air conditioning retrofit kit

[miami man]

i have used the serach function first but did not find the information i was looking for. is it good to use an air conditioning retrofit kit? my 1993 ford festiva has air conditioning and needs a freon recharge. is it good to use a retrofit kit to use the new type Freon? can it be used with some of the old type of Freon in it? what are the pros and cons of using a retrofit kit?

[E95]

air conditioning retrofit kit

We used a retrofit kit and changed the freon in my wife's Festiva-4sp/carbed/'88 and all went well until the condensor's pin hole slow leak grew and totaled the condensor. It blew cold for a year. Just remember to have either a qualified ac mechanic or yourself if qualified , you can get hurt real quick otherwise if your uncertain what goes where. After the retrofit you can recharge yourself up just get the two gages set .

[getnhi1]

1. Replace the dryer, your old R12 dryer will not be compatible with 134a.
2 Add the system capacity of POE oil.
3. Evacuate and recharge, use about 80% of the full R12 amount as a rule of thumb.

[gomer]

I would go here http://www.autoacforum.com/ and do some reading ... basically you'll want to:

1.) change the drier/accumulator to make sure the dessicant is compatable with the r134a ... (should come with liquid line and "blue" orifice tube unless this is a expansion valve type system)
2.) flush the compressor of all oil (use mineral spirits) and add the proper amount of PAG oil to the compressor...
3.) locate and repair any leaks (I usually change all the "o" rings and service port valves (schrader valves) whether they're "good" or not) ... in this case remove the schraders and install R134a service port fittings
4.) pull a vacuum and if the system appears solid then charge it...
5.) double check for leaks with an electronic sniffer...

You can get a super r134a manifold kit at harborfreight for $45... if your hoses are questionable (and on a 13 year old Festy we KNOW they're good ... right!) you can remove your hoses and have a shop like amazonhose (most big cities have a hydraulic hose company that services equipment that can make you "new" hoses using your old fittings in 20 minutes or so..)

To get ice cold air reliably in a conversion get the biggest condenser you can find (junkyard is fine ,, take the male and female fittings with it!) and when you're having your hoses re-done make sure the fittings are swapped... R134a IS less efficient ,, there are aftermarket super high efficiency condensers sold to overcome this...

[gomer]

Re: air conditioning retrofit kit

is it good to use an air conditioning retrofit kit?

The cheap retrofit kits sold in places like autozone and pep boys are insufficient to do a job that will last.

can it be used with some of the old type of Freon in it?

No ,, the oils are incompatable

what are the pros and cons of using a retrofit kit?

pros: cheap ,, good to get an ac system cold for a little while if you're selling a car and don't care about the results

Most AC shops will charge you $$$ to do a good retrofit... here's what it'll cost if you do it yourself..

Drier/Accumulator with liquid line .... $45
gallon of mineral spirits .... $12
PAG oil (8oz) .... $7
junkyard BIG condenser .... $20
2 lbs R134a .... $16
R134a manifold set .... $40 (at harborfreight.com) http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92649
R134a service port fittings .... $10
vacuum pump .... $17 (at harborfreight.com)
electronic leak detector .... $60 eBay
having your lines rebuilt ... $25

total $252 and one BUSY saturday

some things are optional ,, you can skip the condenser upgrade on a low hp/heat output car like this ... the lines may not need to be redone and you can make a vacuum pump from a junked refrigerator compressor ..

Good Luck

[getnhi1]

2.) flush the compressor of all oil (use mineral spirits) and add the proper amount of PAG oil to the compressor...

Use POE oil on a rerofit.
A note about flushing, while its best to do this, if not done properly, everything disassembled and flushed separatly, one, you will just wash trash around in the system, two, you may leave some flush in the system which will dilute the oil.