Re: [DML] A/C gas types

[AJL521@xxxxxxx]

Personally, I always felt that R-12 was more effective then R134 and it is a 
noticable difference.  However the cost of R-12 is so high these days that it 
is non-economical, compared to the inexpensive cost of R134.  Plus if you have 
a leak in the system, the cost losing an R-12 charge can be enough to make 
you cry...how would it feel to spend $300 to charge the system with R-12 only to 
have it leak out in the matter of weeks or months.  If the seals in the car 
are original they are between 24 and 22 years old, and they are bound to leak 
after this amount of time.  

As far as R134 goes, it is a different compound, and is actually thinner then 
R12, so if you had a leak with R-12, the leak will be worse with 134.  
Furthermore 134 operates at different pressures, and with a different oil, so when 
doing a conversion, the system must be properly switched over.  As others have 
said the blended refrigerents can work well (depending on what kind you use) 
but they will leak at different rates per refrigerent and therefore cannot be 
topped off.  

I'm sure that everyone will tell you not to use propaine, which some people 
might be crazy enough to try.  It might (I don't know, nor would I ever even 
think about using it) cool well, but that stuff is not just flamable, it's 
downright explosive!  With the pressures that that the AC system runs at (over 100 
PSI on the high side), would any sane person run that stuff in any car?  
Furthermore there are restrictions on what might be used as an automotive 
refrigerent...and I'm almost sure (I say "almost" because I don't normally speak in 
definate terms) that something highly flamable would not be approved.  

So to make a long story short, R-12 is the original refrigerent in our 
DeLorean's, and is recommened by a good number of people.  However a proper R134 
conversion can be less costly in the long run, and provide an acceptable level of 
cooling, furthermore it will be much easier to get an R134 recharge in the 
long run from a service center, since most service centers don't deal with 
blended refrigerents, and have a difficulty getting R12, which will only get worse 
as the supply is depleated.  (From what I recall the last year R-12 was 
produced was 1995, what's out there is all that's left...forever).

Stay cool,

Andrew,
4194


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