Okay here's my situation. I've got an underdash unit and condenser from a '66 Mustang that I've restored and had cleaned and tested and all is good. I just bought a new Sanden 508 compressor and a new dryer. I'm going to have all new hoses made and will probably be buying a new expansion valve but I've got the one that was on the underdash unit. Would you guys go with R12 or 134 if given the choice and why?
2X^^ Put an aftermarket AC unit on the '57 and charged it with 134, works great. I also converted to 134 on my 84 Chevy, no problems with that either.
Since you having all new hoses made and the condenser didn’t come off the F100, you might want to consider getting a larger condenser to mount on you truck, since your going to be fabricating anyway. May help using R-143a. Simple to do now, difficult later. Bones
I figured since the condenser was the one used with that evap unit that I would be okay. Really just trying to decide if the R12 is worth the extra cost.
If the system was designed for R12 it will not get as cold with 134A in it. And the R12 replacements do not work as well as real R12.
Gotcha, CJ, somehow I read where you were putting it into an F100. Went back, no. So I would stick with the original, for sure. Can’t help you on which Freon to use. I’ve had some that worked good.... some not so good. Usually one of the differences between a R12 and aR134a is a larger condenser. Bones
That's the major difference; my late-model DD AC doesn't get as cold as older R12 AC does, all else being equal...
Mine either! ...And, as where we are here in Atwater was desert, I could appreciate 54* at the vents! (Gets down to 60 now, engine @ 1500+ RPM)
R12 is not available anymore, unless you find old stock somewhere. R134 is definitely less expensive. Use a newer 134 condenser, they are more efficient. CN
Just finished installing a knee Knocker in my 36 (avatar) 2 day using 134. 38 degrees @ the vent. Lovin it.
R12 works WAY better, WAY colder. Every thing I ever had that wasn't R12 doesn't cool good enuff, even my 2017 ram truck. My old R12 stuff will still freeze an Eskimo out. If you have R12, or a source, I'd use it.
R134 has smaller molecules than 12. R12 equipment doesn't work well with R 134 because it will leak it out. Might last a season of you don't mind refilling.
I talked to contractor once who worked in Saudi some years ago. He said he saw all these "Princes" driving around in beater Buicks or some damn thing like that. How come not BMW or Mercedes? Turns out, the AC in the old beaters was waaaay better, and it gets hot over there, so that's what they drove a lot of the time. Weak AC is BS.
49, you coming from Austin, Texas...... I would think you would want an A/C thread! Lol It gets warm there! But .... A/C came to autos in the fifties, May have touched The Forties. So ...kinda makes it legal??? Bones
An under dash knee knocker is about as traditional as you can get in central Texas on anything. With the right seals 134 will get that F100 down cold enough. A bit of insulation might help though. Had one of those Mark IV ac units in my 59 Elkie in Texas that would chill beer sitting on the middle of the front seat. We seldom ever ran that thing full blast as it got too cold.
Well, y'all, I was talking about the R134a. That sure as heck wasn't around in the 50's....I thought "the rules" disallowed "modern words".......hahaha And yeah, The Judge has a LOT of modern features...including (all parts of the system designed for) an R134a system. But I can't discuss anything here.....
I bought my OT car new in the late summer. I used the AC, but only a few times before cooler weather. The next year I had to get the system recharged due to a leak. This repeated itself for several years as the price for R12 went up. Then I had enough and did without. Once I put AC in the '57 I decided I was an expert, so I bought all new AC components for the OT and installed them myself. The only difference is the charging ports and an internal valve, but I worked with a top notch auto AC supplier/installer to get the correct parts. Yes. I actually replaced the entire system. I have heard this many times, but the truth is I saw no difference. My AC worked for several years without any problems. When I did get a leak, it was the compressor that failed.
As has been said you need a license for R12, and is nearly impossible to find. As far as not cooling as well as R12 I converted to OT cars to R134 and both cooled as well as before
That's how it's supposed to work. Dial it back a little. Some of the modern units running full blast don't cool very well, and with the fan on HI is don't move any air yet noisy and fatigueing, and "what's wrong with this thing it won't cool" running full blast through your mind.
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