Ok, so I built this car about 9 months ago, and I had yet to recharge the a/c system. It's been on a 'to do' list for a while now, but for some reason I just never tackled it. Sure, I could have taken it to a shop, but I just hate to pay for something I know I could do myself. To be honest though, I knew jack about a/c systems - I mean I've been through nearly every other part of the car, but had some mental block when it comes to the a/c.
Although I do like to ride with the windows down often, these Alabama summers can be too hot and muggy to bear. After spending the last three days up in the mountains with my girlfriend and no a/c, I finally gave in and asked the old man for some help. He was and auto mechanic for like 25 years and owns just about every tool known to man - sometimes I will ask him some advice (like how to use a special tool, or where it is in the shop), but rarely do I ever ask him to help me work on the car. So I went to the autoparts store, picked up some coolant, got out the equipment, and was like 'ok, show me.'
We hook up all the lines and draw a vacuum to find that there is a pretty big leak somewhere. It was large enough to hear in the engine bay, so after tracing down the source I find that fitting on the firewall is loose. I disconnected it to check the o-ring - looks nice and healthy. Reconnect the line and make sure it's tight, switch on the pump, no more leaks! We left it under a vacuum for about 6 hours - he said that since the system had been empty for so long that we should leave it hooked up for a while to make sure to pull all the moisture.
After that, it was really just a matter of filling with coolant - I learned a couple tricks along the way. When we put in the first can (R134 w/ oil), we left the valves open to fill both the high side and low side. To help ensure that the maximum amount of coolant enters the system, we put the can in a pitcher of hot water (to help keep the pressure higher in the can). Once the first can was empty, we connected the second can - with the car and a/c running, we then filled from only the low side (again, in a hot water bath). After running for about 2 minutes, ice cold refreshing air was flowing from the vents! Woohoo! Finally, I don't have to sweat my nuts off in the summer heat! Of course, it would have been nicer to have it this last week, but it's finally done. Mark that one off the list.


Having the right tools for the job = Priceless. Sometimes the old man comes in handy.

 

All I have to say is WOW! Good Job

 

Yeah, good job with the DIY. I was quoted $600 + labor to replace me condenser. Bought one for $12 at a junk yard, had the local shop (who I am friends with) evacuate it for free, brought it hope and filled it up. On your SE, has that been professionally retrofitted to r-134? or did you just buy the conversion kit (oil, 134a, hose, fittings). I have wondered how well that works.

 

i hope you flushed the old system out because the old R12 oil don't really mix with the R134a oil.

 

nice man,

that sound good to have somebody with a auto mechanic around for help when you need it,

 

and the fully equipped shop to go with it

 

I've definately tried to take advantage of the shop and all the tools. I never would have been able to do the things that I've done to my cars without the access to the tools and facility. I have a pretty solid set of tools myself, but there's nothing like having all those odd special tools and whatnot - not to mention that nearly every tool he owns is Snap-on. A lot of them just sit around collecting dust, so I try to put them to good use whe I can. We even have an old tire machine, the other week I broke down my other set of SE wheels to remove the tires so I could sandblast them to a bare finish. Eventually I will repaint them (or better yet, powdercoat) to match this car better, then sell off the black set that's on the car now. Just one of the many little project to keep myself busy...

 

Lifts > *

 

yeah, the old r12 oil is not compatible with the r134a oil (and there are two different kinds of r134a oil). the compressor need to be drained of the old stuff. But hey if its working, then great

 

Just to emphasize. When you mix r12 and r-134a it becomes an acid. I was told it could melt your lines... But i donno, I havn't done it yet.