I have a 90 vette that is blowing hot air with A/C on. I jumped the pressure switch and the compressor works. I believe there was a slow leak somewhere and that I am in need of a recharge. My setup is R12, and I am not converting to R134 as it stinks in for cooling in my opinion. So with that being said, I have decided to run some Castrol/Johnsen's Leak Stop to seal any possible leak, and then run Freeze-12. This is by far the cheapest fix for such a situation. Before I do run this sealant and refrigerant, does anyone think its a bad idea to run these products in a vette a/c system? I got a few other items to fix on the car, so I am looking for a low budget fix for this specific problem. Thanks in advance for any suggestions either for or against running this sealer and refrigerant. Anyone have any extra cans of Freeze-12 sitting around that they want to sell? Thanks in advance.

Info about sealant: http://www.coolprofits.com/articles/...ealants_p1.htm

 

enjoy this thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=611102

http://freeze-12.com/ :iagree:


[Modified by vettek50, 9:28 PM 9/15/2003]

 

vettek50, I browsed through the info quickly as its late and I'm falling asleep. But is this stuff flammable/dangerous? I know theres commercial interests preventing good products from being utililzed and made known, so I usually do think against the grain with that concept in mind. Anyhow, you use this in your vette? Does it require a license like freeze-12 does? Dont have time to get a license; would rather find an easier way or product if possible. I'll re-read the entire info tomorrow, but in the meantime if you can provide a re-post with answers to my new questions, it would be very appreciated, thanks. :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:


[Modified by 90whitevette, 8:52 AM 9/16/2003]

 

Freeze 12 isn't flammable; it's just 80% R134. The hydrocarbon refigerants mentioned in the post are - the minute they're exposed to air. Dump Freeze 12 in without getting the R12 out and you'll have extremely high pressures - high enough to blow it apart if the high pressure switch fails. Of course if you don't repair the leak, you may not get any pressure at all.

 

Check out this site http://www.autorefrigerants.com they say you don't need a license and is completely compatible with R12 and R134a. They say you don't have to flush the R12 out and you can retain your R12 fittings.

I haven't tried this stuff but thought you could at least check out the site.

The stuff they sell is called Enviro-Safe or ES-12a

 

When the site says the R12 has to be "evacuated" that means you gotta get the old stuff flushed out. Didn't see where you don't need to change the fittings either, but that's up to you and whether or not you want to let an a/c tech or anyone who might buy your car know that you've changed what's in it. The stock fittings will let it suck anything you care to put in it assuming you have a R12 charge hose hanging around. Freeze 12 is essentially R134. Why not just use R134? Any refigerant is only going to be stable when it's free of contaminants which is anything other than the refigerant and the oil it was designed to work with. The flurocarbon mixtures of refigerants are not the same and the process of refigeration is pressure, not combustion. Add air, you get water that will freeze and block the orifice as well ruin the compressor. Mix a hydrofluorocarbon (R134) with a chlorofluorocarbon (R12) and the chemical composition changes raising operating pressures and with higher pressures, you won't get cold air and you might blow it apart. Mix different types of refigerant oil and you get goo. Using a hydrocarbon mixture adds the risk of flammability to the mix.

 

The only freeze 12 I've seen is flamable because it's made up of 50% propane 50% Butane. There may be some other types out there that are not but just read the labels to make sure. If it's this 50/50 mix I wouldn't put it in any car I owned. :leaving:

 

Also if you convert to 134-A you will have to remove the oil in the compressor and install the proper oil. The reason they say change all the hoses too is because the oil you use for 134-A will eat up the inside of your regular hoses. It will work without changing them but sooner or later the hoses will start coming aprt on the inside and contaminating the whole syatem. Could be a year or maybe longer, but it will happen. Now most all 91 and up cars will have the right hoses on them and if your real lucky your 90 may have too. Just call a dealer and ask them if they can check there records and see if yours are compattable with 134-A.

 

This red tek stuff sounds really good but it does say way down there it's not compatable with the types of rubber hoses on 91 and older cars have on them. Be careful with that.

 

Texas is one of 18 States that specifically bans the sale, distribution or use of any hydrocarbon refigerant such as Red Tek, OZ12, etc for automotive a/c. Freeze 12 is ok, because it isn't a hydrocarbon mix.

 

Thanks all for the help. Rick86, that enviro-safe stuff looks pretty tempting and I almost went ahead and ordered some. I have to look into it a little further being that its somewhat flammable :eek: