Where can I get cans of R-12???? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Where can I get cans of R-12????

JoeC5

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93 Eddie Bauer
I have a 93 EB, i just recently ran out of freon, i dont have a leak cause i havent added any in about 7 years and it just went warm about 2 months ago. My mechanic is charging $75 a can, and i need 3 of them. There is no way i'm paying that, and i dont trust any mechanic to put the R134a conversion kit in correctly, they will probably do a half a$$ job. Does anyone know where i can get R-12 for cheaper than that. Thanks for you help.
 



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Unless you are certified for refrigerant recover/filling, you won't be able to buy any. Unless you know someone who can get it for you, and then it would be illegal for you to posess. Because of all the tree-huggers complaining(this should get a rise out of someone):D, they have stopped selling it to the general public. It will probably stop being produced all together in the coming years. So, you can get it converted to R-134 or pay the guy to refill with R-12. Search around for someone cheaper. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
 






To start off. The reason the cost of r12 is so much is the tree huggers piss and moan about saving the trees. (now that I have that off my chest). Freon doesn't go bad. If you system went warm you have a problem some were. And just adding freon could cause a problem. Maybe your compressor is bad. But I really don't think just adding freon is a good idea. You should have it checked out. And to change it over to 134a is not hard at all. You need to change all the o-rings in the system, the accumulator (spelling :) ) expansion tube and the oil. And when you are all said and done you probably have less in the change over than just the price of the r12. I hope this helps.

Eric
 






Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the AC system is a closed system so you should never have to get it refilled( in a perfect world). If it has leaked out, then you should at least have it pressure checked before you get R-12/R-134 put into it. You may have a pinhole somewhere or a seal that is leaking.
 






You might want to shop around. I recently had my car recharged. I brought it to a Goodyear place and they charged me $59.99 for the labor service and $49.99 per pound of R12 (1 can = 1lb) and $10.00 for A/C oil. My car was very low (approx. 1/8lb remaining). They pressure tested the system found no leaks and filled the system with 2 lbs and added a dye just in case there is a leak they can locate it with a special light and glasses later. Two days later I got a flyer in the mail for Goodyear and there was a coupon for the A/C service for $39.95. I inquired about this to Goodyear and they refunded me the difference. Needless to say, I was pleases with the service and my A/C is finely charged properly. I had been putting off the recharge for many year since I was unable to get cans of freon anymore and the system was a dealer add-on not factory air. The system did not match what was in the service manual. Goodyear inspected the parts and relieved my concerns saying they see a lot of dealer add-on's and the one I had was fine. I would shop around unless the service labor is part of the each-can price. Hope this helps.
 






Conversion

Originally posted by Big E
And to change it over to 134a is not hard at all. You need to change all the o-rings in the system, the accumulator (spelling :) ) expansion tube and the oil. And when you are all said and done you probably have less in the change over than just the price of the r12. I hope this helps.

Eric

Wondering how much time and money is involved in this process..? I know there was a thread floating around awhile ago regarding this process...
 






Just thought I would add to your misery if you are unaware of the process to the propagation of the stupid laws around this... it has never been scientifically proven that R-12 is a contributing factor to the world as we know it being killed off. Just a theory. The greens grabbed ahold of it when a single article was published and ran with it to political extremes. The effect has lasted over a decade now.

Another reason we need to be more active in these matters.

For those of you that didn't catch what I was saying in the grey areas between the lines: we are all paying megabucks either through government regulation of old R-12, or the extra engineering expense of installing 134, even though:

a) Global warming is still contested as being an effect of human interaction with nature amongst scientists more genious than you or I or the public; and if that theory is finally decisively proven,

b) no study has yet linked R-12 refrigerant to any effect whatsoever on the atmosphere.

But hey, it makes sense that it should, right?

So Congress is bombarded with these eco-nazis (that live in treehouses they built in national forests to protect us from ourselves) demanding action, and Congress responds.

We may need another forum for political action.
 






The price of r134a...this is ok a guess....I checked about two weeks ago at it was eight dollars a pound? I know it is under twenty dollars. I think a Explorer takes 2 pounds or so. And then you need the o rings. Maybe fifteen dollars. Pag oil another fifteen dollars. Then the accumlator I think was fifty or sixty dollars. Expansion tube twenty five dollars. And last but not least a high pressure cut-off switch about 35 dollars. So you figure about 170 dollars later and a little labor later you have cold ac. But this is only if you have no other problems with the system. My ac system is pretty messed up. The inside of the compressor went to crap. I need to replace all of the componets execpt the evaporator. I a lookin' probably 800 dollars to fix mine. I think right now the windows down at 70 mph is ok. :)

Eric
 






FREE?ON

You can get it in Mexico for $5 to $10 a can
 






YOU CAN GET R-12 AT A GOOD SALVAGE YARD THAT RECYCLES
FROM CRASH CARS. HAVE THEM PUT IT IN. THEY MUST BE QUALIFIED.
 






