Corry

Back just before R12 was discontinued my father realized this was bad.....and bought a lot. He bought enough for 2 chares of our central A/C and some for the cars....most of which was used up. What I have left is a 15 oz can w/ oil/leakstop/red ink to find leaks. I also have a refrigerent detector. Will this one can fully charge my A/C system? If not, I found you can get the EPA certification online at http://www.epatest.com for a whole $19.95. So if Pep boys has R12 for 34.99 like someone in on of the other a/c posts said, I think it'd be better to get 1 can plus the cert than to convert to r134a or use any of the other methods
Thanks


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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
1987 Pontiac Trans AM (GTA?) 350 or is it a 305?! TPI
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat
MSD ignition.
MSD Blaster SS coil.
3.73 Rear end gears
Accell 8.8 Wires
Bosh +4 Spark Plugs (Don't know if they really help but hell!)
Holley AFPR
Race Built Automatic trans ('vette servo, shift kit, tightly packed clutches)--just needs titanium gears now!
Newly gutted cat (the car gutted it's own cat!)
Hypertech Chip (Just found out I had it! :eek
More soon when funds are avail...

mtx28

read the tech article on converting to R134a.. you may change your mind. also, i think (in the article) it said about 40oz to charge a system, and with the R134a being much much cheaper, it may be the way to go.. read the article, then decide

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83 Z28--not a pretty site, sold thank goodness

74 Z28-- 383/400, green on black. pretty clean. FOR SALE!!!

JP84Z430HP

3 pounds. All thirdgens take 3 pounds of R-12 to fill when empty.

I personally think that the R-134a conversion is the way to go. I have 3 vehicles, 2 have been converted, and one has not. My S-10 hasn't been converted, and it doesn't work any better than my Olds Ciera that has been. My Camaro doesn't really work all that well, but it is a black car!

The 134a is also supposed to be more friendly for the environment, but I have also heard that the 134 isn't any better for the environment than R-12. Who knows?



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Working on:
'84 Z28 LG4 305 with 208,000 original miles!
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Starting to look like the Kicker poster child!

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+ L1 Advanced Engine Performance
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And....A sig. that's getting way too long!

Corry

I am not planning on r134a conversion. I live in texas where it gets to 100-120 degree temps outside. I get in my car and it is ~160-180 degrees when I get in it, I really don't want to lose the 20% or more efficiency of r12 plus I live in a city, which means lots of idle time. R134a is not an option. 3 lbs still isn't too awfully bad, but I will check out the direct r12 replacements...some of which claim to be better then r12. The certification for the others is still just $19.95 available online, as an "open book" test. lol what a deturrant! (sp) hehe

GMTech

All thirdgens take 3 pounds of R-12 to fill when empty.

No sir, not ALL thirdgens require this much. I think earlier thirdgens took this much, but I have yet to see one that took more than 2.25 lbs.

As for those certifications, alot of them are worthless, becuase the people who sell the Freon don't recognize the certification, and if its not in there little book of "cards" than you don't get. If you want a highly recognized certification, go to ASE and take the test. Its only $15

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'87 Trans Am
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JET AFPR, Ported Plenum,
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Best 1/8: 9.519@72.74

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[This message has been edited by GMTech (edited July 29, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by GMTech (edited July 29, 2001).]

Vader

Corry,

A few random thoughts:

I hope you are NOT planning to use R-12 in your central air conditioning system. Most systems manufactured and installed after 1970 use R-22, and the two refigerants are not compatible.

Good choice on avoiding the R-134a in such hot climates - you would be disappointed with the performance of the 134 in higher temperatures, and your compressor and system components might not survive the 450+ PSI pressures of R-134a at high ambients.

Where can you get EPA certification on-line? I had to sit in a classroom for three days in the early '90s to get universal certification. Depending on what classification level you want, you might not be able to purchase some of the tertiary blends that are replacements for R-12 and R-502. Some of these work as well or better than the original refrigerants in unaltered systems, and it would be a shame to compromise when you've already decided not to use R-134a.

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
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GMTech

Vader, if you are seeing 450+ PSI high side pressures, then either the fan isn't coming on, or your system is overcharged. I think you were one of the people saying there car took 3 lbs of refrigerant. Thats entirely too much. All the thirdgens I have seen took 2.25 lbs of R-12, and when I retrofit, I only put 2lbs of R-134a in, and the high side never goes above 250 psi. Another thing I have noticed about Conveted thirdgens, you don't need a bigger condensor, just more air flow. My car cools just as good as it did w/ R-12 and I'm happy I converted. My friends wasn't cooling as well, and we put a "pusher" fan in front of the condensor and it cools just as good now.

As for online certification, I answered this in another post. ASE offerrs it on-line for $15, but its only for section 609 of the Clean Air Act, which in not "universal". I think if you want the 30 lbs cylinders of the R-22/502 you need the 608 cert. Anyway, the link is ASE

------------------
FREE CARFAX Record Check

If you live in Southeastern US, check us out!
South East Thirdgen

GM Master Tech
ASE Master Tech + L1
Savannah, GA

'87 Trans Am
S/D TPI retrofit including functional PassKey,
22# injectors,
Whatever chip I feel like burning,
JET AFPR, Ported Plenum,
TB Coolant Bypass, Custom Cold Air,
SSM SFC, KYB Shocks, Boxed LCAs, Wonder Bar,
8mm Accel wires,
Flowmaster Exhaust,
16" GTA rims,
Corvette Servo,
3.73 Posi
4wheel Disc Brakes
Summit 1-5/8" headers, 2.5" Dynomax catback.

Best 1/8: 9.519@72.74

'97 Bonneville SSE

[This message has been edited by GMTech (edited July 29, 2001).]