A/C R12 to 134 Conversion - Which Oil to use ?
06-11-2010, 10:48 PM
#16
Intermediate
Thread Starter
The A/C job is dragging on. Got everything apart, switched over and put back together today. The o-rings (green) seemed to fit perfectly. Ran the vacuum pump for +1/2 hour, turned it off and the pressure leaked up about 15 psi in 2 beers time. #@$#! So somethings leaking somewhere.
Here's my list of top 4 A/C Rookie tips and tricks from today:
1.It's a good thing I was wearing my kewl wrap around safety glasses, because even though there's no pressure at either service port, when you are laying under the car, there's still plenty of pressure behind the compressor drain plug!
2. Glad you recommended Ester 'cause you can't really get ALL the old oil out.
3. It's a good idea to check wrench sizes before you start. My selection of open end wrenches above 19mm and 1" is limited. The low side compressor hose fitting is 27mm. A 1" wrench is too small and a 1 1/8" is too big. It's not fun to discover this when the only car in the driveway is up on jack stands with the compressor hanging out.
4. When the car is in the driveway on jack stands with the hood open and there's a huge downpour it's a good idea to close the hood. This will prevent the recess in the head surrounding the front spark plug from filling with rain water and causing the car to stumble on 3 cylinders when driving to find a 1 1/8" wrench.
Hope I can finish the job without adding to this list.
Gary
Here's my list of top 4 A/C Rookie tips and tricks from today:
1.It's a good thing I was wearing my kewl wrap around safety glasses, because even though there's no pressure at either service port, when you are laying under the car, there's still plenty of pressure behind the compressor drain plug!
2. Glad you recommended Ester 'cause you can't really get ALL the old oil out.
3. It's a good idea to check wrench sizes before you start. My selection of open end wrenches above 19mm and 1" is limited. The low side compressor hose fitting is 27mm. A 1" wrench is too small and a 1 1/8" is too big. It's not fun to discover this when the only car in the driveway is up on jack stands with the compressor hanging out.
4. When the car is in the driveway on jack stands with the hood open and there's a huge downpour it's a good idea to close the hood. This will prevent the recess in the head surrounding the front spark plug from filling with rain water and causing the car to stumble on 3 cylinders when driving to find a 1 1/8" wrench.
Hope I can finish the job without adding to this list.
Gary
06-14-2010, 11:54 PM
#17
Intermediate
Thread Starter
John, Keith, Andy & Mark, thanks for your help. Everything is working well now and the A/C is blowing cold. (2 14 oz WalMart cans) No evidence of the uV tracer anywhere that's visible. We'll see how it holds up over the next few weeks.
For those who will be doing a conversion, these part numbers may help:
Right angle R-12 to R134a low side service port adapter: NAPA 409909 about $6.50
A/C, alternator belt: NAPA 25-050390 (Dayco 505039, Gates K050390). This belt is 1" shorter than stock and provides clearance for the 90 degree service port adapter with good access to the port. Before I bought the belt, I ground .070" off of the alternator bracket and .020" from the right angle adapter which gave me enough room to to tighten the belt. But, I wasn't comfortable with what was almost an interference fit. Didn't want to risk having the compressor nipple break over time. The shorter belt provides good clearance.
Stay cool,
Gary
For those who will be doing a conversion, these part numbers may help:
Right angle R-12 to R134a low side service port adapter: NAPA 409909 about $6.50
A/C, alternator belt: NAPA 25-050390 (Dayco 505039, Gates K050390). This belt is 1" shorter than stock and provides clearance for the 90 degree service port adapter with good access to the port. Before I bought the belt, I ground .070" off of the alternator bracket and .020" from the right angle adapter which gave me enough room to to tighten the belt. But, I wasn't comfortable with what was almost an interference fit. Didn't want to risk having the compressor nipple break over time. The shorter belt provides good clearance.
Stay cool,
Gary
06-16-2010, 06:15 PM
#19
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Just a quick note, Nitrogen is better then compressed air ( Less moisture ). Refrigerant systems do not like moisture. If you do use compressed air make sure you get a good long vacuum on the system using a refrigerant vacuum pump.
