Just want to know if anyone here has switched from R12 to R134 in the AC? My '89 Raider is blowing ambient air and I haven't been able to source R12 in Franklin IN.

Are you trying to DIY with the R12? You can't, federal regulation shops only. You could convert with the ends adapters available everywhere. Get it sucked down, put in new oil for the conversion, some R134,,and get out your mittens.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, went to a couple shops, no go on R12. Think I'll try your R134 suggestion.

134 is very different from R12. It operates at higher pressures so you need to be careful not to overfill. It is also not as efficient as R12. Use of a gauge set is preferable to the pressure gauge on those 134 cans. If the R12 has bled down completely then it's possible ambient air (with moisture) is in the system - meaning it should be vac'd out. Use of a compatible 134 oil is also important.

I went with "Eviro-Safe" and got great results. I also used the opportunity to replace all o-ring seals with a followup vacuum pump to expel all air and moisture and double check no leaks.

Thanks!

I converted my '90 to R134a. As I remember I did the following:

-replaced all of the o-rings (at least as I exposed them) with 134a compatible ones
-cleaned up the evaporator and compressor and drained as much of the oil as I could
-replaced the receiver/dryer
-put PAG oil in for the 134a. I don't remember how much, but I wrote it down somewhere. I calculated/guessed based upon what the specs were for R12 morphed through whatever conversion factors I could find
-vacuumed it down and let sit for several hours to check for leaks
-filled it with 134a, once again I calculated the amount by seeing what was recommended when converting

That was a couple of years ago. I've had to top it off with refrigerant once. It works pretty well. On the highway it's fine or when the temperature isn't crazy. On those 105 degree Texas afternoons when you're sitting at a stoplight, well it leaves something to be desired. But to be honest, I don't know how great it was when the car was new compared to how accustomed I've grown to the AC in my more modern cars.

You can still buy R12 on places like eBay, but it's too expensive for my blood.

steve

Thank you for the response.

Damn that sucks, R12 is WAYYYYY better. I see it ALL the time here for my Auctions. Might check keep an eye out in the resale world, its pretty common.

Yeah, after I read stevec's comment, I'm maybe thinking of going the ebay route and getting a stock of R12 laid back.

If I had a 'intact' R12 system I would keep it that way ... But living in the southwest we still have R12 around just gave away two 10oz cans for $20 to a friend ... Heres the math the 'condenser' at the front of the car has to be bigger for R134 to do the same job as R12 is the problem ..I have no trouble finding R12 out west look there maybe ...?