AC no longer working

[commando1]

Rare is a Mopar with the original A/C system that doesn't need a booster shot every Spring. That's the downside to keeping the R12. You have to keep using R12 and when it needs a charge you have the the time, expense, and aggregations of dealing with R12.

 

[65sporty]

200 a pound seems really high, but if no one else has it supply and demand I guess

 

[cantflip]

O really ap. they were as good as rock auto once shipping factored in and they had it all in stock... across town of course. I figured it better this way if I have warranty service required, and since RV2's and clutches seem to be reman only... I expect to need that service.

I hate to admit that I like their product selection more than some of the other big store chains... I really need to find a good small place that I like... but they would have to do something about their hours to match my schedule. Several that I tried years back went out of business.

Locally, it seems they have been hiring lots of young ladies and seem to have a bust size requirement... since I usually look up my own stuff anyhow... bonus. Besides, in my experience a woman doesn't fight with you at the counter like a man will as long as you stay respectful when the part is wrong... and I still wont leave without inspecting all of my new boxes because they still are prone to having a previously tried part in them.

200 a pound seems really high, but if no one else has it supply and demand I guess

I don't trust the R12 supply out there very much... once the prices got high enough there was an issue of "counterfeit" containers containing whatever being sold. I don't know how much of that got into the legal parts supply... but CL and EB or whatever sources it may be an issue.

 

[saforwardlook]

I have the best parts experience with NAPA, and the counter persons are the best. Yes, their prices are usually a little higher, but their quality of parts is usually better too. And their best counter person is a woman who always knows how to source the parts I need, and no one beats her bust size! O Reilly's comes in second, with Autozone a distant third (but they are a 24 hour store which is convenient many times), and Pep Boys not even in the running. And they are all less than 5 minutes away.

 

[Dobalovr]

Napa Prolink is where I get almost everything but you have to be a Dealer to use it. Rockauto for everything else. No complaints so far.

 

[cantflip]

... and Pep Boys not even in the running.

I keep forgetting about Larry, Moe and Curly... and I once worked for them. The insight I bring to those who don't already know. PB sells the cheap lines of parts brands that have multiple lines... kinda like buying NAPA silver filters with no gold option. It isn't all bad, but it isn't all good.

Napa is mostly a re-boxing organization they sell lots of premium line aftermarket stuff under their own numbering and labeling. Much is good, some isn't (welcome to car parts)... the shining attribute to their offerings was always in the service provided, especially to commercial customers. They lost me over a decade ago... they aren't what they were when I ran shops that were NAPA Auto Care Centers.

Oreilly's and Advance both have many of the brand names that you would get from NAPA, but they have a real funny way of deciding what to inventory... not simply top sellers, but a hodgepodge of mixed qualities from brands that offer 2 or 3 lines of the same product. That makes it hard on folks who don't realize that Borg Warner makes more than one quality level of many parts.

AutoZone is really tough for me to figure out... like NAPA they try to re-box everything into their brand... trouble is, I have no clue where they find some of the stuff they sell. I usually only go to their site when nothing else is working... it is odd how often they have a different offering and once every third blue moon they have a really good price.

Due to looking around at prices so much lately, I have given Rock Auto more of a chance than in the past... but no orders yet. Many of the items I wanted they really didn't have enough price gap to make the shipping worthwhile. My wishlist shopping cart saved on their site was up to "shipping location I" so I know they won't get the entire order... and some things are "inventory" anyhow. They have pleasantly surprised me with a few items... in particular, a spectra distributor which is new and doesn't require your core (so it can be rebuilt later)... I just happened to be making note of what is available in case I had to deal with it on the road. $90-100 seems to be average pricing from the chains... rock auto $55 plus shipping... that could make it worth overnight service if stranded. The chains usually seem to be better if they can get it in their nightly order though.

Finally, if you are really current in the parts game... Everything seems to be changing. So many companies bought and sold just for the name. So much dramatic difference brought about by a combination of economics and regulation... IDK what it will be like to find what you need in a decade... but its definitely different than it was even a few years ago. I'm sure its obvious I have gotten a little rusty.

 

[Big_John]

I buy mostly from NAPA. It helps that a long time friend is behind the counter. No O'Reilly's here. Advance Auto is OK, but that's generally a place to grab stuff off the shelf. I try to stay out of Auto Zone if possible, my experiences there haven't been good, mostly with inept counter people. I bought a water pump there this weekend because they were the only one in town with one on the shelf... and discovered that their internet inventory/sales system sucks. I won't try that again.

 

[Snotty]

I miss Car Quest. It's in So Cal but not Nor Cal.

 

[livininharrow]

No. Their service charge, labor and any repairs - replacing the O ring - was $142.00. The R-12 was $200 a pound, and it took 2.3 pounds. Yikes! However, that is what I had been estimated.

I could have gone to Sacramento and bought some of those cars that someone listed here for $25 each, but that would have taken more time and days. It's done now, and as I said, perhaps for the last time with me as the owner of this car. Same with converting it; would have taken more time and parts. It's working now and, for those that might care (I'm not one), it's still original style. hat's what one of the techs said at the shop.

you got shafted. they bent you over and broke it off inside. don't ever go back there.

