Ecklers 134a Conversion Kit
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 64
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From: Raleigh NC
Ecklers 134a Conversion Kit
Anyone have any experience with the Ecklers Conversion kit for 134a? It's time for a new compressor and I figured now is as good a time as any to convert.
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...WTQC9LUEBEDSL3
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated....
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...WTQC9LUEBEDSL3
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated....
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Yes, I'd definitely convert but I'd think you could do better on price. Probably any replacement compressor you buy will work fine, especially since such conversions are done all the time w/o a compressor change.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
Before I did that I would go to a local parts store and price the individual components. I suspect you will save money. Careful with any reman AC compressor. There have been some really bad ones out there. The guy who does my AC work will not put in a reman,new only.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 50
From: Clayton, NC north carolina
I would hold off on the conversion,
The price of R-134a has skyrocketed this year because they are going to ban it like they did to R-12.
you may want to wait untill next year when the new refridgerant comes on line.
By the way there is more to the conversion than just changing the seals.
The oils arent compatable so the entire system must be flushed and you need to change the dessicant.
The price of R-134a has skyrocketed this year because they are going to ban it like they did to R-12.
you may want to wait untill next year when the new refridgerant comes on line.
By the way there is more to the conversion than just changing the seals.
The oils arent compatable so the entire system must be flushed and you need to change the dessicant.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,130
Likes: 7
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by ASRoff
I would hold off on the conversion,
The price of R-134a has skyrocketed this year because they are going to ban it like they did to R-12.
you may want to wait untill next year when the new refridgerant comes on line.
By the way there is more to the conversion than just changing the seals.
The oils arent compatable so the entire system must be flushed and you need to change the dessicant.
The price of R-134a has skyrocketed this year because they are going to ban it like they did to R-12.
you may want to wait untill next year when the new refridgerant comes on line.
By the way there is more to the conversion than just changing the seals.
The oils arent compatable so the entire system must be flushed and you need to change the dessicant.
Anyways,I recently did the R134A conversion on my 91 Lumina.
(Thanks SunCr for helping me with alot of questions)
Anyways I decided to do the conversion because the main hose busted a leak and I lost all the R12 in the system.
I got a new main hose,new dryer(suggested when converting),new green O rings and orifice tube.
I bought ester charge oil and R134A cans.No need to flush the system,drain the oil or anything.My neighbor vacuumed the system and checked for leaks then charged it up with the gas and oil and the a/c is working real nice again.Using the ester oil makes everything work together.
Hes done numerous R134A conversions and never changed the old oil.Never had a car come back to him for a/c failure due to conversion.
Flushing and changing the oils probably the best way to ensure the system is gonna work excellent but thats more time consuming for most people who cannot wait that long or spend too much time on their cars.
If they ban R134 thats gonna be stupid.ALways something eh?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 855
Likes: 0
I'm running this stuff in my vette and it works great:
http://autorefrigerants.com/co00033.htm
There is a lot more to AC then what one might expect. The oils are not compatible between 134 and R12, sure the air will be cold but the system is rotting from the inside out. When mixed the oils become corrosive. It is important to have your system flushed along with the retro. Another point is R134 does not transfer heat as well as R12 or R12A and R134 causes more strain on the compressor.
I don't know about a ban on 134 but the half life of R12 is around 130 years; R134 is about 15 years and the enviro stuff, which is also called R12A, has a half life of less than 1 year when released into the environment.
here is a link to get your EPA license to buy R12:
http://www.epatest.com/e_609cert.html
http://autorefrigerants.com/co00033.htm
There is a lot more to AC then what one might expect. The oils are not compatible between 134 and R12, sure the air will be cold but the system is rotting from the inside out. When mixed the oils become corrosive. It is important to have your system flushed along with the retro. Another point is R134 does not transfer heat as well as R12 or R12A and R134 causes more strain on the compressor.
I don't know about a ban on 134 but the half life of R12 is around 130 years; R134 is about 15 years and the enviro stuff, which is also called R12A, has a half life of less than 1 year when released into the environment.
here is a link to get your EPA license to buy R12:
http://www.epatest.com/e_609cert.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,839
Likes: 22
From: San Diego, Ca
There's no proposed ban on R134. Dupont, the only manufacturer, issued a press release this Spring that they were at max production and may only have enough to meet OEM demand. Prices have risen accordingly. There is nothing in the works to replace it. The OEMS have experimented with hydrocarbon blends, but gave up due to flammability concerns and basically admitted that they couldn't guarantee a leak proof system. Whether you're using R134 or R12, it will still be a small expenditure compared to the cost of everything else a 10 year old (plus) system might need. The EPA would like a regulation mandating that anyone working on a mobile a/c system - regardless of refrigerant used - have a license. Congress has been sitting on that for about 10 years and as long as you stick to R134, you don't need a license.
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 50
From: Clayton, NC north carolina
No proposed ban huh? Some one needs to tell Valeo and Visteon
http://www.ae-plus.com/Key%20topics/...iors-news2.htm
http://www.visteon.com/products/auto...ystem_spec.pdf
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...14/ai_n9538315
Word on the street is that the bill is already on capital hill. the EU is planning to do away with it by 2009. Mercedes and BMW will have new CO2 A/C systems online next year.
http://www.ae-plus.com/Key%20topics/...iors-news2.htm
http://www.visteon.com/products/auto...ystem_spec.pdf
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...14/ai_n9538315
Word on the street is that the bill is already on capital hill. the EU is planning to do away with it by 2009. Mercedes and BMW will have new CO2 A/C systems online next year.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 50
From: Clayton, NC north carolina
Originally Posted by Rick86
