/\ only realy if you are a hack and put the same weight of 134 as r12. if you are conservative with the high side pressure it will work fine. we are talking about some 13 year old compressors here also.

 

Only when done improperly. If the system is charged correctly (using manifold gauges) so the pressures remain where they're supposed to the compressor will be fine. If you merely remove the r12 and replace with the same amount of r134 then yes the compressor life is shortened because the pressures become too high.

 

Yes, but you don't get the cooling capacity. Besides, it's not that expensive compared to the results yielded. People have wasted more money on less-significant things for their RX-7 (e.g. loud-*** B.O.V. Yo)

Joe

 

I think the most important thing with the efficiancy of the A/C system is the air flow threw the A/C condenser. My uncle had a 2003 Dodge Ram. If you have seen the set-up under the hood, you will easily see all the air flow the condenser and radiator gets. They are mounted side by side and has their own electric fan. Anyways that Dodge blew some cold *** air with r134.

 

To properly convert a r12 system to r134 system is alot of work, not to mention money. You should evacuate the system and drain all oil, change all o-rings, replace reciever/drier, condenser, compressor only if it is not r134 compatible, and flush the evap core and lines with ac flush solvent. Then after this install proper high/low side fittings, pull a solid vacuum and check for leaks, add proper amount of PAG-12 oil, and finally add proper amount of r134. You can get by with changing only the orings, receiver/drier, and and then using the retrofit kit. Either way if your contemplating going r134 because of a loss of ability to cool(ususally refig leak) then you should change the orings anyways, as thats what probably caused the problem. i work at a ford dealer as a senior master tech and am ase certified in a/c climate control systems. with summer comming up weve been having alot of customers who've been wanting their ac fixed and or retrofited, and of course we have to do it the right way (which means $).

 

This is one of the few times it pays to live in El Paso, an R-12 recharge cost me $35. Actually kinda of funny how I did it. When you cross the bridge to go into Mexico there are about 15 guys right by the customs building doing recharges. You should see the lines they get during the summer. But as far as the coversion goes, my friend has done the R-134a conversion to his RX-7 and it is noticable different then mine. I can keep my fan level a 1 where he has it at Full.

 

Everyone knows that and it's been mentioned earlier. The point was that you claimed the conversion itself drastically shortens the compressor life and that is not true.

 

So I pick up the Interdynamics R12 to R134a conversion kit at WalMart for $33.97. I open up the kit and examine the adapters that are supposed to go on the low and high pressure lines. I'm thinkin' WTF, this won't fit... So I pop the hood on the car, re-examine the AC lines and voila, they already have the adapter fittings on them. So my car was already converted by the previous owner. Guess I'll take back the kit and just get a couple of cans of R134a.