R12

I used LPG for five years with no problems. No changes
where done to the system. If your afraid of having 2lbs
of liquid gas under the hood then you might start thinking
twice about carring 20 gallons of gas under the seat.It will
cost about 3.00 for a small camping stove size can.
 






Is R-134a any better?

To continue on Gerald's thought ...

If I remember correctly, 134a has not be definitively proven to NOT damage the atmosphere.

I bought several cans of R-12 many years ago for about $2.00 a can. I guess I really should have mortgaged the house and bought more!
 






LPG?

Can you clarify;

What do you mean you used LPG for 2 years with no modifications?
 






I have heard about people "cleansing" their system with propane (run it for a rew hours), but not keeping it permanately. I too would like to know about the LPG. thanks. I converted my SHO to R134 without changing o-rings or hoses and she's still cold after 14 months. I have confidence in converting the Navajo in a similar fashion. know there are arguments for changing those and the dryer/evaporator, but I think purging the system may be enough. Anyone else with experiences of just changing to the new PAG oil and refrigerant after purging? thanks.
 












A few comments:
- I wisely (strange for me) bought a 30LB "keg" of R12 several years ago when I noted the stuff was going off the market. It's for sale now if anyone wants it...but it ain't cheap.
- 134 depletes the ozone layer just like R12, but not as much. I still think the entire R12/134 issue is a knee jerk reaction by the gov't. Heard the other day that Mt St Helen's eruption depleted more ozone than anything man has EVER done. Go figure. My son has asthma. Recently the gov't was going to take the carring agent out asthma inhalers because of the ozone thing. You talk about felony stupid.
- Additionally, 134 isn't quite as effective as R12 so it won't work as well in the same system. The reason you may disagree is vehicle A/C systems are typically very oversized. Most would cool a small house.
- Next to drugs, R12 is one of the largest illegal imports into the country. Much of it is made in India and comes in via FL. As more vehicles change to 134 there should be less and less demand tho.
- In order to save time during vehicle assembly, Ford switched to infamous O-ring connectors. Eventually they will leak. Seep/weep might be a better word. Ford has improved those O-rings several times. If you have your A/C apart for any reason be sure to install the latest O-rings. This is particularly true for older vehicles. Be sure and replace the screen near the bottom of the evaporator too.
- If you don't use your A/C for long periods, these O-rings are not the seals that "dry out." There is a seal on the end of the compressor shaft behind the pully. Typically this seal fits in a groove in a ceramic insert, although it varies from mfg to mfg. Obviously one side of the seal is exposed to the atmosphere, the other to the inside of the compressor. This seal drys out (those of you that clean your motor frequently and use a degreaser take note) and when you start your A/C compressor, the shaft wears the seal rapidly. In time it will leak. This seal can be replaced but virtually all A/C shops just want to put in a new/rebuilt compressor. This is not necessarly a bad thing since many times the compressor will run out of oil and seize in spite of the pressure limit switch.
- What's all that mean? Use your A/C, a lot. It's the best thing you can do for it. If the temp is mild or even cool, just turn up the heat while the A/C is on. This is a good thread and I've learned some things. Thanks to all. Jim
 






Doesn't leaving your heater controls in Defrost also perform the role of cycling your A/C?

I always thought it was done for two reasons - one was to give the A/C compressor to run in the winter time, and two was to de-humdify the air heading for the windshield.
 






I know about 2 years ago, they were going to prevent the manufacture of 1lb cans of R12, becuase that's what people were illegally buying, not the 30lb cans. I think I have one laying around the garage, I should probably bury it in the backyard or something. In 5 years or so I will probably be able so sell it for collector value:)

I know for years, back in the 80's when you could still buy it, all of our vehicles got a can at the beginning of summer. Most people did it that way, probably what made the govt/treehuggers go nuts. For years everyone you knew used their old motor oil for weed killer, especially on fencerows, something you will probably get fined for now. It annoyed me last year or so, when I found out I couldn't get Varsol anymore either. Used to use it wiping down a car before painting.

-Ben
 






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