Last year I took my truck to an A/C shop to diagnose and they found a leak in the compressor. I asked them about going to R134a and they were adament that the compressor on the truck was horrible for it and that it would be cheaper to keep to the R12. I think they wanted around $450 for a new compressor and a fill of R12. I was thinking that this shop was pretty reputable until they offered to just refill it for $250 with the knowledge that it would be all leaked out within 6 wks. We didn't have anything done, and now that summer is coming again...

Since the compressor was designed for R12 and needs to be replaced anyway, is there a bolt on compressor that is happier with R134a? I can't imagine that the compressor is all that unique to the truck.

I'm hoping to replace the compressor and all the other bits that aren't R134a friendly and then have a shop flush and fill it.

 

I don't think the compressor knows the difference between R-12 and R-134. But it does know the difference between the proper oil with R-134. That's one reason why the system should be flushed.

 

Okay, with all the talk about "being designed/optimized for R-12" it just got me curious if something else could replace it that was designed from the beginning to work better with R134a.

I guess I'll just start pieceing together the parts to convert the right way. I can't believe that a shop scared me by telling me about a Suburban they converted for $1400 when I can get an A/C kit for my truck with all new parts (for a truck w/o A/C) for ~$750

 

Briefly, you'll need to replace the drier/accumulator, and probably all the seals and gaskets. Flush the system, install the proper amount and brand of R-134 oil, pull a vacuum, make sure there are no leaks, then recharge.

At the top of this forum is a post about the conversion, read it. You can go to http://www.ackits.com for parts and more info. Read their articles and forums for an education.