I have a 91 Formula... my mechanic said it has the old AC stuff (well, I said stuff, he knows exactly what he's talking about) and he rattled of about 10 things that need to be done to upgrade from the old ac stuff to the new ac stuff.. All I heard was dollar signs, Anyway...

1. What's should I expect to pay to have this done?
2. Do most AC shops do this or should I take it somewhere else?

Thanks,
Raf

 

Im interested in this find out this information too. I bought one of those R-134a retrofit kits and replaced the A/C hose that goes to the compressor with some aftermarket (non-ACDelco) hose and all the refrigerant leaked. I think I shoudl just buy all new parts (or very good condition used ones) to make sure there are no leaks, but I dont know exactly what parts need to be replaced.

 

the "new" r-134 can be used just fine in the older R12 systems. However, the pressure is different and your old system won't be set up to handle it properly. This said, you might see a difference in how well it cools. There is supposedly a fix to it, I read it here on the board but I can't remember where. Something about changing the pressure settings on the accumulator. Also, since you are thinking about changing over, it's not a bad Idea to change the accumulator and orifice tube. Those have a tendancy to get dirty and collect other nastiness from the system over the years.

 

A local AC shop told me $185. They didn't go into detail as to what would happen, but I don't think that's a bad price if they take care of everything and do it right, not just fill'r up with the new stuff.

Rafael

 

The only things that need to be done are getting the R12 out of the system and evacuating the system.

Things that should be done are replacement of the receiver/dryer and orifice tube, using green orings (forget the material off the top of my head), and flushing the system before evacuation and recharging with R134a.

Things that can be done include replacing the compressor and hoses.

Most shops don't have the R12 recovery equipment. Most shops that specialize in AC do.

 

The general quote in swapping from R12 to R134a is close to a grand when the smoke clears. Draining the old stuff and filling the new stuff is the tip of the iceberg, as you've noticed (10 things to replace). Changes are all the seals are shot, and most of your R12 has leaked out anyway. Most shops will want to replace just about everything.
An A/C specialty shop should be able to give you a good quote, since it sounds like you don't want to do it yourself eh?