Mitch,
I converted mine to 134a without without changing anything besides the port valves, the receiver/dryer and the oil in the A6 compressor.
Positive:
Very easy, inexpensive, better for the environment and I can get it refilled if needed in any AC shop.
Negative:
The air is indeed not ice cold as it was whit R12, but adequate nevertheless (and I live in the Southern France where gets quite hot)
The AC hoses weep as the R134a molecule is smaller than the R12, but having said that, I did the conversion in 2009 and itās still working fine without a refill.
R134a compatible hoses are available though.
If you want to do it the right way you should also change the expansion valve and this would give you better cooling.
Yes, it does help.
Iāve been kicking back and forth over keeping R
12 or converting, considering my car is 42 (!) years old Iām thinking a
full conversion (hoses, etc) is the best long term solution.
Thanks
[quote=āMitch_in_Tac, post:12, topic:378172ā]
Obviously
at this time I might as well convert to 134a.
[/quote]
Mitch,
I converted mine to 134a without without
changing anything besides the
port valves, the receiver/dryer
and the oil in the A6 compressor.
Positive:
Very easy, inexpensive, better for the environment and I can get it
refilled if needed in any AC shop.
Negative:
The air is indeed not ice cold as it was whit R12, but adequate
nevertheless (and I live in the Southern France where gets quite
hot)
The AC hoses weep as the R134a molecule is smaller than the
R12, but
having said that, I did the conversion in 2009 and itās
still working fine
without a refill.
R134a compatible
hoses are available though.
If you want to do it the
right way you should also change the expansion
valve and this
would give you better cooling.
Unfortunately, I opine that it is more than a seized clutch. I think the pump seized and the clutch still "orderedā to engage. Belt went up in smoke.
decades ago, that happened to the AC in my 85 F 150. I had ignored itās noisy compressor as it cooled perfectly, up to itās demiseā¦
Yes, the GM Harrison was widely used. Tough and effective. But parasiticā¦ Modern stuff out thereā¦
Mitch,
When I looked into an R12 to R134A conversion for my 1987 XJ6 Vanden Plas offered by a local independent shop it was more than $2,000 (although I donāt have the details anymore). I bought a vacuum pump, an o-ring kit, and an A/C manifold setup from Harbor Freight. Then I removed and replaced all the old o-rings and did a vacuum check only to discover that the compressor had a leak. But with a rebuilt compressor the car held 30 in Hg vacuum for a few weeks while I worked on other things on that car. Once that car was back on the road from my other work, I removed and replaced the receiver drier and had it professionally serviced with R12 for about $250. A year later it is still blowing cold in the hands of its new owner.
Following my success with our 1987 XJ6 Vanden Plas I followed the same method to get our 1990 V12 Vanden Plas and most recently my 1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas blowing cold with R12 again. I have two more Jaguars to fix the A/C on, but they will have to wait for now while I complete other work.
At this point I got three cars blowing cold with R12 for less than the R134A price quote that I got for one car. It was a lot of hard work on my part, and there are many potential sources of leaks that need to be tested and fixed (o-rings, compressor, condensor, hoses, fuel cooler, evaporator, ?). But overall I found doing some of this A/C work myself more satisfying than throwing more money at others only to be disappointed yet again by warm air shortly afterwards and money down the drain (or into the atmosphere?).
I learned some new things about how A/C systems work (and why they donāt work) plus I got to buy some more fun tools for my garage.
Paul,
Just returned from the shop: $900 for compressor ($290), dryer
($30), and labor.
Thatās assuming the hoses are good. He doesnāt plan
on touching any fittings except at the dryer and compressor.
If it
doesnāt hold pressure, than Iām shopping hoses.
I asked how much to
swap to 134; $135 lesss, but thatās using the same hoses.
If I
expected Iād have several cars to do Iād invest in the tools, but for a
one off ā¦
Mitch
Mitch,
When I looked into an R12 to R134A conversion for my 1987
XJ6 Vanden Plas
offered by a local independent shop it was more
than $2,000 (although I
donāt have the details anymore). I
bought a vacuum pump, an o-ring kit,
and an A/C manifold setup
from Harbor Freight. Then I removed and
replaced all the old
o-rings and did a vacuum check only to discover that
the
compressor had a leak. But with a rebuilt compressor the car held 30
in Hg vacuum for a few weeks while I worked on other things on that
car.
