Hey Guys , I have been thinking about what my plans are for the car when she comes off the road again when the weather turns bad in a couple of months and can't make up my mind what to do with the AC. At the moment it doesn't work , there is a leak on the hose that runs from the rad to the compressor so all the freon has gone and the cold air is ..... well warm.
New hoses for her run to about $95 and then I will have to take it to a shop to get the system evacuated and than re-filled inc dye to check for other leaks $125+ . Assuming that fixes all the leaks then I am good but if not then re evac and fix the prob and then refill again another $125!!! and so on.....
So my questions are ....
How good is the A/C on a 82 vette - is it worth fixing?? If the weather is good , I run her with the tops off anyway so is there any benefit from running the A/C when you are really trying to cool the entire state of Il. If I do fix it why do I need to check for leaks with freon? Can't the system be evacuated and then filled with dye and compressed air to check for leaks rather than the expensive freon? Then once the system is tight I can re-fill with the r134.
Advice on your experience with A/C's is much appreciated.

Now , if I don't fix it and leave it as is - what are my options?
I want her to look stock and so do not want to remove the A/C parts but...... If I remove the belt to the compressor and so remove the load from the motor , will that not increase fuel economy , increase HP etc ? Would I notice the difference??
Again , any advice would be welcome

 

Your options are how much do you drive the car? Do you just want the car for car shows, drag racing etc, or an occaisonal road trip? The value of the car will also be affected by removal of the equipment. My is non functional on my 1974 right at the moment and I do wish it was working. Unfortunately "Bubba" the guy before me got into the wiring and put a later model motor in the car and put the ac compressor on the wrong side of the engine etc. So I'm probably going the hot rod air option myself. Four reasons in my case. 1 I like the idea of getting the ac out of the engine compartment. 2 I'd probably spend as much as what the kit costs to fix the old system anyway.. 3 It will be a 134a system from the get go. 4 I'm going to keep some semblance of resale value as it will still have ac and heat and it will be a lot easier to repair. Now don't get me wrong If your ac system is intact for the most part you could probably fix yours for less. But if I want to take a cross country trip in my car in the middle of summer I would think ac would be a nice option.

 

I would not remove the equipment , just the belt and so remove the load from the motor.
She is not a dd or a show queen , I drive her when I want to , no drag strip. Its not an issue of weight , performance etc , it is more a question of if I spend the money , is the result gonna make me pleased I did (ie are the A/C's on these vettes any good?) If I don't spent the money do I either leave it as is , all intact but not blowing cold air , or if I do something minor like remove the belt , will I actually notice the difference in the performance/fuel economy? I guess what I am saying is if its not working and its not going to be forth fixing , is there any benefit to removing the belt (an easy thing to put back if I change my mind)
cheers

 

Removing the AC belt isn't really going to make much difference in the engine load/ fuel savings. If your AC isn't working then the compressor is not loaded anyway. But it won't hurt anything either. Checking for leaks with CLEAN compressed air may seem like a good idea but it probably will not help you find a small freon leak. Freon has smaller molecules than air and may leak in places compressed air won't. Most leaks that would show up with compressed air would be obvious to the trained observer without any pressure on the system. Look for cracks in aluminum lines, blown o-rings and oil around any connection, all sure signs of a major leak. If the leak is not obvious, then it may be somewhere you cannot see or pinpoint the exact location. This is where UV detectors and dye comes in. They are not perfect either, but usually quicker and better at locating multiple system leaks.

Try to sort out any major and obvious problems then seek help from a buddy or shop with some tools and experience.

Good Luck!!

 

Hey Buddy,

I don't think removing the A/C belt is going to help or hurt. I love A/C and wouldn't be without it. My car has original R12 and it gets down to 37 degrees. I was driving today at 90 degrees out side and with glass tops the car was cool.

The only way I know is the fill the car with freon and dye and check for leaks. Whether you stay R12 or R134 it is going to cost a few bucks to get it right. You may just need some seals or it may be a condensor or evaporator. R12 is expenseive and the conversion to R134 is not cheap.

Just tell mama you need a little extra money this month.

Later

 

Thanks for the reply , I am pretty sure the leak is BIG , I am sure when I have had work done on my cars in the UK they have pumped the system up with compressed air with the dye added and let it sit for a while to see if it holds the pressure , if it does then it is worth the risk to add the freon.


Hey , How are ya? Thanks for the input.
If removing the belt is not going to make noticeable difference then I am left with the decision of leaving it as is or spending the $$ to fix the A/C.... I think I am gonna get it fixed. I am already converted to R134 so that bit is done , I have a pretty good idea where the leak is , when I first bought the car the guy said that the A/C just needed re-charging - well obviously the freon went somewhere and so I didn't recharge it. Anyway I was doing some other work on the car and happened to touch the hose that runs from the compressor to the rad and I could hear the gas hissing from the joint where the flexible hose is crimped to the solid pipe at the compressor.It looks like that hose is crimped somehow onto the solid pipe - is that the case? Is it possible that the joint could be re-crimped tighter or sealed in some way or do I definately need to change the hose?
Also where else is it likely that there could be leaks ? What are the common places ?
Any advice as always would be welcome

 

I would put a new hose on the car. I don't think you can recrimp or retighten. Most of the time the condensor in front of the radiator goes because of a stone kicked up from the road. But since you know where its leaking start there. At least 134A is much cheaper than R12. Since the system is dry make sure you add oil to the system.

 

gonna size the job up for this winter , there is a local shop that deals with alot of older cars so I think I will go see them and see what they have to say and take it from there.
As ever , thanks again for the help and advice

 

How can I see if my AC is R12 or R134 and which one is to prefer?

 

R12 fittings are small and threaded on the outside. R134a fittings are larger and look like an air hose quick connect. R134a is much cheaper than R12 in most places, but it does require a complete overhaul of the system and some minor adjustments to run at full efficiency.

 

Thanks, I will check it tomorrow