A/C on sale!
Printed From: West Coast Fieros
Category: Technical Topics Forum
Forum Name: Technical Questions and Discussions
Forum Description: Got a technical question about your fiero? ask it here.
URL: http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1934
Printed Date: 24 April 2025 at 11:33am
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Topic: A/C on sale!
Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Subject: A/C on sale!
Date Posted: 04 July 2010 at 11:34am
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If anyone is planning on charging their
system up, Princess auto has cans of DuraCool on sale for $10.00 You'll use 2 cans to charge a system. I can evacuate you if you have R134 adapters installed already, or just go buy a set of them. |
Replies:
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 12:33am
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John, can you give a short description of what you're referring to for those of us who are A/C technology challenged (but who have A/C in their Fieros).
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Dr.Fiero wrote:Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 7:40am
My vacuum pump has fittings for R134. All cars up until about 1993 had R12. You can get adapters to convert the fittings. An R12 fitting has external threads and looks like a tire valve. An R134 fitting has internal threads (see above pic) and looks like an air tool fitting. If you have a complete, but non working A/C system, quite often I can bring it back to life in about an hour or so, and 2 cans of Duracool. I evacuate the system (pull a vacuum) first, to see if it leaks. Then apply pressure to it, to see if it leaks (sometimes it will only leak after pressuring it!). If it seems to be holding, I fill it. If it DOES leak, we can stop right there - and you're just out the cost of the valves, and a bit of labour. You could then hang onto the cans for your next/other/buddies car, or we can keep going to find the source of the leak. |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 8:37pm
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It should be noted as well that a system that leaks legally cannot be refilled (Leaking constitutes losing over 5% per year). So I'd suggest letting the Doc fix it, lest you want to continue without A/C. ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: Dawg
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 9:02pm
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KMS Tools also sells purple colored refrigerant. You pump that into the system and run it for a while. Every once in a while you check for a purple stain. Works great. DG ------------- You dream it up....I'll make it |
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 10:34pm
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My GT sat for six years before I bought it two years ago. So it's been at least eight years since the A/C has been charged. The A/C works but I can tell it's low on whatever's in there as it cycles on and off continually if I use it (which is hardly ever). If it's the "old" stuff in there, what would happen if the DuraCool was simply added to the system (using adapters if required) without the system being purged/evacuated?
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Posted By: Fire451
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 11:07pm
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nothing because the duracool is compatable with r134a and r12 ------------- 
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Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 11:12pm
If later on you do desire to update to R134a, you'll need to find someone with a retro-fit license. The Doc might have one, mind you. Personally though, I'd just top up and hope for the best. ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 11:25pm
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When is there actually a need then to purge/evacuate the system?
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Posted By: Fire451
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 11:29pm
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would be a good idea as you do not want to overfill the system, as for
finding someone with the retrofit licence.... I have mine, just don't have any of the equipment -------------
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Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 11:33pm
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What's the worse case scenario?
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Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 6:53am
It goes *bang*. Well, pop. Anyhow - you're better off to pull out all the old. As for changing to 134 later -- WHY?!?!? would you want to downgrade to a more toxic, far less efficient, way more expensive coolant later?! |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 1:27pm
Something the other's forgot to mention is that it becomes way less effective at cooling (And underfilling can cause icing around the evaporator).
As to your question Doc, because you arn't supposed to be legally buying or selling R12 any more, that's why. As for toxicity, they're are 100% equal in toxicity, the difference is that R134a is also a green-house, whereas R12 is also an O.D.S. ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 1:42pm
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Ok - you NEED to start reading ALL the posts. Mostly - the first one. I'm not refilling with R12. It's Duracool. It's a hydrocarbon based refrigerant (that I do happen to know the contents of, but I'm not going to bring it all up here) that is non toxic, nor ozone depleting. |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 2:43pm
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Ah, see, when I was speaking of a retro-fit, I was referring to the R12 to R134a retro-fit (As one technically doesn't need to retro-fit for Duracool), which is why when you started arguing it, I assumed you were just mildly psychotic. LOL! It's ok, we're cool Doc. ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 3:13pm
If you currently have R134, you don't need to change anything. No Fiero made had anything other than R12. You need to change the fittings. AKA - retrofit. |
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 07 July 2010 at 8:58pm
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Hey guys... chill out! Seemed like an appropriate thing to say in an A/C thread.
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Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 08 July 2010 at 11:35am
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Unfortunately, that sale price was just from June 22 - July 4.
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Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 08 July 2010 at 1:31pm
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Guess I caught them on the last day (o/p July 4th!). If you can find a flyer from them for that sale period - take it into Walmart (who also sells DuraCool, but at WAY too high a price). The people at the customer service desk are a little stunned quite often, and sometimes won't check the sale date when you go to price match it (not that I've tested this... cough...).  |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 08 July 2010 at 6:00pm
That... Was... Awful.  ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 21 July 2010 at 9:00pm
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Went to Clynt's place today and added one can of DuraCool to my A/C which I know hasn't been charged for at least eight years. I'm now one cool dude.
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Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 21 July 2010 at 9:57pm
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Found a pinhole leak in my SS10's A/C today - glued it up (yup - epoxy!), filled it up, and now it's blowing cold too! Might have something to do with the weather? Nahhhh..... |
Posted By: Capt Fiero
Date Posted: 21 July 2010 at 10:25pm
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Note KMS Tools had it on for 9.96 a can last Thursday might still be on sale. ------------- Capt Fiero 88 Fiero GT 5spd V6 Eight Fifty Seven GT V8 5spd. |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 22 July 2010 at 10:13pm
Bah, A/C is for sissies. Just pop the top and roll the windows down.  ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |
Posted By: marcelvdgn
Date Posted: 22 July 2010 at 10:32pm
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John Do you have an AC leak tester or how did you determine the leak I would like to do the same on my 86 SE I know my ac works but only held a charge for 2 months I Cant find the leak??????? ------------- Marcel 86SE V6 Auto 85SE V6 Auto 85 2m4 soon to be sleeper 3.8sc 5 speed |
Posted By: Patrick
Date Posted: 22 July 2010 at 10:39pm
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I agree. I only charged the system to increase the GT's re-sale value. Seriously. I'd rather sweat buckets than have cold air blowing on me. When visiting the southern States, I hated it when I'd go into an air-conditioned building on a hot day wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I'd be freezing!
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Posted By: Dr.Fiero
Date Posted: 23 July 2010 at 7:32am
Did it the 'hard' way. Pressurized the system (air), then went around with a stethoscope and then a spritz bottle of soapy water and looked for bubbles. What kind of charge is taking 2 months to go away? R134? |
Posted By: Dawg
Date Posted: 23 July 2010 at 11:06am
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Hey Marcel, use the purple stuff. It's so easy. You charge the system and periodically look around. The leak will show up purple when it starts happening. KMS sells it. DG ------------- You dream it up....I'll make it |
Posted By: Romeo
Date Posted: 23 July 2010 at 11:07pm
Bah, I'm hot no matter where I go.
Sides, sweating burns off calories. Why pay to go to a sauna when you have a black car? =P ------------- Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan. |