AC Conversion for an '87 Caprice Wagon?

This whole thread is moot.
Since when can't you get R-12? Why goof around with converting it, it worked fine when they built the car.
There's is tons of the stuff for sale on Craigslist and the more cars that are off the road that use it the cheaper it gets. I can get a full charge for a case of cheap beer from daughter's next door neighbor/ Mopar dealer mechanic.

 

I live in CA. Evidently, it's not legally available via professional mechanic shops.

 

Getting back directly to the topic at hand, let me give you the best advice regarding R134a conversion on your car:

1. The condenser is going to be an issue. Tube and fin condensers do not take well to R134. You're going to want to ditch that thing for a higher efficiency condenser like the 60-61114 N. It is a true parallel flow condenser (bar and plate style) that will help your R134 system perform more closely to R12 performance.

2. Keep air moving through that condenser. Get the 7-blade fan if you don't have it already, and a heavy-duty fan clutch.

3. That R4 compressor is probably going to leak like a sieve, running R134. Consider replacing it with a new one, which all come with R134 friendly seals.

4. New hoses are a good idea in general. Your hoses are probably way past their expected life. Get any new replacement hoses. They'll be R134 friendly.

5. Use a variable orifice tube. It will help boost AC performance at idle and low speeds.

Where R134 is concerned, everything needs to go. You can certainly convert and have a working system, but the advice I am giving you is if you want to have a system that will perform at its best from Day One and last a very long time. If you're going to convert, don't be that guy chasing new "problems" with the system all of the time.

 

Steel fuel lines are both more durable and stronger than aluminum freon lines and are routed in a way that is intended to offer more protection in a crash. Obviously no design can protect against all possible crash scenarios, but the fuel lines definitely use materials and routing that offer more protection.

 

Instead of R12 can be used R413a. This uses the same oil so the hoses must not be changed.

 

An issue you should bring up with the automotive manufacturers, since they use those lines for both flammable R134, and even more flammable R1234yf.

 

Is it possible for you to cross over into a neighboring state to have the work done? Not suggesting anything illegal here, but the system was designed for R-12, and would require the least amount of work compared to a complete refit to a newer refrigerant, which who knows how long that would be available either.

 

Thanks BigBird for the idea, but I'd probably spend more money in gas crossing a state border lol.

Update: Conversion is done, cost me less than $100; plus a few extra for a hose that sprung a leak (causing the whole problem in the first place). Prior to conversion, I periodically noticed my "Service Engine Soon" light would come on if I ran the AC in stop/go traffic while sitting at red lights; it would go out once I started moving again. Unfortunately, the problem did not go away after this service, so it appears to me the AC is putting some sort of undue demand on the engine. I hope it's not my compressor.

 

Check your fan, make sure it's cooling properly. Could be time to be replaced due to clutch failure.

 

Hm, interesting thought, thanks!

 

Check your codes and figure out where the problem is coming from. https://www.obd-codes.com/faq/read-gm-2-digit-obd-codes-free.php

 

...it was the compressor. It was locking up which at its last engagement caused severe squealing and then ultimately caused the engine to die. I was able to restart the engine so long as the AC selector was not in an AC position (e.g. "vent"). All is good now. Thanks again everyone!

 

I suspect your daughter's neighbor is a thief.