propane
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
Likes: 43
From: San Antonio TX
Not pure propane, but a chemical blend including propane. There are various "refrigerant" gasses being used to replace R-12, R-22 and other abandoned chemicals. It's nothing new. As to the danger; I guess it depends upon your risk assessment. After all, you are carrying around 18 gallons of a highly flammable substance in the rear of your car.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 600
Likes: 6
From: Key West Florida
its a great refrigerant! but explosive, to me the old CFC's and HCFC's were bad also, after they got up to 900 degrees they turned into fasgine gas, similar to chlorine gas, but a far superior refrigerant to crappy R-134. R-12 was used in freezers so it was great in cars!!!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Why would you think R134 is Crappy? Its used in all the newer vehicles and all of the ones I own will run you out in short order. Its just a matter of matching the components to the gas your using. When you switch to R134 you should also change to a cross flow condenser and change the orifice tube. With that done the system should work fine
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 600
Likes: 6
From: Key West Florida
its a fact, ive done the empthy charts on it, its not a good refrigerant, it was made quickly as a replacement for the CFC's and HCFC's to save the ozone, ive even seen systems that are 134 that are used for freezers, to get the 134 down to the correct temp (around -35F) the low side works in a vacuum. not good, you had R12 and R22 that would get colder than that and wouldent have to work in a vacuum, now, 404 and 410 the blends are better than the old stuff for sure, but work at a much higher pressure, upwards of 400PSI
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
80+ heat/humidity about 100% and so I get discharge air of 60f on recirc here in FLORIDA.....not as good as I"d like, but 20+f drop across the coil, and it's dead stock except for the '88 comp in my '72 vette....well except for the C4 blower, which means the drop will be less than if I had lower speed on.....obviously....I have dual Spals for fans....
