hello everyone,
I have been reading posts here for sometime and decided to join. I acquired a 1987 Dodge W150 with a 318 last summer that was sitting for 8-9ish years. After a tuneup to get it running i am working on other things on it like the AC. After checking, I am pretty sure there is no R12 or whatever was in it; AC does not work. I am wondering what are the odds are of the AC working after adding R134a or what will i have to do to get it running.

Thanks!

 

i would guess you would have to find all the leaks in the system if it was empty or you most likely just be wasting money.

 

Is that something i would have to go to a shop to get checked out?

 

you might have to. i am not really sure how you could test it without specialty tools.

 

alright I will have to take it in sometime than. Hopefully there are no leaks...i have been lucky so far with this truck. Thanks for the help man.

 

i would guess if the a/c is not blowing cold then the system most likely leaks and would leak it all out again if the leak is not found and fixed first.

 

yeah probably. i doubt the stuff doesnt just evaporate on its own without a leak somewhere

 

with age the seal dry up and start leaking and that stuff is under some fairly high pressure so it would not take much for it to find a way out.

 

what would i have to replace to get it working again? new lines probably and what else? I read somewhere about a dryer evaporator canister thing but im not sure.

 

FIRST! Find out what fittings are on your system so you know if it has already been converted.

Only a competent tech with the proper equipment can tell what all is wrong with your system. The only hard part that is not completely compatible with R-134A is the EPR valve on the compressor. (Not for compatibility reasons but any repair should include a new original receiver/dryer at a minimum.)

This is a big jump but we need a starting point. Assuming that the system was functioning before the R12 escaped, here is what needs to be done to properly convert from R-12 to R134A.

1. Find gas leak in the A/C system and repair. This is what will cost the most more than likely.

2. Flush system with a compound of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon-141B and Dichlorofluoroethane, which cleans and dries the old oil residue, moisture, and any other junk that may be in the system.

3. Completely evacuate the system.

4. Install new gas input and output stems. This prevents R12 being mixed with the R134a gas in the future.

5. Load the new ester oil into the A/C system. This is compatible with the new R134a gas.

6. Load the new R134a gas into the A/C system.

7. Change the A/C system pressure & timing settings to accommodate the new R134a gas.

8. Place a retrofit sticker on the A/C system stating it was converted to R134a usage.