When I got this baby bronco it had rear-ended someone and smushed the condenser and the radiator.

I have replaced the radiator and all is fine except no a/c.

If I go to the pick-n-pull to get a used condenser, what years are going to be the same and what other vehicles will be the same (i.e. ranger, etc.).

Also, how hard is it to simply pump down the system and add r132 instead of r12. Do I need to replace any other parts? (i.e. accumulator, orifice tube, etc.)

Fizix
89 BII xlt 5sp 4x4

 

if i were you i would bring the old condensor with you to match it up. are you sure that you want to go to r134-a? it works ok but does not blow quite as cold at idle and it is a little harder on the compressor due to the higher head pressure that it runs in a retrofited system. the up side is that you dont need a licence to buy it. there is also a product called freeze 12. it is a little more effecient than r134-a but you do need a license. which ever way go decide to go, you should always replace your acumalator/filter dryer. it contains a material that asorbs moisture, once you open the sytem it should be replaced with a new one. they are about 40 dollars at autozone. also flush your hoses,condensor and evaporator. you can buy a a/c flush and use compressed air. the flush is pretty expensive. i dont use it. i use brake cleaner and compressed air. some people may say im crazy but its cheap and it leaves no residue. replace your o-rings and lube them with a/c oil. there are a few different kinds of oil for r134-a. pag,ester,and different variations of them. ford recomends pag. i have used both. the epa claims that pag is more unstable at high pressures than ester but both are used. DO NOT USE MINERAL OIL! that is for r-12. make sure to replace your orifice tube also. its only about 3 dollars. if you have a autozone near you they rent vacuum pumps. harbor freight sells a air compressor type vacuum pump for about 15 dollars. after you get it flushed and back together then use the vacuum pump on it for about 30 minutes. then let it set to check to see if it holds vacuum. if its good then charge it. it will hold about 10% less of a charge than with r-12. about 3 12 oz. cans. you can buy a retro fit kit at wal-mart or the auto parts store that will come with 3 cans of 134-a and 1 can of oil. it says that it is a direct replacement. yes you can skip the new parts and the flushing but it wont last as long. its more of a quick fix. one last thing, dont let anyone tell you that your old r-12 hoses will leak if you switch to 134-a. if they are in good condition they will be fine. and the 134-a wont eat your hoses either. once your origional hoses have been coated with r-12 they are fine to go to 134-a. even after you flush them. forgot something eles. dont forget to add the propper amount of oil. about 8-10 oz. also dont flush the a/c compressor, it may damage it. hope this helps you. good luck.

 

I would just buy a new condensor. You won't have to worry about small pinhole leaks at all. And I would recommend converting to 134-a. The dealership I work at just stopped using R-12 due to the cost(very expensive)and most cars are now 134-a. I just bought a conversion kit from K-mart, used the HVAC machine at work to suck out the R-12, installed the conversion kit, and put a vacuum on the system, then charged the system with 134-a. It's been 2 years since I did the conversion and No problems at all and I hadn't installed anything else but the conversion kit.
The only difference I have noticed between the 2 types of freon is the length of time it takes to get to the maximum cooling temperature. They both blow at the same temperature; It's just that the 134-a takes a little longer to get to the optimum temperature.
I would just get the kit and take it to a shop and ask them to convert it to 134-a. You'll be suprised how cheap it is compared to the price of r-12.

 

to do it propery you need to replace the orifice tube and the acumalator is a must since it has been a open system. a little money now or a lot later. im a epa certified automotive a/c tech. i've done plenty of conversions. and one more thing. r134-a does not cool as effeciently as r-12. it's pretty close but not the same. if you compare a new cars condensor to a r-12 cars condensor it will be much bigger. a new cars a/c system is designed for r134-a. yes it will work in r-12 systems, just not as effeciently. longer to cool down, does'nt blow as cold when in stop and go traffic. also harder on the compressor seals. but everyone is an expert. if i had it to do over again i would have used freeze 12 instead. you need a licence to buy it in nevada but not everywhere. and it's only about 5 dollars a can.

