Ok so I have an 89 Ford Aerostar complete with front and rear A/C. Only problem is, it doesnt work, aww. And I'm pretty sure it uses R12, though I'm not completely positive. The low/high side connectors are pretty small so I'm just assuming it's never been retrofitted to R134A. I'll be bringing it to a shop for a free A/C check within the next week or two to be positive. Assuming it only needs to be retrofitted, I'm hoping to do the work myself and save a couple hundred dollars. I've seen a few of these kits online and in auto stores and I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about them: Buy Interdynamics EZ Chill R-12 to R-134a Recharge and Retrofit Kit RKR-8 at Advance Auto Parts Do they work? Has anyone ever used them.

 

Have had success with these kits. Change your accumulator, orifice tube and pull a good vacuum.

 

While those kits can "work", don't be surprised if the end result is way below your expectations.
Just throwing a retrofit kit at a regular automotive system is marginal, at best. Dual AC systems don't convert well, even when done 100% correctly.
For good results on your Aerostar, you need to upgrade to a condenser from a 94 or newer model. This will require modifying the fittings on the condenser or having hoses made to match the new condenser.

 

If I was you this is what I would do, Ive done this many times with good success on customer cars as well as my own personal vehicles.

Take and disconnect the two hoses at the compressor. Pour a can of A/C flush in the high side and use compressed air to blow the flush through the whole system. Once your done and you no longer have anymore "fog" or "mist" coming out of the suction line, I would replace the receiver-drier and/or Accumulator. Bolt it all together pull as much vacuum as possible for 30 minutes to 120 minutes. Longer is better in this case since your removing moisture. After this hook up your gauges and charge the AC with 134a. No need to go with R-134a service ports unless you want quick connect fittings. They are not necessary and Ive never seen the conversion fittings work good. They all leak to some degree. Once charged you need to make sure you get the system full. While given R134a wont cool as good as R12, R134a will cool just like R12 once you are moving on the highway and you get the compressor pumping the fluid faster and more air flowing across your condenser.

Based off your system, if its a expansion valve system without STV, shoot for 10 - 15 PSI low side pressure. If its a expansion valve with STV system like my daily driver, shoot for 30 - 40 PSI low side pressure. If its a oriface tube shoot for 30 - 40 PSI low side pressure. Keep high side pressure under 300 PSI. Shoot for 200 High side as a max for ambient air temperatures of 70 - 80ish *F. 250 for 80 - 95ish *F. On very hot days your high side can get as high as 300 PSI and you want to make sure you are not at 300 PSI off the bat on a cool day.

Once you do this you should see very decent cooling. My daily driver is a 78 that I converted, still using the same old flex fan, the same old R12 system just pumping R134a through the system and at 35 PSI low, 250 PSI high I have register temperature of 45* with an ambient outside temperature of 95*. Your results will vary though so I have to say that, but I have had good luck with just flushing and recharging without changing anything. The worse case Ive seen was I did one this way and the best I could get out of the vents at operating pressure was just in my opinion a pitiful 65* register temperature. Given that is still cold but not as cold as it should be seeing as the evaporator is supposed to run at just above 32*F.

 

It's starting to look like it might be a big job to do this conversion. I still haven't gotten it checked out so I'm not sure whether or not its simply out of Freon. Assuming it is, is there any chance a shop would do an R12 recharge? Do they still do them? I was under the impression it was impossible to have R12 (legally) recharged (which is why I wanted to convert) but now I'm reading around that R12 can be recharged without a conversion, it just cost more than a regular R134A recharge. Assuming my system has a leak, could they patch it up and recharge for a reasonable price (assuming no major parts such as compressor need replacing)? If not I will have no choice other than to convert.

 

You can still get R12, its just alot more expensive. The thing is no more R-12 is being produced in the Nato countries at least and once our current supply runs out thats it. So the cost of R-12 is real expensive, think along the lines of a 12 oz can of R-12 is about $80 last time I checked vs a 12 oz can of R-134a going for $19.99 currently.

 

I've seen many cans of R12 on eBay, they're around $30-40 a can, but that stupid license requirement means I have to have a shop recharge it. I got my last vehicle, which had R134A, recharged at a shop for $110. It leaked out a few days later despite the shop promising the system had no leaks. Then the tranny went so I didn't bother fighting for a free fix. I'm thinking it couldn't cost much more than $150 for a recharge of R12 and I'm hoping those huge fines would make them look a little harder for leaks on an R12 system then they do on R134A systems.

 

Get your MVAC license online. It's like $25 or less. All open book test online. Will cover you forever for refrigerant purchases for MVAC. I think you even need at least this license to buy R-134a in large containers. I won't list any companies that do it, but just google search for Section 609 EPA Certification for Motor Vehicles. The very first one was $20 and they send you the test, and you send it back to them for the cert. But there are online ones too that give you a printable cert. for instant use, then send you the permanent one in the mail.

 

I finally managed to bring it in for a check, they told me that the system is indeed R12 based and since they don't use R12 they were unable to fully check the system without converting it, but they did say that they jump started the compressor?? and that it worked, though they are unsure how well. They said they would convert it to R134A for $109 total but are unsure how well the A/C will work and cannot be sure until it is converted. What do you think? Is that a good deal. From what I've read online, that's unbelievably cheap. Conversions seem to cost $400+ according to posts I've read. I'm worried they are hiding something from me and are gonna charge me $109 just to tell me I need something else after the work is done. What do you think?