anyone done this, I was looking at the kits they sell at Pepboys, do they work? will it mess up the AC in any way?

Thanks

 

I'd have it done at a shop, have them evac the whole system to get all the old junk out. They'll put the right lube and ammount of coolant in and its like $50-75 to be sure, the kits liek what, $30? They say the kits can convert it without that being done but I converted mine without a shop and 2 weeks later it crapped out. FL heat sucks but now I got my hands on another compressor so I'll be taking to a shop this time.

 

yeah, take it too a shop so they can evac the old stuff like he mentioned...from what i've been told, the conversion is actually adding "adapters" to the top of the ac valves, so they can accept the R134a lines...

 

that is true. the only difference you will be able to see are the fittings on the low and high pressure side. the kit basically comes with 2 cans of R134, one can of oil, one pressure gauge, 2 new fittings, and one tap for your R134 and oil.

besides that if you are going to have the system vacuumed, then you should think about disconnecting all of your lines and replace the seals to prevent leaks. Doing this would require that you replace your Drier also but they are pretty cheap and it could be worth your time to take care of it now.

 

Yes, I have done it to a 1988 Honda Accord DX and a 1990 Honda Civic Si. You can spend the $30.00 to buy the retrofit kit, But most likely your AC will only work for a couple of days. I did my retrofit with all the proper gauges and I also bypassed the compressor's relay so the compressor would turn on to suck the R134a out of the can. If your pressure is too low the compressor will not kick on and it will not evacuate the can of refridgerant, This is the reason for bypassing the relay and hooking the positive side to the battery. Now here is the bad news, The reason why shops charge so much for a retrofit is because they replace every seal and o-ring in your AC system from the stock black color (Designed for R12) to ones that are brown in color (Designed for R134a). Essentially they take apart your entire AC system and reassemble it with new compatible parts and this way it wont leak. In both cases where I did the retrofit myself It did not work, So I recommend If you want AC, Go to a reputable shop and spend the money to have it done right the first time. Hope this helps!

 

damn i say just do the retrofit kit.
**** you know how expensive it is, for a freakin r 12 refill
its 100 bucks f that
you can buy 50 cans of r134a for 100 bucks

 

I've used the R134a kit on 2 Hondas and a Saturn, and all them are working well. I'm about to do the same to my 90 Civic Wagon.

 

Yeah,I'd definetly have a shop pull a vacuum on your system to get the moisture out.Then its up to you whether you want to charge it yourself or let them.If you decide to do it yourself,you can use one of the kits any the department stores sell,Pep Boys,etc.Don't exceed the refridgerant capacity,it's 30.1 ounces to 33.6 ounces of R12,so 85% of that in 134A (per 1991 Civic owners manual,page 99).Don't forget 3-4 ounces PAG (or other 134A friedly oils) in your compressor.But yeah,you should really have all the O-rings replaced...its a bitch to spend all that money and effort only to have your whole system fail because of one O-ring!
Glenn

 

What about replacing the receiver/dryer? I've been told that it's a good idea, and only about $20 at Autozone. I just wanted to get some opinions on it.

 

the information presented in this thread is great but I still have one question.

What's the benefit of converting to R134a?? especially if your a/c already blows cold air.??

thank you.

 

I just finished an Automotive A/C class and this is what they told us about retro fitting. The hoses of the R-12 system are porous. Unlike the R-134a which has a neoprene lining inside the actual rubber hose. This is because the molecules in the 134a are smaller than R-12 and if you used the R-12 lines that are in your car there is the possibility that you will lose refrigerant through the pores. If you go to NAPA they can make you new lines for retro fitting for about $30-40 a hose. Some applications cost more than others. One of the lines for a Chevy Suburban is like $400! Also sometimes you have to replace the compressor with one that is compatible with R-134a. But in most cases the existing one is OK. And if you replace the compressor it is a good idea to replace the reciever/Drier. Hope this helps.

Sorry for the long post

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rice_classic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the information presented in this thread is great but I still have one question.

What's the benefit of converting to R134a?? especially if your a/c already blows cold air.??

thank you.</TD></TR></TABLE>
R-134a is a hell of a lot cheaper than R-12. R-12 is about $40 a pound and R-134 is only about $4.50 a pound
and most systems use around 2 pounds

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rice_classic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What's the benefit of converting to R134a?? especially if your a/c already blows cold air.??</TD></TR></TABLE>

If your A/C actually blows cold air, then an R134a conversion is the LAST THING IN THE WORLD you want. Simply put, your A/C will never work as well with R134a. It just doesn't work really well in R12 systems. Especially in situations where you need it most (100+ degree days, stopped in traffic, etc.). If you REALLY need a system that WORKS, think twice before converting to R134a. Yes, R12 is expensive. But you get what you pay for here. You will be glad you do have R12 when the temperature soars.

 

how much is the conversion at a shop?

 

the conversion usually runs you around $300.