AC conversion kits....are they any good?

[Geminiroq]

Hey guys,

I was talking to a guy over at Midas and he recommended that I charge my AC system with a kit that you can buy off the shelf at any parts store.

The kit is more or less 50 bucks.

He said that it will also convert from the old refrigerant to the new 134.

Does anyone have any experience with these and are the worthwhile?

Can this conversion be that easy as he says?

Depending upon the feedback...I would want to use it on my 79 chero.

Any and all advise is appreciated.

Thank you...

[YellowJeep]

I tried this once and it worked OK. There is usually an additive that will condition the seals and some differernt oil for the compressor. The R134a molecule is smaller and may leak out of an R12 system that previously didn't have any leaks. This is what they are trying to remedy with the seal conditionioner.

[swampedge]

134a molecules are actually so small that they disperse from the hose it's self. 134a should be used with new barrier hoses. I use it in both with no real issues. All the coolants on the market work and they all require a clean environment to work in. It's going to cost 50 bucks regardless of what coolant you use if your trying to bring an old system back to life. You still have to pull a vacuum on it to check for leaks. My vote is 6 too 1 or 1/2 dozen to another..........it's all the same in the end.
Jim

[babywag]

Likely you'll be wasting the $50 and the effort spent charging it with a kit.

What I'd do...
Remove your hoses and get them redone @ an AC shop or a NAPA store.
Flush the system.
Replace the drier.
Replace the oil in the compressor with the correct type for what you want to use for refrigerant.

If you have access to gauges, a vacuum pump, and an air compressor???
You can pull a vacuum on the system to see if it's good.
Harbor freight has cheap vacuum pumps for both r12 & r134a.
Gauges are a little spendy, but if you have more than one vehicle they are worth it IMHO.

If it checks out OK, recharge it with either r134a or r12.
r12 can still be purchased it's more expensive than r134a, but it works better in a stock system.

Look closely @ the hose connections, if there is oily crud built up on them the fittings were/are leaking.
Look closely @ the front of the compressor behind the clutch, again if it's got oily crud built up the front seal it is leaking.
Old york compressors with leaky seals won't take to r134a well.

I spent a bunch of money on my system in '05, and it still blows like 45* out the vents.
I replaced everything with the exception of the evaporator under the dash.

I was debating using a kit to convert it, and it wouldn't have worked for very long @ all judging the overall appearance of my system.

Now on the other hand, the '89 GW I had was converted and worked ok.
Nowhere near as cold as my '88 GW with the r12 though.

My dad also has a '90 GW that was converted, it needs frequent recharges, and also in nowhere near as cold as my '88.

[lycanthrope]

i am working on building my repair parts for r12 systems. around here you can get 30lb tanks of r12 for $150-300. so, some would put it at $5.--a pound. the small cans are going for $30-60 a pound. few shops will do r12 anymore. if your system hasn't been converted, i'd stick with r12. i have about 8 cars/trucks in the family that will need a/c work in the future that are r12 systems(we have lots of old cars). last week i pulled an entire a/c system from a cherokee in the yards for about $200.-- that is destined for my sportside.

currently i have a good vacuum pump, a good set of gauges, nitrogen tank, recovery pump, and a scale. i do still need a leak detection kit, and a recovery tank if i work on charged systems. the online test for the license is about $20.--

[seventynine]

It's a crap shoot as to whether that will work. Some guys on here have had luck with a quick cheap swap...I'm not one of them.

As others have said you really need to change the oil out in your York compressor, change the dryer, and vacuum the system out at a minimum...before you charge with 134.

After a couple of failed attempts I did as Babywag did and replaced everything but the evaporator and so far it's worked flawlessly.

My journey:
http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=108297

[swampedge]

Like babywag and seventynine said. On the York when you suck all the oil out fill it up until there is 3/4 7/8" up a wire touching the bottom........PAG 150 oil will be the new stuff you use. If you can't get all of the oil out you may want to use ester oil. You can build new hoses for cheap and the ones they sell on ebay are jam up. A filter is not a bad thing either.