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Related to Everdave's post, is it still feasible to find a shop that can get old stock of R12 to do a recharge? I'm thinking I might need to take my car to another town to get the AC recharged or converted. AC on vs AC off is maybe 5 degrees difference at this point and it's getting hot.
22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Jun 13, 2022 |
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Jun 13, 2022 05:21
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| # ¿ May 11, 2024 19:38 |
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Thinking about it the "cool" air yesterday was still warmer than the outside, just cooler than the truck that had been baking in the sun. So if I'm thinking about it right either the compressor is done or the R12 is completely gone. I saw when checking the oil yesterday that there is no cap on one of the valves, not sure if high side or low side, but that makes me think all of the delicious R12 is now helping the environment. I'm not sure if I can find anywhere near here that will reclaim the R12 assuming there is any. I'm thinking buy the retrofit caps from O'Reilly, get their loaner pressure gauge, and if I have any pressure at all I need to get it reclaimed but if not then could I just add r134a? Or would the gauges not be able to tell me if it's completely empty? Does the 134a require adding mineral oil? Would standard kitchen rubber gloves be appropriate PPE? Is a long shirt enough or do I need something with insulation to prevent burns? I've got a full face respirator for reasons so I might just wear that on the face. E: Just saw leather gloves are specified in the OP. EE: Found a guy the next town over that can get me in today for a freon recharge. Rather pay him for an hour of labor than get all the equipment myself and get certified. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Jun 13, 2022 |
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Jun 13, 2022 17:47
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I've been arguing with a friend of mine about acceptable loss of refrigerant over time. He makes rebreathers for SCUBA diving so he's of the opinion that anything designed well will have 0 loss because if you have any leak in a rebreather you die. I say that over a long enough period of time (10-20 years) it's normal to lose some or most of your refrigerant, but I don't have a reason why it's not a perfect seal. I'm thinking maybe the heat cycling causing expansion and contraction at different rates due to the dissimilar materials? Part of the reason for argument is that I think I need to either DIY or get a recharge done on my '99, it's blowing cool rather than cold and I know for a fact that it hasn't been recharged since I got it in 2009, likely not even before then since you don't tend to do that in the first 10 years. He thinks that the first order of business should be determining where it's leaking because he thinks it's an "is leaking" rather than a "check if it's leaking."
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Jul 19, 2022 17:31
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So you're saying that the hoses themselves absorb refrigerant over time?
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Jul 19, 2022 20:09
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I accidentally smacked my AC condenser with my water pump while replacing it and seem to have cracked the condenser. There's no visible hole but I can see where I bent the fins and the coolant came out. I'm going to pay a pro to recharge/replace whatever is necessary but the condenser is NLA. I'm thinking of taking the condenser itself to a welder in town to fix it, is that a feasible option? I figure that it's easier to take it out and fix it while the radiator is off rather than having to pull the radiator to get to it once I have it back together.
22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Aug 7, 2022 |
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Aug 7, 2022 18:52
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It's the condenser, not the radiator. Or is it called the radiator in the AC system? It looks like aluminum, it's silver colored, but maybe it's some kind of coated brass. I guess I won't be driving this thing until the winter anyway, how long does an AC system have to be dry before it starts to damage the system? I could have it fixed in the spring I suppose. Maybe it's bullshit but a guy at a radiator/AC shop told me that a system that is dry for too long is more likely to fail again.
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Aug 7, 2022 19:04
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Okay, yeah, I can tell they work similarly, I just got thrown off because I had never heard the condenser referred to as a radiator. I'll see if I can find something that will fit, and if not I'll call the local welder. This is the kind of town where everyone keeps farm equipment from the Eisenhower administration running because nobody can afford to replace it so by reputation the guy will do some odd stuff. Worst case I can probably find something that's the right dimensions for the hoses but the wrong attachment locations and fab some adapters. I can find used ones definitely but I don't trust used ones not to be faulty themselves especially after being shipped halfway across the country. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Aug 7, 2022 |
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Aug 7, 2022 19:14
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| # ¿ May 11, 2024 19:38 |
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Ah, I see. So that is probably still in there despite the magic gas coming out. That makes sense. I've found like ten aftermarket models that are supposed to fit, all OOS. Am I right in thinking that it would be easier to find one with the right dimensions and then pay a welder to put the mounts in the right place? Since the mounts would be on the outside and not tainted with oil. Why do people make condensers out of aluminum anyway? I guess they plan on you buying a new one if it breaks, does aluminum have better heat transfer properties? Now I'm worried about my aluminum radiator failing and having the same issue down the line, the PO replaced the failed stock radiator with an aluminum one but those were a group buy that were custom made. I really wish I hadn't been so stingy 8 months ago and had just had it towed to the mechanic rather than thinking "it's probably something I can do myself." Oh well, spilled milk and whatnot.
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Aug 7, 2022 20:03
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