Courtesy Lights - Rear lift gate/window

[Scorpius68]

Yeah, that's the tough part. The only thing I don't have is way to capture the refrigerant. Each time I've worked on these, the system had already purged itself through leakage. I don't think my vacuum pump would have the balls to transfer it to a cylinder even at low pressure.

I really hate the thought of releasing that stuff into the air even though it does it on it's own through leakage anyway.

Rockauto has compressors new for around $125. You would need the receiver/drier as well, about $20. If you get parts for a 94, you don't have to covert the fittings. You'd probably want to replace hoses though so that would add cost.

Well I’d want to just replace everything. Do it once and be done with it. Long as it’s all accessible and I’m not having to pull engine parts off or dash out (darn instrument cluster was a bear!) course now I could get to change instrument lights in about 15-20 minutes 30 min job once you know the tricks

 

[92exp4x4]

I don't blame you for that. Do it right and hopefully once. The evaporator (dash) is the only part of the system I haven't changed in a first gen without having the vehicle completely tore apart. It appears to be done from under the hood, but I think it's going to be a bear of a job. My Sport needs one. I kinda stopped on it when I found the leak!

 

[kmack]

AC gauges are a bit cheaper nowadays. You can find them for $50-60 at Harbor Freight. Use this link for checking pressures when you get your system running:
Diagrams: System Pressure Chart

My Ex has already been converted to R134, but it wasn't done by me so I can't offered up specifics. But I have converted a couple other older vehicles over and it was so simple I thought I was doing it wrong! Basically, you just have to convert over the valves and the o-rings in the system. You can actually leave the original valves and buy adapter kits for them. R134 valves are larger than the older R12 valves. You only need the larger valves because no one sells gauge kits with the smaller valves anymore. My first converted system was an old motorhome on a '85 E350 chassis. I used my Dad's old gauge set (R12) and filled it with R134 after fixing the leaking hose and changing out to the newer green o-rings. Had that MH for over 4 years and it never leaked!

On the o-rings, most of the old systems were regular black o-rings. Any of the o-rings you buy nowadays for AC systems are only the green ones. Change all of them (or as many of them as you can). That was one of the biggest issues when R134 was brought out and things were switched over. Seals/o-rings were starting to deteriorate. All the other pieces of equipment can handle the R134 freon.

BTW, the other car I switched over was a '95 Porsche 944. I bought adapter valves and a big kit of o-rings in misc. sizes. That and the R134 freon.

Hopefully, when you had the last bit of R12 put into the system, you also had some of the UV leak dye put in. If so, then just get a blacklight to find the dye and that will tell you where the leak is.