Patrick:
I have just done three old car AC's. All are working very well and will almost
give you frost bite if you turn them on Max Air high.
Here are the tips I can give:
1. New filter/dryer -- A must. Old one is probably contaminated.
2. Replace all 'O' rings with green ones and the two gaskets on the compressor.
3. Use air pressure to blow out the condenser and hoses.
4. If you can, put a vacuum on the system to be sure it does not leak. If you
have good hoses and have done steps 1 and 2 correctly, it should not, unless the
condenser or the evaporator have holes in them. I did not have a vacuum pump, so
I skipped this step.
5. Use a 134a conversion kit, about $30, to charge the system. R12 is
expensive, and the Mexican stuff is often low quality. I have not noticed any
decrease in cooling capacity or rate with R134a. There are excellent lubricants
and leak sealants in the 134a included with the kit, and they mix with the oil
already in the system.
>From my experience, using R12 is a waste of money if cooling your car is what
you are after. Authenticity is another matter, but since the car is a driver, I
would expect your desire would be to get the cheapest cool air you can.
Henry
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