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Retro fitting ac

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Old 04-14-2012, 10:11 AM
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matt_jahn
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Default Retro fitting ac

Alright, I retrofitted my ac with just the kits you can get at oriellys like two years ago. With Ac on and at about 3000 rpm it has a bad vibration, it has slowly gotten worse over the last year. Im assuming it's due to me not replacing the receiver dryer when I retrofitted it. This is on a 92 lt1

My question is, if I were to replace the compressor and receiver drier, could i use a later model year compressor and receiver dryer along with the line with the high side fitting, so i have the 134a fittings on the high side line itself and on the dryer without using the cheap caps i have?

what year compressor, dryer, and line should i get? would 96 work with the rest of my system and have the 134 fittings?

I want to do this because right now i cant depress the shrader to read the high side pressure.
Old 04-14-2012, 02:54 PM
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SunCr
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'88 through '96 use the Nippondenso 10PA20C compressor. From '92 up, the Manifold (where the main hose assembly attaches) faces forward. For the '88 to '91, it's reversed. You can use any of these earlier years with your manifold (just make sure to get a new manifold gasket or o-ring).

Receiver/Drier is specific to type of gas though most will accept either these days. Take a picture of yours or the old one with you, but I don't know of any size difference.

New lines may not be available anywhere. GM quit producing most of them years ago, so again, you may want to take yours with you and then go poke around a boneyard and see what you can find (or you can have a shop build you whatever you want them to look like).

If you want to go back to R12, get your license at www.epatest.com and buy all the R12 you want. To get the best performance from R134, you need to reprogram your fans to crank on sooner so that the high side doesn't zoom out of control when it's '90 or better - set the threshold for something around 180 to 200 psi. Currently it's at 220 - 230 psi which is fine for R12, but starting with that number with R134 often puts you in the 300's and you'll be metering 60 degree liquid into the evaporator. You also need a Low Pressure threshold of 22.5 psi (for R12 it's 25 psi), so get a R134 Low Pressure Switch or if your current switch has a screw between the terminals you can adjust it - counterclockwise to lower, clockwise to raise it.
Old 04-14-2012, 04:24 PM
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matt_jahn
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where can i have the fans reprogramed?
Old 04-14-2012, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by SunCr
'88 through '96 use the Nippondenso 10PA20C compressor. From '92 up, the Manifold (where the main hose assembly attaches) faces forward. For the '88 to '91, it's reversed. You can use any of these earlier years with your manifold (just make sure to get a new manifold gasket or o-ring).

Receiver/Drier is specific to type of gas though most will accept either these days. Take a picture of yours or the old one with you, but I don't know of any size difference.

New lines may not be available anywhere. GM quit producing most of them years ago, so again, you may want to take yours with you and then go poke around a boneyard and see what you can find (or you can have a shop build you whatever you want them to look like).

If you want to go back to R12, get your license at www.epatest.com and buy all the R12 you want. To get the best performance from R134, you need to reprogram your fans to crank on sooner so that the high side doesn't zoom out of control when it's '90 or better - set the threshold for something around 180 to 200 psi. Currently it's at 220 - 230 psi which is fine for R12, but starting with that number with R134 often puts you in the 300's and you'll be metering 60 degree liquid into the evaporator. You also need a Low Pressure threshold of 22.5 psi (for R12 it's 25 psi), so get a R134 Low Pressure Switch or if your current switch has a screw between the terminals you can adjust it - counterclockwise to lower, clockwise to raise it.
You have convinced me to get my license and stick with R12. I tried that Freeze 12 in my old 87 Acura Legend and it ran cold for about 2 minutes before it blew everything up (so that stuff is not an option). Converting my vette to R134 is a non-starter as long as R12 is under $60+/can.
Old 04-15-2012, 11:54 AM
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Freeze 12 is 80% R134 so I don't quite get it.

Refrigerants don't mix. Put unlike gasses together and it effectively doubles operating pressures. You'll need to get whatever is in it out and use a new Accumulator as a different gas will destroy it and junk up the rebuild.

E-Bay or Google should turn up all the R12 you want, though I don't know the price. I bought everything I needed when Autozone decided it wasn't a gold mine and priced it at $10 to $14 a can. I think they finally sold it all. No-one, other than enthusiasts, have any use for it and since a rebuild can cost more than a lot of cars (that need it) are worth, there's not much demand.

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