R134a conversion?

[jarrett at rpa.net (Jim Jarrett)]

On Apr 17, 2006, at 11:56 PM, Nate Mellom wrote:

> My '88 has (I'm assuming) non-functional A/C.  It hasn't been warm  
> enough to test it, but I've never had a car with A/C that works.   
> What's involved in the conversion?  Can I just got to my FLAPS and  
> get some cans of R134a and fill it up, or is it more involved than  
> that? I'm assuming it is.

I did it on the '84 and '86 I used to have.  Assuming you've replaced  
the leaky component (usually the condensor), you should replace the O- 
rings at the same time.  Apparently old R-12 soaked o-rings break  
down when exposed to R-134a.

You'll need a conversion kit to change the adaptors.  It also helps  
to pull a vacuum onto the system.

I have the recharge hardware here (adaptors, vacuum gauge, vacuum  
pump) if you want to bring the car up here.  You'll need the R134a  
conversion kit.  I was told they won't sell them in WI; I ended up  
bringing one back from me from NY.  Maybe they do in IL, you could  
zip down there and get one.

All in all, it's pretty easy.

LMK.  If you wanted to just bring the car up and we could put a  
vacuum on the system and see if it holds, we could do that too.

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| Jim Jarrett,McFarland, WI       94 Passat GLX                 |
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