Once that car was back on the road from my other work, I
removed and
replaced the receiver drier and had it
professionally serviced with R12
for about $250. A year later it
is still blowing cold in the hands of its
new owner.
Following my success with our 1987 XJ6 Vanden Plas I
followed the same
method to get our 1990 V12 Vanden Plas and
most recently my 1984 XJ6
Vanden Plas blowing cold with R12
again. I have two more Jaguars to fix
the A/C on, but they will
have to wait for now while I complete other
work.
At this point I got three cars blowing cold with R12 for less than
the
R134A price quote that I got for one car. It was a lot of
hard work on my
part, and there are many potential sources of
leaks that need to be tested
and fixed (o-rings, compressor,
condensor, hoses, fuel cooler, evaporator,
?). But overall I
found doing some of this A/C work myself more
satisfying than
throwing more money at others only to be disappointed yet
again
by warm air shortly afterwards and money down the drain (or into the
atmosphere?).
I learned some new things about
how A/C systems work (and why they donāt
work) plus I got to buy
some more fun tools for my garage.
I did my conversion to r134a for around $700. That included everything except new hoses, new evaporator and new condensor and also included gauge set and vacuum pump and some other small tools. I can provide a very recent parts list and prices if you want.
Thatās near the quote from the shop.
Unfortunately from what Iāve
read, the likelihood of 134 seeping out through original hoses is fairly
high.
And some hoses for my '77 may not even be available anymore!
I did my conversion to r134a for
around $700. That included everything
except new hoses, new
evaporator and new condensor and also included gauge
set and
vacuum pump and some other small tools. I can provide a very
On mine the sticker (data plate) says warning metric bolts used or something similar.
Hoses can be made on order so that should not be a problem. If I would change refrigerant I would use the standard valves so no future shop throws a hissy fit when they have to service it.
If you are determined to open the system anyways you can bring the hoses to a place that can make new ones. Doing everything at once spares you the new dryer, evacuation and refill when something isnāt right.
David,
Iām opting for a straight-up R-12 rebuild.
Thereās an
excellent place in town to get hoses built, if needed. Thanks for the
input.
Mitch
On mine
the sticker (data plate) says warning metric bolts used or
something similar.
Hoses can be made on order so that should not
be a problem. If I would
change refrigerant I would use the
standard valves so no future shop
throws a hissy fit when they
have to service it.
If you are determined to open the
system anyways you can bring the hoses
to a place that can make
new ones. Doing everything at once spares you the
new dryer,
evacuation and refill when something isnāt right.
Having taken in all the advice on this forum, and doing my research, I decided remaining with R-12 was the best route to take.
There is just one shop in town that handles R-12, and of course, heās clear across town. That meant if I did it myself Iād have to go 15 miles, have the old coolant removed, drive 15 miles home to remove and replace the compressor and dryer, then drive 15 miles to have the system pressure checked before pumping in new R-12. If it failed, and needed new hoses, there was another 15 miles, replace all the hoses (custom made), then back for another pressure test/refill.
OR
Take the car to the shop at 8AM on Monday, wait for phone call: if hoses were needed Iād have to pick up the old ones to be copied and then run them back to the shop - probably 24 hour turn around for the hoses. Then wait for phone call.
BUT
The shop called about 3PMon Monday, the job was done and passed pressure test.
Within the hour I was FREEZING MY a** OFF as I drove home.
Total cost: $320 for parts
$300 for R-12 @$100 per PD.
$276 for labor
$5.00 for dye and oil
$91.70 tax
Total $990.70
I count it as money well spent.
Mitch
I see it as Mitch giving himself approval for patting himself on the back, and of course, the implication, that it was fine for others.
I just did pat myself on the back. I made the decision to have cataract surgery on my eft eye. Two docās differed on the timing. I chose ānowā. Pat, pat. Except for all the commotion, the discomfort was much less than the injections in that eye have been. Macular issue.
So, can I do better with those ā!@@#$$#@ā eye charts? A bit, yes. But, with the ācloudā removed, daily looking is a hā¦ of a lot better. Will a new spec in a month make it better/ We will seeā¦
Apologies for the hijack, but it is slightly relevantā¦
