Chad and Thief, You are both going to probably skewer me but I did my own conversion on my 87 pickup from r12 to 134a around 3 years ago. With the help of my neighbor who used to do AC work years ago. He had the vacume pump and gauges to make it happen.

I had a very slow leak so I had no r12 to get rid of. I used a Castrol brand conversion kit that included the new fittings, a can of stopleak/conversion oil, and a can of 134a.

We changed the fittings pulled vacume for awhile, added the can of stopleak/conversion oil, charged the system and it is as cold as I remember the r12 system ever being.

Total cost was $50 IIRC. At the time folks on the lists told me I had to replace my receiver/dryer, o-rings, compressor, etc. I did not replace jack and it works like a champ 3 years later. The leak is even gone, I have not added any 134a in three years. In the past my r12 was gone within 6 months.

I am sure what I did is not "technically" the "right way" to do it. But there was no way in hell I was going to pour hundreds of $$$ into a truck worth maybe $1k. If it failed I was just going to remove the stock system and install a york for OBA.


Disclaimer:
This is just my personal experience and I in no way endorse what I did. I am not certified in anything automotive. Just shadetree.

No problem John, 90% of vehicle you could just grab a kit, charge it without changing anything, and never have any problem.

I just do some extra items to protect myself against comebacks and system failures.

Can i buy the retro fit kit from Kragen.

Conversion Kit (R12 To R134a): w/Ester Oil; w/10P13C Comp.; w/Drier; Kit Listed Contains Gaskets,O-Rings, Or Valve Core, For Kit exc. Gaskets, O-Rings, Or Valve Core Order Kit PN# {0123B}

Install, fill and be cool?
MIke

That's one of the biggest things in the auto industry, do a half-fast job and it'll come back to haunt you. Never had that happen to me, then again I don't work on a large scale repair shop like some of you. A/C work is also another big deal thing, one month later if that a/c ain't still blowing cold air, especially after a customer paid $1000 for a repair job, you can guarantee a chewed out ass when he comes back to complain.

If I have the system evaccuated and change the o-rings and other parts in the Kragen kit. then I buy the $33 dollar Walmart kit, add the 134? Will it work?

If this old system has some r12 residue, will the new 134 eventually fail? It it does, can I just change the 134 again. How would I get all the r12 out without cahnging every part?

I've done it to mine, no problems. Others have done it to theirs, no problem. Many folks side line a business doing it for profit, no problem.

BUT...it's not the "perfect" way. You can have contamination problems, poor cooling, and even catestrophic compressor failure. Unlikely to happen, but not absolutely impossible.