AC upgrade

[strykr14]

Compressor on my 92 is done. If I upgrade it to a newer one, one that takes 134R, do I need to change anything else?

 

[trainguy1989]

You need to change the liquid/orifice line, accumulator/dryer, and flush all the other lines including the evaporator and condenser.

 

[sperold]

A lot of people have successfully moved from R12 to 134a without changing any hardware or seals. People complain that the result is less cooling as the 134a is not as good a heat exchange medium as the old stuff, but not so bad that it doesn't do an adequate job.

As far as I know, you can use the same compressor that is on there now.

Supposedly, R12 is availabe on the internet from time to time as well, but I don't have any experience in that area.

 

[rubydist]

you can make the swap without changing the accumulator or dryer or orifice tube, but it is very important that you remove absolutely as much as possible of the old oil because the oil for R12 is not compatible with the oil for R134a and if you leave more than a trace of the old oil in there, it makes clumps and can/will plug the orifice.

The reason that they tell you to replace the dryer, accumulator and orifice tube is to get rid of the old oil.

 

[strykr14]

HOw would I make sure that stuff is gone?

 

[rubydist]

disassemble those components so you can turn them to drain it out.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

When I converted mine I had the shop pull a vacuum on the system and then put in the RA134a and it has worked fine for a couple of years.

There is a switch that is made for the conversion that will help you get more out of the conversion: SHO Source

 

[rubydist]

well, you need to pull a vacuum on it to get all the moisture (and air) out, but you first need to get the old oil out. I have taken apart systems that have been converted without removing the old oil, and what comes out is a clumpy mess of "oil" that risks blowing up the converted system.

 

[SHOdded]

Any idea what causes a "burnt milk" odor out of the vents after replacing the A/C compressor/dryer etc., rubydist? Not a conversion, straight R134a to R134a.

 

[SHOtimer]

A lot of people have successfully moved from R12 to 134a without changing any hardware or seals. People complain that the result is less cooling as the 134a is not as good a heat exchange medium as the old stuff, but not so bad that it doesn't do an adequate job.

As far as I know, you can use the same compressor that is on there now.

Supposedly, R12 is availabe on the internet from time to time as well, but I don't have any experience in that area.

...all the AC parts are the same for the Taurus for R12 to R134a, the R134a parts just have different ports.

Doug

 

[rubydist]

Any idea what causes a "burnt milk" odor out of the vents after replacing the A/C compressor/dryer etc., rubydist? Not a conversion, straight R134a to R134a.

I have not experienced that, so I'm not sure, but any kind of 'burnt' smell typically would be from the heater core - maybe some dirt or leaves got on that during the repair?

 

[SHOdded]

Maybe some PAG oil got spilled on the heater core? Definitely something worth checking. Thanks!

 

[Dirk37]

If you end up not converting you can find lots of R-12 on eBay, but it's not cheap. For example here's 4 12oz cans for $130
http://www.ebay.com/itm/R12-R-12-FREON-REFRIGERANT-4-X-12oz-CANS-ICE-COLD-/151230499341?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23360a4a0d&vxp=mtr

I have also heard that if you go down to Mexico they can recharge R-12 systems since it's not illegal there.

 

[SHOtime2511]

It is recommended to replace all seals when converting but ins't really necessary,most of the time. At a minimum you need to replace the orifice tube and receiver/dryer along with the compressor.
Personally I'd buy old stock r12 for better cooling.

 

[JRA2000TL]

I've redone the entire AC system twice in my 89 (minus the evaporator which wasn't needed). Here's some advice I can give:

Don't go with a reman compressor. I did and it lasted under a year and it cost me $400 to redo everything.

If you're going to convert and the compressor is shot, you have to replace the drier and liquid line (with integrated orifice tube anyway). You might want to flush out the condenser and evaporator to ensure the old oil is out; however, Esther oil is compatible with BOTH PAG and R-12 mineral oil. When I replaced mine a second time, I found a NOS Ford compressor on Ebay that still had mineral oil in it. I had the seller drain it and fill with Esther (just in case there was any residue as mineral and PAG will cause a MESS).

The first time around I replaced the condenser in addition to the compressor, drier, and liquid line. The 2nd time around I did the compressor, drier, and liquid line. I had a shop pull a vacuum and recharge it. All new lines came with new o-rings and I made sure I replaced them on others if needed.

My 89 now has a brand new Ford compressor and cools to 38 degrees out of the center vent with 134a. It did the 1st time I replaced it as well; however, the reman compressor clutch was seizing up and the unit was leaking within a year.

2 times of doing this myself and $800, I know how to do AC correct on these cars.