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Does the R134A conversion really work???

t-frady

t-frady

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bessemer City NC
I have a 89 xj with the original ac compressor i guess and it dont bolw cold ac its a little colder than outside but not by much. I have read the thread about the conversion but didnt help me out alot i just bought the conversion kit and the R134A freon should i try to do it and will my compressor last or die in a few months and have to buy a new one???
Or can i get one off a 94+ and put it in there???
sorry if this isn't in the right place guys.
 
I did the conversion on my '93 about a year ago and it's running fine. Your first step must be to go to a shop and have them evacuate whatever is left in there and draw a vacuum. When you get home throw on the new fittings and fill'er up!
 
thanks the guy at napa said to just open the valve and let it come out what do you mean by draw a vacuum??? thanks for the reply
 
t-frady said:
thanks the guy at napa said to just open the valve and let it come out what do you mean by draw a vacuum??? thanks for the reply
Click to expand...
I'm surprised an employee at any place would have the nerve to say that. That is one of the many things that will put you in EPA Hell.
 
The guy at NAPA might be singing a different song if the wrong people hear him say that. You almost certainly wouldn't get tagged if you did that, for licensed A/C mechanics, it's another story.

A/C systems need to be clean and DRY before they get filled back up. If you've broken into the system, you've probably got some moisture in it, and that'll cause problems. Drawing down a vacuum will boil it off, and pull it out of the lines.
 
so there is no way to do it myself then i mean the correct way using a vacuum would any machanics shop have it my cuz owns a shop ill ask him if he can. because the prob is i dont have a tag for it, it is more of a trail rig but i will drive it just dont want to too far.
 
More than likely, unless he's licensed for A/C work, he won't have a vacuum machine for this.
 
take it to a shop. had mine done a few months ago. they replaced some injector looking thing (two of them) with larger units and flushed out the old r12. cost was sixty bucks and they inspected everything else as well. AC is nice and cold. best sixty buck i spent on my heep in a long time.
 
alright thanks for all the replies guys i have made up my mind i will drive it somewhere and get it done the right way and that way i can use my time thinking about what i will do next. thanks again
 
A local shop evacuated two vehicles (85 XJ and 85 Buick) for me several years ago for free in return for the residual r12. I don't know if shops will still do this but it might be worth a call to try to find one.

As someone else pointed out recently, what do you have to lose in a 19 year old vehicle. My 85 XJ worked fine for four years before I sold it earlier this year and my 93 converted by the PO has performed well for at least five years. I put a can of 134a in every two years and it cools more than adequately in our East Texas heat and humidity.

You mention that you have read "the thread" but note that there are many, many threads on this subject in OEM tech and Mod Tech. You will find those who state flat out that it won't work, that your compressor will blow up, that it will only last for a year, etc., etc. As with almost anything we do on these ancient beasts, the el cheapo conversion may work or it may not work but, again, you don't have a lot to lose.
 
okay one last question if i dont vacuum it and i just let it come out on its own will it mess it up because the last thing i want is to be wheeling and it lock up on me and me be stuck somewhere i want to try it to see but idk for shure yet.
because like i said before i dont really want to drive it, no tag for it so really no way to vacuum it unless i just take it off will that be good enough im kinda getting excited about the ac working is so it will be done today and ill take pics and post them up to help others thanks for the help guys
 
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t-frady said:
okay one last question if i dont vacuum it and i just let it come out on its own will it mess it up because thelast thing i want is to be wheeling and it lock up on me and me be stuck somewhere i want to try it to see but idk for shure yet
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Yes, vac the system. You need to get rid of the moisture in the system for it to function properly and so it doesn't lock up. I bought a cheapo harbor freight venturi type vacuum pump, and a set of guages and did mine. Has been working fine for two years so far.
 
okay thanks so can i just take it off and do it or does it have to get out of all the hoses too?
 
I'm not sure what you mean by take it off. You don't need to take anything off to pull a vacuum. There are ports the vacuum pump connects to. If you really want to do it on the cheap you can get one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96677

it connects to a compressor and will draw down your system. Not as complete as a professional pump would but it will be WAY better than leaving residual r12 in the system. You might also post in the southeast chapter to see if there is n XJer that has a shop with a pump. Good luck. Be warned, if you don't pull the vacuum, you're asking for problems.
 
alright ill try to find one and thanks for the link
 
I just did the whole conversion on my xj not long ago. I gotta tell you there was a lot of work involved for me. The cooling performance of r134 isn't all that great compared to the old cars designed for r12. In order to get max performance from your r134 conversion there's a couple of things that have to been done. I'm not gonna get to much in detail but go to www.acsource.com or ackits.com and look for there forums. there's a wealth of info there.
 
t-frady said:
okay one last question if i dont vacuum it and i just let it come out on its own will it mess it up ....
Click to expand...

By the way, just in case there's anybody reading this who doesn't know, this is VERY bad to do for the environment - kind of like changing your oil in the woods and letting the old stuff drain on the ground. That's why they're getting rid of R-12. Now, I know there are people who actually do drain their old oil on the ground and I can't stop you if want to, but I'm just trying to make sure nobody does it thinking that it's harmless.
 
good point and i aggree with you
i am pretty shure its empty it isn't cold at all, but im glad you pointed that out and i do have a vacuum now my cuz works at the honda shop he said he will do it for me, thanks for all the help guys i really apprechiate it
 
92xjsp said:
By the way, just in case there's anybody reading this who doesn't know, this is VERY bad to do for the environment - kind of like changing your oil in the woods and letting the old stuff drain on the ground. That's why they're getting rid of R-12. Now, I know there are people who actually do drain their old oil on the ground and I can't stop you if want to, but I'm just trying to make sure nobody does it thinking that it's harmless.
Click to expand...

That's why we are impressing on him the fact that he go to a shop and have them pull a vacuum. At an authorized shop, the collect the r12 and recycle it. If the system is full enough, they may do it for free because they get the recycle fees.
 
t-frady said:
good point and i aggree with you
i am pretty shure its empty it isn't cold at all, but im glad you pointed that out and i do have a vacuum now my cuz works at the honda shop he said he will do it for me, thanks for all the help guys i really apprechiate it
Click to expand...

That's why we're here bro!
 
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