condensor, you'll notice a difference.

Oh and you'll need a UV light to check for dye leaks. A blacklight is "ok" but UV is what sets that dye off like a becon.

[drink2mny]

Thanks for the info Piston..
I do have an electic fan just a 14incher but i'll give it a wurl..
A buddy of mine has a UV light..I guess he use to service a while back..

For 30 bucks.. I say what the heck..It blows colder than it did..

[truckster]

I haven't done my truck yet, but I converted my car over to R-134A about 2 years ago. I took the whole system apart and drained as much of the old oil as I could, and used the conversion kit you can buy at WalMart or Autozone. After two years, it's still keeping cold on our 104 degree July days. Just put in the same number of ounces of R-134A as your R-12 sticker calls for - it's a 1:1 crossover. I also recommend the oil they call maxicool. It's a molybdenum blend, and it seems to quiet the compressor down some.