Thread: regassed the aircon today on the 92 RRC

Phillip,
I had my 93 done recently as well. I replaced the same hose you mentioned.

Was working exceedingly well untill the end of said house blew off, dumping my new refrig charge and dye check dye all over my car.... on christmas day no less!

The system was flushed and pressure checked during the regas and the high/low pressure switch was tested at the same time and was functioning correctly.

Looks like a defective house (bearmach brand) Supplier had offered a full refund on the price of the house but this wont get me a another flush/regas/dye check/ lube oil fill.....

Hope mine doesn't do the same!!!
Greg replaced the other end of that hose last year and it held up.

BTW, one of the reasons that hose gives up is high pressure due to the condenser not working efficiently, which may be from dead fans or dirty fins.
I just cleaned the core of mine last week with my pressure washer and replaced my fans last year/two years ago now(sept 2009) when they died.
Mine got such high pressure in Kunnunurra last whoops two years ago that the starter couldn't crank the motor with the air on.
Regards Philip A

Yeah agreed Phillip. Mines spotless though and has the original two fans pushing and the two ford thermo fans pulling air through it.

I believe its a defective hose. the old hose was loose at the crimp due to age(the elbow could be rotated inside the hose) and this was my gas leak.

Mines (obviously) been converted to R134a and appears to have an orifice tube installed after the Rx/drier in the engine bay. Anybody else seen this??

Mine has a steel connector between the receiver drier and the evaporator, above the fuel lines, and has had it from new AFAIK, well for the last 11 years anyway.

Greg, the Aircon guy was only mildly interested in this , so I guess its not a common fitment, as are not the "taps" on the compressor which Greg claimed were usually only used on trucks. It doesn't seem to affect operation on 134A.
Regards Philip A

Thats the one im talking about Phillip. I've had conflicting reports that its an orifice tube. But that would cancel out the need for a tx valve.

The guys that last gassed it did mention the low side was a touch low when operating so i think i'l replace the TX before I fit up the new hose and drier and get the regas done

Just a thought... from what I can gather, a R134A-system has much higher PEAK pressures than R12 and the LPG replacements, - though the AVERAGE pressures are supposed to be "only" a little higher...

But its the peaks, the savage pulses that do the damage, though high(er) System Pressure sets it up for failure.- Just ask any Cardiologist..

If the system was originally built for R12, then the so-called Factory Fitment of 134A is, in reality, a con-job. Put it another way, if the main condenser and evaporator are the SAME SIZE as the Old system, then you've got a less-efficient and shorter-lived air con.
Put it another way...if you don't mind the inefficiency and greater power-drain and size needed... ordinary air can be used - and has been -as a refrigerant.

R-134a was supposed to be a suitable replacement for R-12, yet it's being banned in the EU this year, and has been in several countries before now.

Personally, when my 95 Classic needs a re-gas, its getting a propane-based gas, with better efficiency, less Cancer-producing gas & oil, shorter cycling times, less power used and lower peak pressures which means less stress on ALL (unreliable) Landrover components !

Sorry, did'nt I mention that R134a has been indicted as a carcinogen, for TESTICULAR cancer. ? Just Google R134a testicular cancer

As for cabins filling up with the Dreaded Bang-Gas from a collision... The front end is usally first at the scene, *followed* by the cabin... Even in a T-bone, windows can break..and doors etc are normally sprung.
Only Volvos remain 100% sealed.....

But then again, do older Range-Rovers actually go fast enough to have a prang ?

The Wife's 1989 Mazda 626 , imported model, is STILL running its original load of R-12, can still freeze one's, er,,, 'knees' on a HOT day...! Done over 300,K

Cynical Old James in Gosnells

R12 had been phased out before my time, so I'm not very familiar with it in 'real world' use. However, at 40*C R134a is less than 1Bar higher pressure than R12. So I'd be very surprised to see really significant differences in pressures between the 2 in the same system. Even if there was a bad fault that somehow managed to let the system run at 74*C, R12 is about 19Bar & R134a about 22Bar.
R134a is less efficient than R12, but it does have zero ODP.
What causes the peak pressures you mention?
As far as I know, no country has banned R134a yet. Certainly not on carcinogenic grounds. R11 was banned due to it's carcinogenic properties. It is a fabulous degreaser & was the liquid used in dry cleaning until the ban.
R12 & R134a use different oils and obviously slightly different metering devices. I'd far sooner use a 'drop in' to replace R12 personally. Much simpler, although the refrigerant may be more expensive.

Google is a wonderful thing...- and so is the spare time of Retirement, to see where it leads...
(The EU banning proposals of 134a started in 2007/8)

Individual EU countries cannot ban by themselves, but can restrict or tax a product. Switzerland is not a member of the Union, so can do as it sees fit, unrestrained by Financial or political ties...

Hydrocarbon refrigerants have been around for a Very Long Time and are a well-known technology. Problem is, chemical companies can't patent the stuff and gain financial advantage from its manufacture, or licence to produce AND/OR USE.

R-12 was very good to DuPont during its patent..as has been DuPont R-134a.

Lets all take a deep breath, and remember that the Widget Industry is committed to selling you 'Parts'. - Whether it comes in one package...or many little boxes, either way, you're going to come back to THEM to replace the now-stuffed thingy that you simply cannot live without.

To stay in business, sales of widgets must grow, more folk 'needing' widgets, or coming back to replace a widget 'cos its broken, or to buy little boxes of bits of widgets to make the big Widget work again. Properly.

Land Rover owners understand this better than others...

Or, the smartest way, is to create a brand new 'need' for (another) New, Improved and Whiter than White widget to replace the perfectly servicable Widget in your living room or garage, and smarter still if the new one is less reliable (but is shinier!)

Land Rover owners also understand this very well.

Naturally, as few as possible little-widget parts will be in common... See where its going ?

Fast-forward to our next generation of air-con gasses... which widget factory will we (be forced to ?) support? - The one making a New Improved gas, or the one building the heavy-duty but more efficient hardware to use cheaper CO2 as the Green-er refrigerant?

Here's a link you may find interesting...

http://glacier-gold-refrigerants.com...rGoldInfo.html

and

Hydro Cool, Inc. - Hydrocarbon Refrigerant Suppliers and Specialists - HC-12a vs. R134a

Anyway, my cynical $2.00 worth (inflation and the GFC makes two cents worthless...)

And I lied.... I don't have the time to follow Google, - its easier than fault-tracing my cruise-control and facing the prospect of a new rotary coupler or steering wheel switches ! :-(

Grey-bearded old....
JiG

The EH, a 94 Classic Vogue SE, with Working EAS, - and dead Cruise Control...