propane for freon.
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 3
propane for freon.
hello everyone, just read up on a forum of a guy using propane as refrigerant on these trucks and he got crazy temps. problem is he hasn’t been active in 13 years and he mentioned something about installing an evap temp switch and putting a restriction in the suction line as well as using the “smallest orfice tube” he could find. anyone got some info on that? also please don’t come and tell me the “dangers” of what i’m doing. i’m well aware. what kind of restriction and how big? where did he tap the wires for the evap switch into? what size orfice do you think he went with?
i’m also well aware none of you are tapped into @89ford73 ’s life but you can find his write up under his page “what is the coldest ac temp achievable?” just seeing if any of you guys tried the propane method and what you did.
Jack
i’m also well aware none of you are tapped into @89ford73 ’s life but you can find his write up under his page “what is the coldest ac temp achievable?” just seeing if any of you guys tried the propane method and what you did.
Jack
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,585
Likes: 5,615
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
never tried propane, but i di use a butane mix for about 1 month years ago on the 99 crown vic cause it had a leak, i was waiting on parts to fix the leak, and the butane mix was free because it was freshly outlawed and could not be sold legally. it worked good, but once the system was repaired i did a complete system flush and recharged with the proper R134-A
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 329
Likes: 17
Back in the crazy days right after r12 was banned, R12A was sold. It was one of the many scams that scammers were using to take advantage of the ban. R12A was a flammable mix of some kind of hydrocarbons, etc.
You can freeze your evaporator with R134. That is too cold, 'nuff said.
Read about cycle times and fixed orifice systems, FFOT, Subcool, superheat, latent heat and sensible heat. Pressure temperature chart may be helpful.
You can freeze your evaporator with R134. That is too cold, 'nuff said.
Read about cycle times and fixed orifice systems, FFOT, Subcool, superheat, latent heat and sensible heat. Pressure temperature chart may be helpful.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,555
Likes: 2,035
From: North Texas
Typically evap temp switches are on my TXV vehicle systems and the FOT ones run the pressure switch on the dryer that cycles around 42F...so you are wanting to basically reinvent the wheel for no real gains, right? Why not look for a lower pressure cycle switch for the dryer? Too low and the evap can freeze over.
I have used LP before 152A other blended crap too 152 aka air duster works great in R12 systems at 54% of stock capacity Big SAE doc on it out there
Note weak AC can come from a filthy evap, which yours surely is after 30 years. Degraded foam seals on the evap doors also. No tint does not help you, nor the lack of good insulation in these trucks. A dirty condenser hurts also.
I have used LP before 152A other blended crap too 152 aka air duster works great in R12 systems at 54% of stock capacity Big SAE doc on it out there
Note weak AC can come from a filthy evap, which yours surely is after 30 years. Degraded foam seals on the evap doors also. No tint does not help you, nor the lack of good insulation in these trucks. A dirty condenser hurts also.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,475
Likes: 728
From: Calgary Canada
I don't know much about how you'd plan for this swap, but in commercial/industrial systems, propane has been used as a refrigerant for decades, and it is very effective.
It has the added advantage of being commonplace, and pretty low cost.
It has the added advantage of being commonplace, and pretty low cost.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,588
Likes: 841
From: knoxville, tn
^^ what he said. Not uncommon in industrial systems.
using it in an automotive function may be challenging to find a lot of information. It would be great if you post anything you may find/do so we can all learn together.
using it in an automotive function may be challenging to find a lot of information. It would be great if you post anything you may find/do so we can all learn together.
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Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 3
Why not look for a lower pressure cycle switch for the dryer? Too low and the evap can freeze over.
Note weak AC can come from a filthy evap, which yours surely is after 30 years. Degraded foam seals on the evap doors also. No tint does not help you, nor the lack of good insulation in these trucks. A dirty condenser hurts also.
Note weak AC can come from a filthy evap, which yours surely is after 30 years. Degraded foam seals on the evap doors also. No tint does not help you, nor the lack of good insulation in these trucks. A dirty condenser hurts also.
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 3
absolutely. i’ll be searching. also i did replace every component, (compressor, condenser, evap, orfice, drier) which was all rock auto chinese stuff (don’t ever buy chinese for these trucks), and i ended up oil logging the system and here’s what i did. the orfice tube that I bought was a “variable orficing orfice tube” which is some upsell chinese stuff (again). i ended up putting the orfice tube in backwards cause it was different then the one in the truck (red) and it caused crazy high high readings and no lows. makes sense cause of the blockage. figured that out but realized that my compressor was definitely stressed and possibly caused extreme premature wear so i replaced it again but never drained the oil. so now i have to replace my oil logged condenser, find an oem drier out of a junk yard truck (ford says do NOT replace drier if system is opened unlike traditional driers), drain the compressor and flush evap, replace the variable orfice tube for the smallest one i can find. i’ll keep everyone updated. can i loop that switch on drier?
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,555
Likes: 2,035
From: North Texas
If you loop the dryer switch, the system cannot cycle. On Max at idle mine would hover in the upper 40s I seem to recall. Drop blower speed to low, it would...depends upon ambient. I would not rely on the high switch to save the system if you freeze the evap, by that time you will probably blow a line due to no refrigerant flow.
My old BMW and MBs use an actual evap temp sensor in the box with wires out to the headunit and a TXV. I have never seen an evap sensor with a FOT system.
My old BMW and MBs use an actual evap temp sensor in the box with wires out to the headunit and a TXV. I have never seen an evap sensor with a FOT system.
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
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Likes: 3
Last edited by Rcemaxx; May 26, 2026 at 11:19 AM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,555
Likes: 2,035
From: North Texas
Do what I stated first please.
Insulation, ceramic tint, clean evap, clean cond, make sure the recycle door shuts, box seals, etc etc etc
Again, I think you are trying to achieve something silly when you have other things that can cool you down
Plus the valve to the heater core.
Insulation, ceramic tint, clean evap, clean cond, make sure the recycle door shuts, box seals, etc etc etc
Again, I think you are trying to achieve something silly when you have other things that can cool you down
Plus the valve to the heater core.
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 3
Thread Starter
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
Likes: 3
just figured out that i am able to adjust the cycle switch on the accumulator based off of pressure readings so that way i DONT freeze the evap. there’s apparently a screw in the back of the connector that you turn 1/8 of turns clockwise or counterclockwise to make the compressor switch on and off at certain pressures. turning clockwise makes the compressor cycle at higher’ low end pressures and vice versa. i don’t want to mess with it and tune it wrong because my compressor stays on at idle all the time, but i know it cycles when im driving. what pressures should low side be at before it cycles off?