Can someone tell me the thread size for high and low side AC charging ports on an 89 Trans Am? I need to buy r134a retrofit adapters for a friend here in germany and don't know what to buy exactly. Thanks.

 

Schrader valve size. Common as dirt.

Same as the ones for tires.

 

Why am I thinking the low side port is a flare fitting? Guess I'll need to look at the hose next time I'm in the garage.

 

So these would fit? Link

 

Looks about right to me...

Am I the only person on the planet that bought one pair of conversion fittings back in 1999, and just removes them after charging, and keeps them with the AC tools? I just have always thought the red and blue caps were ugly.

 

I do that too; not because I care about "ugly" (after all, I'd have to abolish myself if I had objections to THAT) but because they add an extra opportunity for a leak.

 

They're ugly, buy I am also cheap. Why buy a set of fittings for each car when I can use one set on everything?

I know we're supposed to leave them on the car along with the label so folks know a car has been converted, but I'm almost always the only person working on my cars. Not to mention the refrigerant I'm using isn't usually R134a anyway, that's just what my service gauges are setup for.

 

The conversion fittings in the link will work. AFAIK, all R12 service ports are a "standard" size. Leave them in place once you're done. For A/C work, there's only one way to do it. The right way, and this is part of doing it the right way.

From the "do as I say, not as I do" department:

For my R134a conversions, I don't use conversion fittings. I connect to the existing R12 ports and charge/recharge with R134a through the gauge set because my gauge hoses are already designed for R12 service ports.

I do have to use adapters to connect to a factory R134a system.

I really should install conversion fittings to my converted R12 system service ports because (other than Federal law), if someone other than myself works on one of my converted vehicles, they will unknowingly contaminate their recycling machine. Oh god, does this **** them off when this happens - murderous rage comes to mind. I don't apply the conversion labels either. There's a few of them in a drawer someplace....