Date:         Wed, 29 Jun 2005 18:11:35 -0400
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject:      Re: R134 conversion
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2005062915560746@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 03:54 PM 6/29/2005, you wrote:
>Oh yeah, as were talking low budget repairs of a/c systems here, just put
>your old reciever-dryer on the barbie for about 15 minutes@250 degrees, and
>drive out any moisture.Cap the ends when done.

That's interesting.  What is in the dryer/receiver?  When I worked in air
monitoring, we used a desiccant material to dry the air before measuring
its composition.  It was a blue granular substance, and it turned sort of
translucent white when it was spent.  Then I'd take it back to the lab and
put it in an oven.  It would dry out and turn bright blue again.

Wouldn't you want to remove the drier when you flush the system?

On the cheap 134 conversion kits:  I did this on my old '85 Golf, and it
worked great.  The system had a slow leak, and lost its freon.  After the
changeover, I never had to even add any more in the several years I
continued to own the car.  After that success I did the same thing on a '94
Honda Civic, and it worked fine there too.  Then I tried it on the '86
weekender.  The system was closed, but not working when I got it.  I put in
enough 134 to get the compressor to kick on.  It immediately was making a
nasty scraping sound.  Added more and the system did produce some cool, but
was leaking at the expansion valve.  vanagain provided a replacement.  The
system is slowly leaking somewhere, and never has made enough cool to keep
up with the air leaking in through the front ventilation system.  It would
cool down the interior if it was parked, eventually.  the compressor
continues to make the nasty scraping noise.  Someday I'll do a more proper
renovation of the system.

Edward