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Date:         Wed, 7 May 2008 08:17:32 -0400
Reply-To:     Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: How to convert to 134?
Comments: To: John Rodgers <inua@charter.net>
In-Reply-To:  <48218FB5.3070002@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

This issue (ozone layer hole) and smog are what made the EPA. They were it's rallying cryings and the information about R-12 on the EPAs website is almost treated like holy script. They still keep a ton of outdated info on their site that has long ago been proven wrong, etc. Thirty years later the smog is almost a thing of the past (Pittsburgh is now the smoggiest city instead of LA) and the ozone layer hole never happened. Is it because we pulled the R-12? I would say yes except for the fact that we replaced it with something that is also supposedly harmful to the ozone layer, and that leaks about ten times worse (R-134a).

The super ironic part about this whole discussion is that the engineers have indeed been coming up with the next big refrigerant. It is something that is so innocuous that ten years ago when they were starting to develop it no one ever dreamed that it would cause any problems. It is a gas that we breathe out and plant life absorbs naturally. What could be more tame? I am referring to CO2 :-) So the new public enemy number one is what is scheduled to replace R134a someday. I guess for the EPA making CO2 their new hobby horse is just long term job security. Now if we could all just stop driving our evil cars, and breathing out for the next twenty years I am sure we could drop the world wide level of this toxic gas by at least .01 %. We could save the world!

Gotta love the EPA.

Ken Wilford John 3:16 www.vanagain.com

John Rodgers wrote: > Ken, > > Actually, the frequent loss of R134a into the atmosphere is a big > deal, environmentally speaking. And actually a very BIG deal. Turns > out that just like Freon R12, R134a has it's own issues, and it would > not surprise me to see changes coming that take the stuff off the > market. Dunno what would take it's place, but the > engineering/scientific types will come up with something. The public > is not going to be without it's AC. This very thing - issues with 134a > - is at least in part why Freeze 12 got the OK to replace R134a. > Regards, > > John Rodgers > 88 GL Driver > > > > Ken Wilford wrote: >> Yes, John makes a great point and I think this is the reason why I have >> looked through so many Vanagon service histories and saw an A/C charge >> every summer since they were brand new. A normal vehicle has the A/C >> compressor come on when you turn on your defrost. That way even in the >> winter the compressor is being cycled on and the system stays happy. In >> the Vanagon not only is this not a feature but on the newer ones if it >> below a certain temperature you couldn't get the compressor to come on >> without hotwiring it. So the systems sit all winter until we turn them >> on in the spring and by that time the seals have contracted and released >> most of the refrigerant. I have just resigned myself to charging it >> each spring and as long as R134a stays relatively cheap this isn't a big >> deal. >> >> Ken Wilford >> John 3:16 >> www.vanagain.com >> >> >> John Rodgers wrote: >>> One thing not mentioned in all the related posts is that you need to >>> run >>> the AC for a few minutes once a week year round to keep all the seals >>> wet. They tend to dry over time and shrink, and then they leak >>> refrigerant. >>> >>> John Rodgers >>> 88 GL Driver >>> >>> Jim Felder wrote: >>>> Does anyone know of a complete set of instructions for converting >>>> to 134 >>>> from R12? I'm talking complete, like where to get any parts needed >>>> for the >>>> compressor and how to get the compressor open to fit them, how to get >>>> the >>>> oil out, put new oil in, and that sort of thing. I inherited a nice >>>> set of >>>> manifold gauges but have never used them. I also have access to a >>>> vacuum >>>> pump if that is required. >>>> Jim >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> > > >


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