 

Okay turborich. I am not stepping on you, But I am stating another cheaper approach. That's all. Just to give another approach.I too am certified both ASE as well as EPA and have been for many years and yes, I have done countless retrofits as well. It's nice to know "by the book" approach. But If you take an accurate measurement with a thermometer in the center vent, with the ac blowing while driving, you will see both the R-12 as well as 134-a are the same measurement. That is the bottom line that I, as well as alot of people, are looking for. It's easy-cheap and it works.

 

ok, i will agree that some retrofited systems blow as cold, but not all of them due to the design of the a/c system. not every system will blow as cold as r-12. also you have to admit that it does warm up when your stuck in traffic. you can always do what i did to help this. i installed a heavy duty hayden flex fan as well as a 10'' pusher located in front of the condensor. at any rate, there are always multiple ways to due one thing. i'm not lookin to argue, just have a good time and share and gain knowledge.

 

Very true!

 

My old R-12 in my 88 B2 leaked (1 can a year) all the time from about 1995 to 2000. When I used up all my R-12 I performed the retrofit to R-134. I just followed the directions and shazam. My air is colder then new, and I have gone 3 years and only added 1 can. I might add that I 4-wheel the snot out of it, regurlary, and it has 180K miles on original AC. Now with your condensor being shot you will have to evacuate your system like the gents said, but generally speaking the Bronco II's love R-134, and it dosn't leak as bad as R-12. That may be becuase of the different oil used in R-134. Do the mod and follow the directions and you should be fine.

I dont have the STP for the day of the test, but I checked it last July with 80 degrees outside temp, the center vent cooled to 46 on normal and 42 on max with a digital thermometer.

 

when it's 100 degrees outside i can get my r134-a system to pull down to under 30 degrees while driving. idling is a different story, it's a bit warmer. however i did replace the accumalator and o-rings. i also flushed the system and pulled it into a vacuum. furthermore i have the hayden heavy duty flex fan as well as a 10 inch pusher. every little bit helps. the r134-a runs a higher high side pressure than the r-12 does. all of the extra air flow over the condensor really helps. i also spent about an hour on tweeking the amout of charge just right to get a really cold tempature. it's my personal vehicle so i wanted it COLD!

 

I got a similar problem only mine is a cut hose that I will be replacing. I've worked with R-12 since before license required (still don't have one) but haven't had the need till now to work on the R-134. I guess it's time to get it working. I'm not at home and am stuck in Houston on a job and it is misarable with no AC.

 

30 Degrees??? WOW! Even the brand new cars right off the truck at the dealership don't go that low. Very impressive.

 

you're right, they don't blow that cold. my buddie just bought a new dodge truck with the cummins diesel, the a/c was only blowing at 60 degrees. we took it home and slowly added 134 untill we got it into the fortys. this is how you do it. YOU DONT WANT TO OVER CHARGE IT! get a good digital a/c thermometer, put it in your vent colest to the evaporater, usally the middle right vent. once you have close to the correct charge in it, keep an eye on the thermometer, you want to add a tiny bit at a time untill the thermometer reaches its coldest point. when you add the 134 you will add just a little bit, about an ounce at a time and let it settle for 3-4 minutes untill it settles. the thing that you are tring to do is to get the temp to its coldest point. once it starts to rise then stop! thats your coldest point. always do this with the a/c fan on the high setting. a electric pusher fan will help a lot at idle. make sure your stock fan is pulling the propper amount of air as this will deterime how cold your a/c gets.

 

Normally 134-a A/C systems blow between 42-44 degrees. I have never seen 30. WOW! Gotta try slightly overcharging like you said and see what I get with a stocker fan.

 

Just wondering but at a 30 degree LAT doesn;t your condensate start to freeze? I had a 74 Ford F-150 that used to throw ice at me. Just a Thought.

My sons 87 B2 has a split between the condenser coil and the evap coil (liquid line). I have found replacement lines but the connection at the condenser coil is one of those spring type connections. It there a tool made to help release this connection and reconnect or is that best left to an AC Tech?

 

Yes, any auto parts store has them for both the fuel and AC lines.