Some say it works, some say it don't. I've never used them, but the principle is based on the old style of temp control valves. The R134 conversions I've done worked and still used the cheap ACDelco fixed orifice. I did notice that at idle it didn't cool as well as R12. But that could be my shitty mechanical skills. I always wondered if 134A conversions are so popular, why don't they ever "kit" the VOV's with the rest of the stuff? Price maybe? Just wondering out loud.
I only mentioned VOV's so that people can do their own look-see on using them.
If you want one, you can get them at NAPA. A bit pricier, but here you go:
85-up are different threads or sizes or something IIRC. You may need to take your old hoses to an industrial A/C shop and get new hoses assembled for it. I've done that before. Works well if your old fittings are in good shape. If you're using 134, consider getting R134 barrier hoses installed. Supposedly R134 can leach through R12 hoses, but not sure if that's old wives tales or not. Plus barrier hoses are a bit more flexible, at least the ones I've dealt with.
One other thing I didn't see mentioned. Go to the hardware store and get some foam to seal the perimeter (or at least sides) between the condenser and radiator.
I did my conversion a few years ago and am really glad I did. Got a kit from 1800radiator through the shop I used to work for. Seems like the compressor, receiver dryer, orifice tub, orings, and flush solvent was just over $200 cost.
One more important thing to know is if the system failed, you want to know why and how.
For example, if the compressor blew, You will definitely be replacing everything down the line.
The orifice tube filter will tell you if it caught the shrapnel from the compressor, if so, chances are the Evaporator is good. But if the shrapnel got through the filter, the Evaporator must be replaced.
I've seen people clean out the condenser, the hard lines, and even the evaporator. But it takes a long while to clean the shrapnel out even with special solvents.
You don't want to trust any rubber hoses that saw a compressor failure, even if new.
My compressor blew a few years back and my orifice tube filter caught the whole mess. So I replaced everything except the evaporator. The system is still running good.
I will admit it was luck though.
T
I am in the process of replacing my entire AC system on my Regal when I got it the compressor was seized, hoses were there but disconnected and the condenser was basically falling apart along with the orifice tube clogged with debris so I didn't hesitate for second to replace the 33 year old evaporator core.
And even if you decide to run what is in there I would suggest pulling the case apart and cleaning everything out and replacing all of the seals and the filter foam on the side and maybe just spend the $70 for the new evaporator. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C2SRCY/?tag=gbody-20
I would recommend not going with R-134a in a stock R-12 system. All the vehicles I've converted never worked as well as the original setup. For over 20 years I've been using Enviro-Safe refrigerant in all my R-12 systems with great results. I've never had a compressor failure or loss of refrigerant due to "porous" hoses as you would when converting to R-134a. You don't need to convert the oil either as this works well with mineral oil as R-12 does. Also, it only requires half the pressure of R-134a in the system so their is less drag on the compressor and less hp lost. It's non-corrosive when moisture gets in the system like the other refrigerants so it's much less likely to cause a failure. It's non-toxic unlike R-134a which is a known carcinogen. I run this stuff in my 87 El Camino and my 75 Chevelle. When its 90 degrees here in Houston it blows 40 degrees at the vents. Here's a video of one of the cars that I upgraded a few years back. Sorry for the poor quality video but the camera wasn't cooperating.
Careful. I couldn't find any specs on it that confirmed or denied the presence of propane or butane. Both are good at making systems cold but aren't too safe.
Can anyone find specs on Enviro-safe? If it isn't flammable, I might give it a shot.
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