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My 1968 Olds 98 still has the R12 freon system. It was charged last Aug 22 with R12. There seems to be a leak in the system. Is it possible to check where the leak is and then charge it again with the R12. The mechanic had charged me $70 for 1 lb of this freon.
if I do want to convert the AC system to the R134, what all do I need to replace besides the Compressor and the Drier. I have attached pictures of the engine bay
Recover, charge the system with air (preferably nitrogen). Spray dish soap (dawn) on all connections. Leaks are evident by bubbling. Make necessary repairs and recharge. If no leaks are detected, it can be the carbon seal on the compressor itself. Stick with the R12, lower operating pressure, and when properly functioning will throw pop cycles at you in Pheonix in August regardless of airflow on the condenser. I wish that I could “upgrade” my 134 vehicles to R12.😅. My hour long ride home today in Ft Worth traffic was chilly whilst the OAT read 107 degrees. Check your local FB or Craigslist for R12 cans for future use.
Last edited by Funkwagon455; Jun 27, 2023 at 04:20 PM.
Don't waste your money and convert an R12 system to R134a. It won't cool efficiently. If you don't want to pay the price for R12 go to an aftermarket system like Vintage Air.
Unfortunately, not may places have the equipment to recover refrigerant from an R12 system. When charging the R12 system in my '62 Starfire, I have a hard time finding a tech with a functioning set of R12 gauges. I keep fluorescent dye in my system to help spot leaks.
Hopefully in TX someone has the proper AC equipment reasonably close. We still have an old school shop in central NJ, AZ radiator. They're third gen cooling guys who do pretty much everything and do it very well.
That engine bay looks really nice, please post some pics of the car if you would.
If you have the system recharged with R12 just let the shop provide it. They may upcharge you a little bit for the refrigerant, but the only other option is buying a set of R12 gauges, a vacuum pump and doing it all yourself.
BTW, did you get those wheels from TrueSpoke? They are bad@$$!
Those wheels are from TrueSpoke. I ordered them in Aug 2021 and they shipped it in March 2022.
I did find a guy on EBid that sells the cans and he says he is local and can also charge it for me. I am in contact with him
If you source R12 on Craigslist make sure you meet the seller at or near a local police station. Also, be wary because an unscrupulous seller might fill their cans of R12 with R152a.
You need to be certified to get R12, but if you can or find someone who is, get it fixed so the system does not leak. You can keep it going 5 years or more without a recharge. One system I had with a 1991 Cadillac ran from 2012 to 2022 and was still blowing ice cubes never touched it. A 1966 Cadillac was fine until I needed to fix the compressor clutch. That was fine too. They all leak some, it just how much, eventually they all need at least a recharge. Also the value of the car drops in my opinion when you convert it. It will never work as well. Yes it works, but not as well.
Have factory A/C on my 67 Delmont hardtop. I bought it about 6 years ago, and most of the A/C components were in the trunk, except for mounting brackets and the bolts. Got it replaced with new or rebuilt components, and changed to 134A. Within 3 years, system had given up the ghost. so much for change over to 134A. I questioned the shop that did the work, was told they only warrant for 12 months, and besides "it's an old car, you have to expect things to break" Spent $2 grand to get it all done, didn't know I would have to start replacing components after 3 years. Last time I utilized their services.
