A/C Recharge for converted system

[wtd]

Glad you got it fixed. 80% is usually the recommended amount when converting an R12 system to r134a but it is not an absolute number. Some people say to start at about 60% and work up from there using pressures as a guide. I like keeping R12 systems R12 if I can.

I have two 92 chevy cavaliers. One I converted to r134a because I did not have access nor could I buy R12 at the time. I flushed the system and reused the condensor and added a new compressor, accumulator and OT and O-rings. I used the 80% rule and the AC cools quite good even six years later.

By the time my other cavalier's compressor started leaking, I had my 609 certificate and could buy R12. This car was still running it's original R12 system and was much colder than the car I converted to 134a. I repaired the system in this car and installed a new compressor, condensor, accumulator, OT, and O-rings. This repair was done about three years ago and it is much colder than the converted car. It will freeze you out to the point you have to turn down the blower.

It is possible that the converted car could have been fine tuned a little more on the amount of 134a used but this car was my first attempt at a real AC repair so I was not as knowledgable back then.

Wayne

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: wtd
By the time my other cavalier's compressor started leaking, I had my 609 certificate and could buy R12.

What are you paying for r12 these days and where do you purchase?

134a conversions use to make sense because r134 was cheap and easily available, now its $10 and up for 12 oz. cans, probably poised to go even higher no doubt.

 

[wtd]

I bought my R12 that I used to repair the second Cavalier off of Ebay and paid $65 shipped for four cans. Of course that was three years ago and I have not priced any off of Ebay since. I did pick up a can of it off of my local CL for $15 awhile back. Recently someone on my local CL was selling four cans of it for $25 a can. The last time I did check on Ebay, there was still a lot of R12 for sale. Most people on there do require you to send a copy of your 609 cert. before they will ship it though. I had to do this on the four cans I purchased.

I paid around $300 shipped for my 54 lb tank that has 50 lbs left and a SnapOn set of R12 gauges.

Some vehicles don't convert over to r134a very well and you are basically guessing on how much refrigerant to use in a converted system and is why I like keeping systems they way they came from the factory. I realize not everyone wants to pay the price for R12 or take the time to get the 609 cert but I feel it is worth it.

Most people also just half-[censored] AC repairs and wonder why they don't last. Refrigerant is getting too expensive to not do everything right the first time.

Wayne

 

[crazy8]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
At Sears right now. The machine recovered 3.19lbs of 134A. Per the Toyota TSB, the correct charge amount should have been 2.53lbs or 1150g. The max R12 charge amount would have also only been 2.87lbs.

So yeah, oops.


Sounds like a little overcharge, no harm. I have a question about the freon that you added, by any chance did it have sealer in it? If it did I am supprised that Sears serviced the system, they are supposed to check the freon for quality, contamination and sealer before they recover the freon out of the car. If you did have sealer it can kill and RRR machine and contaminate any car that they service after your car.