Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 08:39:24 EDT
Reply-To: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject: Eurospec post trip update (kinda long) and Freeze-12
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
In a message dated 7/9/99 1:35:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Blbachman@aol.com
writes:
<< 2. FR-12 works just about as well as Freon, but it sure would have
been
nice if VW/Westfalia could have figured out a dual A/C system or provided a
way to duct cooling air to the front>>
Blaine is referring to Freeze-12 which I am becoming more and more happy with
as time goes on. After having done several R-134a conversions "by the book"
and having them turn out mediocre at best (OK but not worth the extra trouble
really) and then doing some basic "drop-in" replacements of Freeze-12 into
R-12 systems and getting much cooler temps at about the same cost per pound
(about $5 a can for 134a and $7 a can for Freeze-12) I have only had good
results with the Freeze-12 so far. I just add the Freeze-12 until the
pressures are right for the ambient temps and it works great (only use a
little more than 3 cans on a Vanagon). The only "downside" is that Freeze-12
is only available to licenced techs, but soon R-134a will be in the same
boat. I will be doing two more conversions today on my '91 Carat (glad I
didn't put the R-134a in there yet) and my '81 Jetta. I should also have
some comparative numbers from a friend of mine who converted his '85 Scirocco
to R-134a and isn't satisfied so he is going to convert it over to Freeze-12.
Stay tuned.
The other reason I really like this stuff is that it is Non-Flammable (most
other alternative refrigerants beside R-134a are propane based). Also it is
marketed by a reputable company (Johnson's which has a good name in the A/C
world).
I tried the call the corporate headquarters of another Freon substitute
company and it was somebody's house and they didn't know what I was talking
about!
<< 3. The heat intrusion from the front heater core is unbearable - we
set
the ducts and controls to stop any airflow, but the radiant heat coming off
the underside of the dash about drove us out of the car - has anyone else
developed a solution? How about a one-way valve on the return side to keep
hot water from "percolating" back into the heater core?? >>
Remove the spare tire and go under the van. Look up and you should see the
valve for the heater core. Make sure the lever is all the way at the stop
when you have the control at the heat cutoff. If it is then you are going to
need a new one as your old one is allowing coolant to seep past. We have
been having some similar occurances of this with our 5-cylinder conversions.
I don't know why but I guess the waterpumps for the inline engines are better
than the old waterboxer pumps and if your valve is marginal it starts seeping
past after a conversion.
Hope this helps.
Ken Wilford
Van-Again
John 3:16
