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Elijah. Were you able to find a "kit" that
included the required O rings?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 4:33 PM
Subject: R-12 to R-134a Retrofit; was Re:
IML: Change Over for 1975 AutoTemp
Brad Hogg <luxoliner@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Disassemble
the system, take the hoses off, throw away the dryer (buy a new one) flush
out the condensor, compressor, evapourator and lines using a proper AC
system flush solution. Replace any incompatile O rings and hoses. Reassemble
and fill with R-134a. I agree with Brad's cousin. I have
converted both my '71 and my '70 Imperials to use R-134a with excellent
results.
I've been using R-134a in my '71 Imperial since
1999. The compressor and hoses are original; the expansion valve and
receiver/dryer had been replaced a couple of years prior to the
conversion. I did not replace any hoses or O-rings at the time of the
conversion. I used a $35.00 kit from WalMart that had an oil charge and
refrigerant charge. The system still has a sloooooooow leak, so I
usually have to put 1 or 2 cans of R-134a in over the course of a year, but at
$2.50 per can, who cares? The system blows 36-40 degrees at the dash
vents.
I did a few extra steps with the conversion on my '70 in
2003. I replaced all the O-rings with new R-134a compatible O-rings
(they're green and cost about $3.00 for a set); replaced the receiver/dryer
with a new one that specificed R-134a compatibility; and cleaned all the
hoses, condensor, and evaporater using denatured alcohol and compressed
air. I also removed and cleaned the expansion valve--similar to Chris
Hawkins's experience, the expansion valve had some rust and trash blocking the
screen. Total cost for the conversion, including oil charge, gallon of
denatured alcohol, O-rings, and refrigerant was well under $100.00.
As
with most things, different cars will have different quirks to get the job
done, but my experience indicates that Imperials cool exceptionally well with
R-134a.
Best luck!
Elijah
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