 

[tallhair]

you got shafted. they bent you over and broke it off inside. don't ever go back there.

Quit beating around the bush and just spit it out. What do you really think?

 

[Snotty]

It's a matter of perspective. I know I could have it done at a much cheaper cost in Bakersfield... but I don't live there anymore. I live in a small town named Chico.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

The debate for R12, R134A and other refrigerant substitutes like Duracool rage on.

They all work a bit differently but essentially will perform well if the system is filled with the right amount of whatever you're using. That's the key.

I have used Duracool in my 66 T&C with dual AC for about 10 years now.. it works great as long as you pay attention to line pressures. I just fill myself and have only needed a "booster shot" once every 3 years or so.

You gotta get the charge weight right - in my experience if you underfill or overfill it the systems falls down in heavy humidity. Watch your vent temps when recharging and that's a good rule of thumb.

My wagon is a meat locker with vent temps easily getting below 32 degrees if I don't pay attention (and turn off the AC for a minute - no auto temp) and 35 to 40 degrees on hot humid days.

R12 has nice big molecules and good expansion ratios. R134A has smaller molecules and is denser therefore needing less charge weights to to achieve the expansion ratio of R12. Fill to the same weight and it doesn't work right... 55% is a good starting point. Also the smaller molecule leak/seep-through rate is higher with R134A - that's my main reason for not using it. Duracool has bigger molecules and just doesn't leak as much if the couplings and barrier hoses are good. The added plus is therefore better expansion ratio than R134A and is more like R12 in its' function.

Replace only those O rings on components or lines you replace. Old hoses in good condition are "seasoned" inside and are better than new. Don't replace them.

Flush and change the oil to be compatible with your refrigerant.

Use a low and high pressure switch to protect your compressor and such.

AC is a must have for me...

 

[Big_John]

The debate for R12, R134A and other refrigerant substitutes like Duracool rage on.

They all work a bit differently but essentially will perform well if the system is filled with the right amount of whatever you're using. That's the key.

I have used Duracool in my 66 T&C with dual AC for about 10 years now.. it works great as long as you pay attention to line pressures. I just fill myself and have only needed a "booster shot" once every 3 years or so.

You gotta get the charge weight right - in my experience if you underfill or overfill it the systems falls down in heavy humidity. Watch your vent temps when recharging and that's a good rule of thumb.

My wagon is a meat locker with vent temps easily getting below 32 degrees if I don't pay attention (and turn off the AC for a minute - no auto temp) and 35 to 40 degrees on hot humid days.

R12 has nice big molecules and good expansion ratios. R134A has smaller molecules and is denser therefore needing less charge weights to to achieve the expansion ratio of R12. Fill to the same weight and it doesn't work right... 55% is a good starting point. Also the smaller molecule leak/seep-through rate is higher with R134A - that's my main reason for not using it. Duracool has bigger molecules and just doesn't leak as much if the couplings and barrier hoses are good. The added plus is therefore better expansion ratio than R134A and is more like R12 in its' function.

Replace only those O rings on components or lines you replace. Old hoses in good condition are "seasoned" inside and are better than new. Don't replace them.

Flush and change the oil to be compatible with your refrigerant.

Use a low and high pressure switch to protect your compressor and such.

AC is a must have for me...

I would love to try the Duracool in my car, but there's an issue with US federal law about using it. From Duracool's website:

In the United States it is illegal to use a hydrocarbon refrigerant as a substitute for a Class I or Class II ODS refrigerant for any end use other than industrial process refrigeration systems, or retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only).

See 69 Fed. Reg. 11946, 11952 (March 12, 2004), and 76 Fed. Reg. 78832 (December 20, 2011).

So... I don't know if I could even buy it around here.

 

[commando1]

Old hoses in good condition are "seasoned" inside and are better than new. Don't replace them.

"seasoned" hoses? Seriously?

Documentation, please...

 

[Big_John]

"seasoned" hoses? Seriously?

Documentation, please...

I have a very savvy mechanic friend who was doing 134a conversions when they first became popular. He said the same thing about hoses and O-rings. The oil was soaked into the hoses and acted as a barrier for the new refrigerant.

I have no documentation on this though.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

No documentation on seasoned hoses except word of mouth and the fact I've never had to use a new hose in 25 years of AC equipped Mopars...

Check around... of course hose manufacturers will want you to buy new but those in the know will tell you otherwise.

 

[commando1]

If you guys say so. Doesn't mean that I'm buying it...

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Fair enough! It works for me though...

 

[Big_John]

If you guys say so. Doesn't mean that I'm buying it...

If I had an intact A/C system that was just low on refrigerant, I think I would try it. Worse case is that you have to put new hoses on and the only loss is a few cans of R-134a. If you had to top it off in the spring, you'd still be ahead of the game and your A/C would still look stock.

 

[commando1]

Now you guys have me Googling a.c. hose porosity...