Thread: R134a compressor with r12 refrigerant...

Ok my ac compressor locked up the other day and we found an r134a compressor out of a 94 G20 that bolted up to my motor without a hitch.

Now I know that r134a has smaller molecules than r12 so the compressor seals are going to be "tighter" and therefore r12 would be less likely to leak.

Also, I know the only way it might work would involve draining all r134a coolant out of the "new" compressor.

Has anyone done this? I want to run r12 still. As r134a will leak out quicker with my old r12 gaskets/seals (r12 gaskets/seals are slightly more porous because the refrigerant molecules are larger)

I'm trying to move quickly on this..

R12 is expensive to use. If your system takes r134a I would use r134a. Its cheaper, and better for the environment. When you take the car to an ac shop have them recharge it and check for leaks. If there are no obvious leaks you should be ok for years to come.

my car is a 1991. The system is r12. Only the compressor is r134a.

R134a molecules are tiny and will leak out faster in my r12 system.

I want to use r12.

It's also colder, up to 10 degrees colder out of the vents...

I wan to use r12.

Cost is not a factor.

I want to use r12.

The question was, "has anyone done this?"

When you have it charged, any good tech will run a vac on it for at LEAST 15 mins. That will suck everything out. If you are really paranoid (which you seem to be) you will want to replace the dryer and the expansion valve. You will also want to have the sytem flushed.

Where the hell do you get r12 at?

I've converted several cars and I've never recieved a complaint from a customer. Some of them the customers went all out on and had me replace every seal, the dryer and the expansion valve, other times I just put the convertor nipples on the old r12 fittings. I'd help you out, but I'm without an a/c machine and a job. I have never noticed a difference in seals. They all seem to be the same.

30mins is min vacuum.

The difference in r12-r134a is the low pressure hose. The r12 has a barrier type connector on the line and r134a has a i forget lol but thats where you will see the leak of r134a on the r12 line. You can get new orings and not have to worry about those leaking.

I agree we pull a vacuum of the system for at least 20-30 minutes.

You can't buy R12 anymore unfortunaltly although there seems to be a "black market" where you can get it but at very high prices. I still have close to 30 pounds of R12 at my shop.

You won't be able to run that 134 compressor on the R12 system. You need to find a R12

compressor. If you do decide to use it, then you will have to change some things on the

system for it to be 134. You won't be able to buy R12, only certified A/C&R Techs are able

to buy it, it will be a little cooler than 134.




Chris.

Just get the r134 fittings(maybe $20-35) pull a good, long vacuum on it, add r134 oil, charge it. Done! The r134 will be plenty cold for you.

I have a complete a/c system off of my 92 Se-r that I got from North Carolina. It blew ice cold when I got it. I'll sell you the whole works(compressor, lines, condenser, evaporator, dryer, everything) for $100. I'm bringing it to the convention to sell.

Is it an r12 condensor? I'm not sure what year they switched over to r134a..

To everyone else, you can get r12 still, but a person with a license has to install it. It isn't manufactured anymore, but it is recycled out of cars that convert to r134a, then it is cleaned and reused. This is why it's so expensive.

My dad is a butcher, has been all my life growing up and all. So he basically works in a freezer.

My house was always ice cold growing up...
I like it cold an will pony up for r12.