I am still toying with the idea of removing the air conditioning from my '31 A coupe. I don't use it-it was on the coupe when I bought it and it really adds a lot of lines, bits and pieces to an exposed engine area. Following some previous HAMB advice, I spoke today to the best area mechanic I know and asked him what to do. He basically said, well there are millions of cars slowly leaking refrigerant because no auto AC is really leakproof, so just have yours be one more, but a little quicker. Now I am kind of concerned about the environment, I re-cycle, conserve when I can and try to reduce my waste,so I am not completely happy with this. However, his points made sense in that: We don't know what's in the system-Freon or 134a, we don't know if it's contaminated or if it has ever had auto parts store boosters added. It seems the commercial mechanic's refrigerant extractors are very sensitive to the sealant that's added to OTC refrigerant recharges-it ruins their filters to the tune of $400-500. So I can see why he doesn't want to take a chance on an old, unknown A/C system. Any suggestions short of cracking it open and letting out the gas? And in actuality, I don't know if it's fully loaded or empty. Thanks for the help.
Just let the sucker go. No point having that much of a conscience, loosen one of the joints wrap a rag around it and pull apart, there will be greasy green shit everywhere if you dont.
at this moment and all around the country people have car accidents, more freon has been released from those than recaptured, it does muck up the filters and to get someone that will capture it everyone i know likes to know it gonna be pure, not some add on freon with the propane in it for a propellant, that is interesting when you cut a air line with a torch just release it i guess
the easy way to figuout if there is any (or enough to bother with) freon (whatever flavor you choose to call it) in the system...does the a/c get cold when you turn it on? No? bust it open. Yes? find a less fearful mechanic. the system is clearly aftermarket-which almost guarantees r-134A
Does the freon releasing really matter? Does your 31 coupe engine have a cat converter on it. The mechanic is right all cars do leak refridgerant. Just crack it, and set it free. Like someone already said if the AC is not cold chances are there is hardly any left in the system.
We don't know what's in the system-Freon or 134a, we don't know if it's contaminated or if it has ever had auto parts store boosters added. It seems the commercial mechanic's refrigerant extractors are very sensitive to the sealant that's added to OTC refrigerant recharges-it ruins their filters to the tune of $400-500. BS I have a $20 filter on my reclaimer find the neighborhood A/C tech and give him $20 to evac it. I'd do it for you free if you where closer.
Makes sense to me!!! If there is enough in it to make it cold. than it's full. No cold, not full. To answer one of your questions..... Cut it and be done with it.
Wow. I'm suprised you'd say that. Doing that gives you guys down under skin cancer. (O zone hole anyone?)
what service ports are on it? usually 134 systems have the new big fittings, R12 has the old "normal" ones. that should get you in the ballpark. Some shops sell recycled R12 for $$$ and might even suck it out for free.... All aftermarket AC systems were R12 until about 15 years ago, when 134 started to show up.
Just turn it on, if it cools you have refrigerant. If it doesn't cool it's empty or close to it. Open it up, it prolly won't even fart at Ya.
When I still worked on automobiles professionally, we bought a refrigerant recycling machine, and used it to a fault.....at he same time I had a friend who worked at a plant that made needles for the medical industry (Johnson & Johnson) He told me they use a cobalt (radioactive) sterlization process to prepare the needles.....he also said that while the containment area was being built, R-22, a chloroflorocarbon, was used by the 30 lb. cylinder (several of them at a time) to pressure check the doors........all the while we were buying expensive shit as mandated by these shit-heads in Washington. Global warming? yeah the Earth has been warming since there was a ice cap all the way to Amarillo, Texas. Let the shit go.
Some 5 years ago I bought a new Snap-On A/C machine. Also got "talked" into buying a refrigerant identifier. Have used the identifier on about 75% of the cars I service. Basically it takes a small sample of whatever refrigerant is in the system and tells you in terms of a percentage what's in there. I'd say find an AC shop and see if they will evacuate the system for free if you let them keep the refrigerant.
The Jalopy Journal
