So I've been draggin' my feet on my a/c issues and finally decided to take it in to get it checked out because the gf was bitchin' about the heat. My issue was that last year the a/c was blowin' cold then this year it didn't work. A/c pump was working last week, but now doesn't kick on most likely due to low freon level. Shop called me up and said that my expansion valve is stuck and they recommended replacing it and the dryer for a low price of $750, so I said screw that, those parts are less than $60 combined, i'm not payin'. So I asked how much to evacuate the system...$150 plus recycling fee. I cut him short of his sentence and told them to put the tools down and I'm coming to get it.

So...I've decided that I want to try and tackle this adventure on my own. With that said, I plan on getting an expansion valve, a dryer, and an o-ring kit to repair the system. Not sure how I will evac and flush the system on my own. Do I truly NEED an evacuation? How much freon would still be in the system if I were to not pay for an evacuation. I know it is a pollutant, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Is there a way to evacuate it myself, replace the parts, then ebay some r12?

I'm hoping that one of you guys has done these things to their own system and can give me some pointers as to what tools I will be needing besides a pressure guage. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes, you absolutely need to evacuate the system before charging. To do that you'll have to buy or rent a vacuum pump and a set of gauges. Technically you shouldn't be able to buy R-12 without a license, I have no idea what's involved in obtaining it without one.

The cheapest/easiest way out I see, and what I might do, is to buy and install the parts yourself and then take it in to have the system evacuated and charged.

 

You should evacuate before tearing apart, depending on where you are going, you may be able to find someone who will evacuate it for much less if they have the correct equipment to save/re-use the R-12. Chances are they will sell it back to you and have more to make sure it is full...

 

i understand that the system should be evacuated before recharging so that all the shmutz can get pulled out, but do you guys think it needs to be done before disassembling the system? my opinion is that since the a/c pump no longer turns on, it is because there is hardly any freon in the lines, therefore would only exhaust a small amount of freon in to the atmosphere as compared to a system with a good amt of freon in it.

i am definitely going to replace the parts myself to save a few hundred dollars. any ideas on where to get an a/c vac pump with all the gauges? as for the r12 recharging, i'm not sure if i'll do it myself. i know that the going rate at the shops near me is like $75/lb, which will run around $250 for a full charge. i was reading some other threads on a/c issues and saw that someone said to check out eBay for r12, and what do you know, there is a lot of it for sale. not sure about the licensing of it though, but people are selling it.

 

I have r12

 

the compressor not turning on, and stuck expansion valve are separate problems I think... stuck expansion valve just means it doesnt get very cold if I remember correctly (had that problem in my last truck a lot even though it was fixed a couple times when my dad owned it before me)

 

If you're going to replace parts and all the refrigerant I would suggest looking into what it would take to convert to R134. I believe 134 is much cheaper than R12. 134 is in mine and it works fine, although it does get a little warm when the engine sits idling for a while.

 

My dad redid the A/C on his old Chevy almost every summer.

What you need is a friend in the refrigerant business who can let you borrow a big 'ol bottle of R-12.

 

I have four cases of R12.

 

You probably do not have a "bad" expansion valve. imho, it's a ploy to rip you off!
DAMN those rip-off shops!

"R12 systems work best with R12!"

 

yeah, these a/c places are really bs. i called up a place who only does a/c's and cooling systems for misc stuff and they still want $50 to reclaim my freon without being able to get it back, they also want $150 labor to evacuate the system and recharge, r12 from them will be another $150. so i dunno, if i can't find an a/c vacuum to rent, i'm not sure if i'm gonna fork out $350 as cash is a precious commodity right now.