Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 18:34:33 +0000
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: AC conversion
In-Reply-To: <CO2PR17MB0107BD567B9318FE0BC5AEBEA52C0@CO2PR17MB0107.namprd17.prod.outlook.com>
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You can try what I tried with my '87 Westy that arrived with complete but non-cooling A/C ten years ago. I admit this is a half-assed fix and I intend to get new hoses and redo the system, but this has been working for me. I had first taken the van to the place that installed A/C in my '85 Nissan pickup. They looked over the van, said it leaked and would cost $2000 to fix it so I figured I had nothing to lose by playing with it. I then got one of the cheapo R134a conversion kits at a FLAPS, put the new fittings on the system inlets and charged with two cans of the refrigerant. I now blows cold air and I need to recharge about once a year. Last time I did it was in the parking lot of a Miami funeral home in the time slot between my arrival in town and my aunt's viewing.
There is the correct way to fix it, and then there are workarounds. Good luck!
Stephen
On Wednesday, June 22, 2016 9:09 AM, steve meassick <stevem@TDHVAC.COM> wrote:
HFC 152a had been studied for a number of years, since at least 2004. It is almost a straight drop in substitute for 134a with the molecule being very similar except that two hydrogen atoms are substituted for two flourine atoms. Here is a link to an SAE study on it
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiCzNz51bvNAhUSEFIKHXXqBggQFggjMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sae.org%2Faltrefrigerant%2Fpresentations%2Fpresw-hill.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHw9e_UBiq7hfoYjNtUfu5ZlDL9uQ&sig2=O4khJPzENDaHje3xo3KpAA&cad=rja
If anything 152a is works better than 134a, cooling slightly better with lower high and low pressure readings. Main drawback is that it is more flammable and not readily available to the public.
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of John Rodgers
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2016 9:16 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: AC conversion
I'm redoing my AC now.
What I know. There is a new product coming from Chrysler, supposedly, and it will be in new cars next year, and you can recharge with it in past year autos. I haven't read it but the grapevine says the new refrigerant is ungodly expensive and can only be installed by certified shops. On the other hand, there is another refrigerant that is OK to use identified as HFC152a. This refrigerant comes under exceptions to the rule, but as I understand it, it has to be done by the vehicle owner. I may be totally wrong here. Maybe someone else can chime in here. The HFC152a is very similar in performance to the old R12. Doesn't create near the head pressure that R134a produces, making it easier on the compressor. It is also leds dense than either of the others. HFC152a is environmentally safe in that it doesn't eat the ozone layer. It is propane based but I have viewed some flammability test and it blew out the flame, whereas the brahe cleaner tested roar into a much bigger fire.
HFC152a is used as a computer canned air blaster to cleanout dust. You can get it at Radio Shack, Walmart, Best Buy, or any office supply place.
Cost at WALMART here in Alabama is $4.95 a can. Just be sure it says on the
can: difluoroethane, HFC152A cas75-37-6
There are numerous videos on Youtube as to how to use it to recharge and how it performs. Hope you can find someone who can make the change for you.
John
On Jun 21, 2016 20:44, "Doug Toomey" <drt@uoregon.edu> wrote:
> Would like to convert my AC over to new refrigerant. On road toward
> Yellowstone and then eastward. Can anyone recommend a shop to do it in
> Idaho, Wyoming or to east?
>
> Thank you. Just one of those things that did not get done before leaving!
