r-134 in 89 manche

[bhorocks]

read in the hayes book that you should not do it. anyone here using r-134 in their truck with sucess? also, i remember there being a mod you could do on the xj to get the a/c to be more efficient i just can't remember what it was.. any help would be good.

 

Thanks,

 

Billy

[Pete M]

I had my 88 converted at the same time I replaced a bad condenser and it worked just fine (until I sprung another leak a couple years later).

[bhorocks]

i need to pump the new refridgerant int othe low die port correct? the port that is on the side closest to the valve cover? or the other side? Unfortunately the manual gives no info on which side is which...

[Pete M]

Have you converted the system yet? There are several seals, o-rings and such that need to be changed or they won't work with the 134. I think the book is stating that you can't simply put R-134 into an R-12 system and expect it to work.

[bhorocks]

i picked up new orings oil and charging kit for it. Hopefully that will do it. I have done it many times on my old honda and couple other cars for my friends but the compressor on those were more easily identified for the high and low port.

[Pete M]

If I remember right, I have a fill-hose and it only screws on to one port.

[bhorocks]

thanks, that helps out knowing you converted over. Can't live without here in phoenix. i have to keep the tj till i get that goin!

[DirtyComanche]

My 89 cherrykee is r-134. It works, not that I use it.

 

 

 

Some yuppy with money had to have owned that thing before me.

[Pete M]

I think I remember it being cheaper to convert and fill with 134 than to fill an empty system with R-12. And with the chances of reoccurring leaks in our old trucks, it can be even cheaper still over the years.

[Renegade]

I plan to get my '89 converted. The St Louis summers are brutal. I can handle the heat, but with the high humidity, a/c is almost required to live here(unless you don't mind sweating buckets).

I talked to my local jeep mechanic/guru & he said no problem at all. About a hundred bucks for parts & labor assuming nothing leaks.

[Pete M]

assuming nothing leaks.

 

That can be the kicker. The shop that first touched my 88 wanted like $500 for a new condenser ($1100 for the whole job). I bought mine through JCW.com for a fraction of that.

[JeepcoMJ]

I don't have a/c in the 3800, but DO have an a/c box to go into it when i convert it to black interior.

 

what all do i need to change in the box to make it good? is there any way to pressure test the condensor and make sure it's good? (air hose/dunk it in water/plug one end trick should work right?)

 

then which fittings need to be changed...i'm using a 4.0 dryer and such.

[bhorocks]

well, finished charging it and while it isn't the coldest thing in the world it sure helps! once i get moving it kicks in well. Sweet...

 

as far as leak testing goes they have a dy that you put into the system that you can buy. also have the uv light detector at autozone or any parts store.

[JeepcoMJ]

yea, i want to test it before it's in the truck...don't wanna waste my time.

 

i'm glad yours works!

[Oizarod115]

so what all has to be changed... i live in GA, and have no insulation keeping the heat out.

[Pete M]

Step 1: Go get yourself some insulation. Even a functional A/C system can only do so much.

Step 2: The conversion comes as a kit. Go buy it. :D

[CEThomas]

yea, i want to test it before it's in the truck...don't wanna waste my time.

 

i'm glad yours works!

 

What do you need to test?? You can not test any one item, well you could x-ray it, but you will need to put the system in the truck and vac the system and do a vac test around 29 bars for 24hrs. If you drop and vac at all you will need to pressure the system and dye it to find the leak.

 

Charles

[Rob S]

R134 is pretty cheap, convert it over, if it leaks fix what leaks. I plan on going through this with my MJ soon. :cheers:

[JeepcoMJ]

they can't sell refill kits in wisconsin...new law doesn't allow it, only mechanics and dealers can do it, and they can't sell it to a person...so i'd have to go down in illinois to do it.

 

I WILL test the condensor before it goes in. what I will do is submerge it with the exception of the input and output ends, plug the output end, and shoot air through it. if bubbles come out, i need a new one, if not, it's probably good and all I have to worry about is the fittings.

[CEThomas]

Just a FYI the Chrysler evaporator is / has been the weak link in the system. If you try your water test might as well try it on the evaporator and see if you have any luck, it will let you know if you have any large holes.

 

Charles

[Pete M]

they can't sell refill kits in wisconsin...new law doesn't allow it, only mechanics and dealers can do it, and they can't sell it to a person...so i'd have to go down in illinois to do it.

 

Are you sure that law doesn't apply just to R-12? There are similar measures across the states that keep R-12 out of the public's hands.

[bhorocks]

well iwill say the a/c turned out better than expected from the r-134 recharge. nice and cold i jsut don't run it on high seems to work better between mid-high.

 

really nice to have considering the heat here! also scraped the old bubble tint and will re-tint today that should cool it down another 15 degrees.

[tjbliley]

I just replaced my condenser and pulled a vac. held fine so I finished the conversion to 134a and now it gets real cold in about 5-10 minutes. It is well worth the effort here in VA.

[Joop]

When changing from r12 to r134, remember to evac properly and change all oil in the system as well. r-12 uses mineral oil and r134 ester oil. Thats why o-rings etc can crack and leak. Ester oil is also extremely hydroscopic, meaning it draw moisture from the air if you leave the oil can open. Moisture + refrigerant/oil = trouble!!

 

For pressure testing i only advice using nitrogen because air compressors also bring a lot of moisture and dirt into the system. Best way to find a leak is to spray soapwater over the entire system. Bubbles should appear if its a leak. If you have time and patience, do it in 2 or 3 steps. (first at 5bar, then 15, then 25..)

 

But pressure testing a car ac condenser with just air compressor and a bucket of water should be no problem. Just evac a little bit more and remember you might not find all leaks. air compressors would have problem giving more than 10-12bar but ac can reach working pressure up to 30bar...

 

Sorry if i hijacked the thread, just had to share some wisdom. Building and serving commercial ac/refrigeration systems happens to be my job.

[Eagle]

When changing from r12 to r134, remember to evac properly and change all oil in the system as well. r-12 uses mineral oil and r134 ester oil. Thats why o-rings etc can crack and leak. Ester oil is also extremely hydroscopic, meaning it draw moisture from the air if you leave the oil can open. Moisture + refrigerant/oil = trouble!!

I'm looking at this conversion for both my '88 XJ and '88 MJ. I know the oil compatibility was a huge problem with the original RC134 conversions, but the kits they sell now imply that the oil in the kits is somehow compatible with the old oil in the R-12 systems. Is this true? Can I just evecuate and refill, or do I really have to pull the compressor and dump all the old oil?