My 92 clubwagon with 100k has working AC... but i saw on the rear line the connection between hard line and soft hose is very oily and obviously leaking. the AC still works... but not COLD.. when its at night and outside temp is 80's the van cools down but not so in the sun and 90 plus climate...

there are two lines by the rear unit, large one and small one.. it leaks from the small one. could i cut it, flare it and compression fit a new hard line? as the rubber part doesnt seem to leak yet...

yohei

 

I would get new hose too. Yes, you can do that in some cases. I have never done this on a Clubwagon.

 

Wouldn't a compression union work better? You wouldn't have to flare it.

 

oh yeah. i forgot they have those things.. i will try that and see if it can hold the pressure.. do you know what kind of pressure the AC lines see? the little one and big one? I would assume the big one to be return hose right? and less pressure? or is it the same pressure all thru the tubes?

im not sure where to refill the AC gas.. so i have to look into that.

yohei

 

After you open up the system, you'll have to have the AC vacuum pumped. There can be no air or moisture of any kind in there.

Besides, don't you have R-12? You're going to want to convert to R-134a since it's much cheaper and you can later top off the charge yourself. Now's the perfect time.

 

The small line could have as much as 3-400 lbs pressure. I would definitly replace it and not try to repair it.

 

wow that is some high pressure stuff. for the AC lines if I wanted to replace them where is the best place to get them?

 

Converting to R-134A is not as eas as it sounds. The entire system must be flushed of the old R-12 oil. R-12 and its oil will actually react with R-134A and its coolant. THe result is poor lubrication, and internal corrosion. I've seen peoples compressors completely seize because the system was not actually flushed. The best way to flush it is to actually replace the condensor, evaporator, and the accumulator and drier. Very expensive. I'd personally rather replace and damaged hoses and tubes and refill with either R-12, or one of the new supercoolants. R-134A is a very inefficient coolant. Do do even halfway well, it must have a larger evaporator.

 

use rb-276 it is a direct replacement for r-12
works great i use it in refrigerators and any aplications that uses r-12

 

The above post is a textbook reply to a conversion question. I'll agree that any technician will tell you exactly what is stated above and that they are technically right.

Let me add some real-world experience and some cost/benefit analysis.

1. You will find a TON of anecdotal evidence that the horror stories and worst case scenarios of converting to R-134a are exaggerations. I personally have refilled 4 of my own older vehicles with R-134a without even evacuating all the old R-12 out! In each case, the amount of pressure, and therefore R-12, remaining in the system was very low. I used an over the counter conversion kit with oil that was made to convert the systems with no damage from the oils interacting. Even the conversion kits plainly state that you should remove all the R-12 before adding the R-134a. HOWEVER, I have driven these autos/vans for as many as 2 summers with absolutely no ill effects. I believe they went longer than that, but for reasons stated below, they were vehicles I did not keep beyond two years after the conversions. I have no way of knowing how long they lasted with R-134a in them.
I have had conversations with people who have done these "poor-man's conversions" and have had no ill effects after 4-5 years.

2. These were all older vehicles that I was interested in squeezing a few more miles out of, and the cost of a professional conversion was not realistic. They were all older, high mileage vehicles that I didn't expect the drivetrain to last more than a year or two without a major failure. The ONLY way I'd recommend such a "conversion" is if you're doing it to a vehicle that you don't expect to last more than a couple more years anyway. It's silly, IMHO, to put $1000 worth of A/C work in a van that's worth $2000 or less.

However, if you plan to keep your van for 4 or more years, paying to have the conversion done the right way may make sense. Of course, repairing a system damaged by the mix of R-134a with R-12 couldn't cost more than the technician above describes because he just replaced almost everything in the system. In such a case, the gamble of mixing the refrigerants isn't much of a gamble. If I pay a tech to change everything, it costs about the same before a failure as it does after a failure.

3. Lastly, it may make sense to keep the system full of R-12. Be aware that any type of leak is going to be VERY expensive for you though. R-12 costs more than some precious metals! Before you pay someone to put R-12 back in your system, you'd better make sure there are no leaks or impending leaks. Of course, that's hard to do on a 1992 van...

Good luck!

 

thanks, that makes a ton to sense and no i dont have 1000 bux to spend on this fix... so i will do the conversion.. but may look into 276, ive never heard of that..

Ill try to fix the line... and then try the junk yard... if no luck then ill go to satan

thanks for the realistic approach.. as i will be doing that.

 

i'm thinking about using a product called freeze-12. they have a site and it's cheap on ebay. if you "search freeze-12" in the a/c section there's alot of info. here's one good one https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...ghlight=freeze

 

freeze 12 seems like a good product, alot on sale at ebay. how many cans do you need for a Clubwagon with rear AC? 3 can kits good enough? or do you need more?

thanks
yohei

 

sounds like you'd need just one. you'll have to change the connection with a new 134 one and o-rings(they come with the 3 bottle kits). then you should put the warning sticker on, so someone doesn't ruin there r-12 tank if they try to pull the old stuff out.

the e.p.a. says no one should use any of these products but they are sold in 49 states.

my mec. told me he could change me to r-134 for $150 but once a season i'dd have to add alittle, claiming that the ford vans with rear a/c tend to leak abit and i think the new stuff doesnt last as long in general.

the only dealership i trust told me 40 buck just to see if it could be retro-fitted.

i'm waiting to troubleshoot my system abit and get a gauge on it, to see if she holds pressure. then it looks like freeze-12 for me. if i change it someday i'll tell my mec. that the a/c system now holds toxic waste and not to put it in his r-12 recycle tank.

good luck. if you try the stuff let me know.

 

Well, freeze 12 is ok, but remember, it contains R-22 and will require you to change every hose in your system to barrier type fittings. Quite frankly, I don't think that is a very affordable option. As long as its still available, I'd stick with either R-12, or retrofit to RB-276. Remember that the objective to useing any refrigerant is to keep you cool, and many of the refrigerants do not work very well. I am going to retrofit my Aerostar to RB-276. I wil convert my personal truck too.