A/C help - Toyota Celica (R-12 to 134)

Rich

Rich

Asshole at large
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Central PA
OK, so Nicole's car wasn't blowing out cool air. Turns out there was a leak in the low side schraeder valve. Bought one of those r-12 to 134a conversion in a can things, followed the instructions, and it worked great. air was perfect, and since the kit includes a new low and high pressure fitting, it solved the leak, too!

Fast forward 1 week later... she's driving home, and the compressor siezes. This could have been caused by:

1) Running low on the R-12, and lack of lube
2) Me not having the system put under vacuum before doing the "conversion"
3) It was just its time to go.

So we obviously need a new compressor, but with the prices on them, "New to me" from the junkyard is most likely what's gonna happen. (Reman compressors are over $400)

I need a decent A/C shop to bring this to that won't try and stick me with all kinds of crap...

P.S. I will replace the drier and the expansion valve while the system is open.

Thoughts? A good recommendation on a shop?
 
shoulda just done some freeze 12. those parts store retro kits are junk. i'll point a guy i know this way, he's an a/c guru and does some side work from time to time.
 
I'd get a junk yard unit ;) I 'reused' my zuke OBA pump on my kick. PO had JB welded the pump and put in only a little juice to sell it... As soon as I put a full charge it cracked the case again. I had to swap the clutch and the input/output ports but its the same sanden pump unit. Just make sure you get oil back in the system. I know i didn't do mine up to snuff and didnt clean it etc.. But i im on year 2 and its still blowing cold. I would not do it myself if i were spending that much on a new pump.. :)
 
Yeah, I found out about that freeze-12 stuff today..great. Ya think when the system gets pulled on a vacuum, we'll be able to go back to the 12? I've heard of flush stuff as well, that would surely get the 134 oil out.

Ivan, please send that guy my way...
 
Your compressor might have fallen victim to trash in the lines knocked loose by the retrofit.

The best shop I know of is RV Performance which is in Lewisville. Rock Vest is the owner and lead tech. He is the most honest and fair guy I have ever met. The number is 945-9944 and his wife Chrystina works the desk. The shop is right off of 421. 98% sure he still does AC work. If ever I come across anything that I can't do on my vehicles I take them to him. I would rather pay him than have a dealer tech do a warranty fix for free....that's how much I trust him.
 
I had N-Tune automotive (at I-40/15-501 in Durham) do the A/C on my Burb a month ago because the compressor had seized. I bought all the parts myself, but then realized that I couldn't flush the system good enough myself, and I didn't feel like ruining my new (diesel specific) compressor.

They did a good job, and they said they got a lot of nasty crap out of the system when they flushed it. They have done a bunch of A/C work on different vehicles for me in the past 2 years, and I have never had a problem with it.

Call 401-2612.
 
one more thing rich, r134a runs at a higher head pressure than r-12. soooo, you have to use 75% of the charge required after the conversion is done. if you just flush the system pull down a good vacuum replace the old reciever/dryer (about 75 bucks max) and orifice tube, located in the low pressure line and acts as a filter (50 cents) and then charge it 75% you will be good to go.

or drive to my shop in wilson,only 45 mins from you, the manager there is an bonafied a/c guru, he just did my 72 cutlass today, ice cold and 27 bucks for the drier and orifice tube. pm me and ill hook you up if you go there. :huggy:

you shouldnt have to replace the expansion valve, its a pain in the arse and pricey, and i believe the "conversion" fittings you screwed on there actually cross thread on the 12 lines and destroy them if you remove the 134 "conversion". so now i think you are stuck with the 134 unless you buy new lines also.
 
greg slade said:
i believe the "conversion" fittings you screwed on there actually cross thread on the 12 lines and destroy them if you remove the 134 "conversion". so now i think you are stuck with the 134 unless you buy new lines also.
Click to expand...

It certainly didn't cross-thread, but they do mention some kind of thread locker.

I'll PM you...
 
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