R-12 to R134

[gussuk]

Thanks guys for the comments.
Tom I realize I'm very late on this conversion but if it isn't broke don't fix it.
CyFi, I can't remember if it was in this thread or not but I read somewhere that Toyota reduced the load somehow on the compressor as customers were complaining about power loss. When the car was new I took it to the dealer because the A/C didn't seem to have a very cold output. They told me it was doing what it was designed for. Either way I would kind of like it to be a little colder. I haven't heard of anyone complaining about moisture in the air freezing on the cooling unit.
Tom, as for the UTube video above, if nothing else the guy was pretty stupid to be sitting in the car when he struck the match. I understand the ES-12a has a pine scent added
I'm still wondering if the hoses are long enough to turn the compressor and remove/replace the clutch without removing the gas.

[CyFi]

get yourself a pocket thermometer and pop it in the vent, your vent temps should be somewhere between 35-50 degrees F

[Spyderdan]

Its been almost 2 years now that I've been running ES-12a and the A/C is still running great.

I ordered a second kit for the white MR2 that I picked up recently and it looks like the enviro-safe kit now comes with a black light along with a thermometer. This round I ordered the kit that included the gauge and valve that connects directly to the r12 fitting on the car so it doesn't require an adapter. My first kit had a 134a end on the gauge and came with adapter fittings that screwed onto the cars r12 port.

For $50 dollars shipped it can't be beat:
eBay Motors: R-12/R-134a Enviro-Safe Alternate A/C Recharge Kit-R12 (item 390020145758 end time Feb-26-09 04:27:06 PST)

[TonyHuynhTwo]

I just retrofitted my r-12 system took like five minutes and now my a/c is working fine. A lot of local a/c specialty shops will vacum out your system for free as long as they can keep the r-12 (you gotta call around). Although r-12 and r-134 will turn into a solid when mixed, you don't have to have your system completely flushed out with alchohol or nitrogen if you have it vacumed out. The amount of solid material left in your system would be ridiculously tiny and be concentrated near the leaks in the system plugging them up (as long as your running the car and air conditioner while your doing the retrofit, like you should). The retrofit kit comes with everything you need to be blowing cold the refrigerant, oil, recharging hose, port adapters, and idiot proof instructions. As for the ES refrigerant stuff I honestly have no experience dealing with it, but since the a/c specialist at the place I went to won't even deal with it I'm not going to touch the stuff even if it might blow a couple of degrees colder. My r-134a converted system blows cold and thank god has no leaks. At a cost of just $35, I'm a pretty satisfied customer.

[TomsMR2]

the solvent flush is to remove the oil necessary for R12. the vacuum pulled is to boil out water, and remove all the air. the conversion kits use conversion ester oil, which isnt fantastic, but works.

it gets 100 F in summer here, and im very comfortable in my R134a mr2. my other mr2 i had to kick the fan down a notch because it was too damn cold after a while! i think mine has an excess oil charge or it would be freezing cold too.

my R134 will freeze your balls off.. why pump flammable, dangerous stuff into your car? not to mention no one will service or touch a car with substitute refrigerant in it.

its been 7 years on my conversion, and its running great how many times do you mind bursting into flames? i prefer zero.

[Spyderdan]

Yeah flames are cool! (said with Bevis and Butthead voice)