Greetings, all: Just returned from seeing "my air conditioning man" for service on one of my six cars. During the visit, we talked about R-12, 134-A, and some of the other "new' refrigerants on the market. Specifically, he noted (the man with over 26 years of on the job experience) stated that IF you do convert from R-12 to 134-A, yes, do change the hoses and the filter dryer, as well as evacuate the system. Then, do the conversion. Mine was done last summer; IT WORKS ! After all, the compressor holds about 4 1/2 pounds: it cools nicely. If you also replaced the compressor -- at whatever cost -- then use only R-12 (at est $80/# locally) or the 134-A ONLY. Why, only those two items? Check with the warranty portion of your NEW compressor: it is valid only with R-12 or 134-A. If you experience any problems in the operation of your a/c AFTER you (or the a/c man) installed ANYTHING ELSE, upon inspection by the manufacturer, YOUR WARRANTY IS VOID -- and they will send you the bill for the teardown and inspection of your "new" compressor. Remember, they do have ways to test to see what refrigerant you installed! BUYER BE WARE..... My entire system was replaced (compressor, hoses, filter dryer, 134-A, the whole ball of wax - so to say) for LESS THAN $530.00 last summer. And, the compressor is -- if not the original style, rebuilt -- at least a real look alike, for my 64 Crown Coupe. Best of wishes to all in their cooling endeavors. Later, ne (in Ohio). _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com