Hey guys - I'm working on putting AC back in my van. Evidently the previous owner chopped everything out to make way for the turbo and I'm trying to get it back up and running.

I'm having a heck of a time finding any diagrams or schematics on the hose runs. If anyone had some photos they could take of their 80's era Econoline with a 6.9/7.3 diesel that would be great!

I've got a new evaporator, condensor, and compressor all mounted up. I am specifically looking for a photo of the evaporator that shows which hose goes where and where the expansion valve hooks in, and the compressor showing which hose goes where.

I was able to buy a new liquid line that goes from the condenser to the evaporator, but everything else seems to be extinct so I will have to get the hoses fabricated.

My plan is to set the system up with R12 - if anyone has a reason not to, I'm all ears.
thanks!

 

Hey MOV-----if no one here has photos etc try visiting the A/C forum: Cooling, Heating, Ventilation & A/C - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

 

R134a is better, steer clear of R12. How often do you hear of a modern car with R134a having issues? Now think back 20 years....you often heard of those new cars having R12 issues.

 

There are a number of considerations in deciding between R12 and R134a including:

- Most if not all states require certification to purchase and handle R12, or maybe it's a Federal requirement. You can obtain certification through an on-line course for not a lot of money. I don't believe there is any such restriction for R134a which you can buy at Walmart.

- R134a prices are more volatile than R12 prices despite R12 being an endangered species. R12 is no longer produced but there seems to be several lifetimes' worth on eBay and demand is dropping as cars originally charged with R12 are decommissioned. I *ahem* heard that there are eBay sellers who don't check credentials when selling R12. They probably don't have credentials to sell R12 if such are required.

- There are shops that won't touch R12. They might tell you they don't have equipment to handle R12 other than to evacuate the system to charge with R134a (plausible), or that it's illegal to repair and recharge an R12 system (not true). I have to chuckle when I read used car ads that claim the AC system has already been converted to R134a like they've done the buyer a favor.

- In my experience, an R12 system doesnt perform as well when charged with R134a. This matters less in Seattle than in Houston, and it's noticeable in San Jose the few days that top 100*F. If you have a chance to rebuild the system and you plan to run R134a, get a condenser designed for R134a. I think the buzzword is parallel flow. The evaporator is less picky. Get expert advice on charge specifications when running R134a in an R12 system. IIRC the rule of thumb is something like 70-80% of the R12 charge specs.

With due respect to BII Plow Truck's fair point, the reliability observation might have more to do with newer cars being more reliable - many other systems are more reliable - plus a healthy dose of R134a generally requiring lower charge pressures. My counterpoint being - once an R12 system becomes faulty, choice of refrigerant has less influence on future reliability than quality of repair. Don't let selecting R134a mean you can take shortcuts elsewhere.

Sixto
93 E150 Chateau 5.8 185K miles

 

This is the main reason I am planning on sticking to R12. I figure that the system was designed for it and I am not going to do the evac/charge work myself anyway. I am basically starting with brand new components all around, so I am hoping that once charged that it will last a while.