I came across this while browsing, today. It's a report by Santech with material compatibility for alternative refrigerants. I thought I'd mention it since I've seen these refrigerants mentioned on the list from time to time. http://www.santech.com/reference/index.cfm?action=view&pdfid=9 They tested "Freez-12", RB-276 "Freezone", FR-12 "Frig-c", GHG-X4 "Chill-it", "Hot Shot/Kar Kool", and R-406a "McCool". The results weren't good -- nearly all of them caused some swelling of most of the seal materials. Problems included seals swelling to where they'd no longer fit into the glands, seals splitting, seals extruding out, seals turning gummy, and hoses collapsing due to softening. The chart in the PDF might let you pick out a refrigerant that would be acceptable if you happen to know what type of seals are in your Vanagon. |
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