i lost a lot of the green oil in the ac compressor.
I'm not trying to recharge my ac at the moment.

my questions are:
is r12 and ac oil the same thing?
do i need to replenish the ac oil?
would a lack of ac oil be bad for my compressor?

 

1. no
2. if you do not have the right amount, yes
3.yes, kiss it goodbye.

 

where do i fill up ac oil? and what is the maximum capacity?

 

Hoooo boy...this is gonna be a good one.

How do you know you lost a lot of oil? Do you have a leak?

R-12 is a refrigerant. Oil is not a refrigerant, it is a lubricant that the refrigerant carries around the system.

Yes...you need to replenish the oil.

A lack of oil is VERY VERY bad for the compressor if you've been running the system. If the system hasn't been run while low on oil then you should be OK.

 

All of the above plus:

If the oil is a fluorescent green, then it is likely a PAO/PAG oil for use with R134. Your system may have been retrofitted and no longer using R12. If this is the case, then you should not re-introduce R12 into the system.

Based on the foregoing, I suggest that you seek professional help to ID the oil, the refrigerant and avoid damage to your system.

 

the green colour could also be a dye used for detecting leaks in the system. but yes, take it to a professional, this is out of your leage mate.

 

i just rebuilt my engine and while taking it apart i did not leave the ac unit intact

yes its fluroescent green, what color oil does r12 use? how can i confirm that i have a retrofit kit (the ac lines and caps all look stock)?

 

As stated previously...take it to a professional.

Mineral oil is usually clear or a very, very faint tan color....but really I suppose it could be any color. I have seen dye used in R-12 systems, so the fact that it is green doesn't tell you anything.