Read the article on the conversion, didn't understand it...

"extracted" all the r12 out when we did the motor swap on accident and the guy that I usually purchase r12 from ran out.

So i went to wally world and found a r134a retrokit, put the adapter on the acumulator can, and then put the bottle on the gauge that came in the kit, and attached it to the adapter, read no psi, so following the instructions I left the can upside right and pulled the trigger until it read about 40 psi.

Compressor never ran.

Thought, wtf!

So I looked on the internet, and some places say you need to turn the cans upside down to get liquid coolant in, but others say keep up right side up because the liquid will damage the compressor.

So I said F IT, and turned a can upside down and went to town, as I was doing this the pressure kept going up til about 70-75 in the "danger" zone now, but the compressor started to kick in, short cycling.

So I "extracted" some of the r134a gas until it was in the 40-45 psi range, and now the compressor keeps cycling.

Should I put more liquid coolant in, or what's the deal here????
I don't get it....

Did I f up my system once and for all?

Time for a a/c removal?

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/retrofitac

Should Help.

-Christopher

 

Its normal for the compressor to cycle. How frequent are the cycles?

 

Already read the article, doesn't make sense, says you need 40 ounces, where maybe 6 ounces filled my system which was bone dry? And if I were to turn them upsidedown and get that many ounces in there the pressure on the accumulator port would be way above 200, which is on the low pressure side supposedly, which makes no sense....

Anyone have a gauge handy, take a reading from the port off the accumulator and tell me where it is at with the engine off.

With the engine off and 6 ounces in the system I showed 25-30 psi, with all 12 and upsidedown on the last 6 ounces I showed 75-80. Which should only be at 40 i guess? Only 1 can used, does that make sense? Or what's the deal here.


The compressor is on for 1 second off for 1 second, on for one second off for one second. And while I was feeding in the liquid (upside down) it stayed on longer, and at one point it was running for atleast 15 seconds, but the pressure was above 80 so i "extracted" some gas out to make it the nominal 40 psi.

Also, when the compressor kicks in, the pressure drops to about 20ish, and when it kicks out, it climbs back up to 45ish, is this nominal 40-50 psi supposed to be with the compressor running or just standing still?

I'm so confused....

 

I just want to subscribe to see what your results are.

 

With the engine off, the pressure on both the hi and the lo side will equalize around 70-100 psi depending on out side temp.
So keep filling the system with the engine running. Can right side up or so that only gas comes out. The compressor will eventually come on and then start sucking in the reefer.
You want to fill it so that when off and stabilsed the psi is 70-100.

When its running the lo side should be 25-30psi, And the hi side should be 200 230 psi.

 

You can't just pump it full of R134. It won't work well or for very long. You need to change the drier and pull a vacuum on it first. Otherwise it's going to be full of moisture which will corrode the aluminum lines on the inside and fill the system with sludge. I'm assuming the Walmart kit came with PAG oil?

 

ive been an ac tech for 6 years.. pretty easy stuff. the first thing i would of done is put a vacuum pump on the system and pulled the moisture/air out. a vacuum pump should hold 29'' of vaccum with no leaks. can't hold a vacuum fix leaks first.

when breaking a vacuum always use gas.. can right side up untill about 2 psi. above 2 psi u can use liquid but switch the can right side up once in a while.

if u use liquid in a vacuum it flash freezes every thing and can break tubes and create alot of unessisary leaks and headaches. there is a manufactures recomendation on the size of charge on each ac system.

when changing from r-12 to r-134a u need to pull the compressior and drain out all the oil. old oil + new style oil don't mix good time to install a new dryer when the compressor is off. the accumulator should be drained also acts as a storage device on demand.

 

Also being someone that works on ac systems for a living, I would agree with what is said above as being right, as far as oil and vacuum and whatnot. However, there is no reason why you cant do a "dirty" retrofit and be ok. Drain r12, fill with r134a, add some pag oil and call it a day.

 

My guess is that the system was left open for an extended period of time during the engine swap. The oil in the retrofit kit will mix with the old R-12 oil.
He just hasn't put in enough refrigerant to get the system to work.
Note to OP: Put in a total of 40 oz of r134 and call us in the morning.
His problem will be the air and moisture that is in the system if it was left open for an extended period without being evacuated or purged. The system will actually function for a good while before the oxygen takes it's toll on the lubricant mix.