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Stanley; and others on the list;
I'm a
refrigeration specialist. Since 1997 I have been using FR-12 to replace R-12
in the old cars. No oil change, no gasket change, "NO OIL" change. big
difference to having some place chop out all your old components telling you
they have to to change the oil. R-134A uses a "polyoester" oil. R-12 (and
FR-12) use mineral oil. Most freons use mineral oil. I can assure you all that
R-134A is junk in retrofitting your old R-12 systems. Why go through the
hassle? I pull a deep vacuum and charge the system with the recommended 80
percent of the original R-12 charge. Yeah, I know no one carries FR-12
(the stores) actually you can find it if you look. Check with a refrigeration
company, not a heating and cooling company. Its also cheaper than the other
freons. If your in the Kansas city area bring your Chevelle by the
house. I can convert you to FR-12 in 30 minutes while you watch and learn.
Usual charge? $60. I use it in my service van too. This works on all
Chevelles pre 90.
Ever see
what happens to a 134-A system that gets moisture in it? turns everything
inside it to a white peanut butter substance that can't be cleaned. Gotta
condemn it. (something I see allot with small commercial units that run the
liquid line through the water pan to evaporate water from the evaporator). I
suppose the new cars already with R-134A are okay because they were built that
way.
Don't forget to wash your radiator and the condenser in front of
it every 6 months. a dirty condenser raises the pressure of the freon, and on
a hot day it will raise quite high(250-350 lbs per square inch), thereby
finding or making a leak. This little tidbit brought to you by Len Snow.
Federation Refrigeration
E.47th terrace
Kansas city, MO 64129
(816)921-6984