Has anyone used this from Canadian Tire? I've been hearing good things about it; you can also get a sealant with the kit as well to seal any leaks in the system.....Seems like it may be worth a try.

So why am I asking? Well the AC in the 96 Firebird worked perfectly last year, but this year it is useless....I suspect that the coolant has probably leaked out

Is anyone familiar with the system at all?? I've never done anything like this before, and the instructions I've found only for using the red-tek kit are less than adequate.

Finally, since late last summer the AC in the Sonoma hasn't been as frigid as it used to be....it still keeps me relatively cool, but I thought that if I had good luck with this kit I'd try some in the Sonoma as well.

If anyone has done this and care share some advice, or explain how to do it I'd really appreciate it.....Also, if anyone has a diagram of where to find the appropriate service ports for either vehicle that would be awesome.

Thanks!

http://shbox.com/1/ac_system.jpg

ops thats lt1..might be the same?

You had the engine done in the 96 so did they refill it? You can not mix refrigerants so if there is anything left it should be recovered before using the redtek. I have used Redtek a few times and had good results. The molecules are slightly larger than R134A so it does not leak as easily. The sealer will not work if it is a compressor seal but otherwise its worth a try. The kit will come with instructions and if you can't find the service ports you need to get some glasses!

I think I did find the service port....instructions said to look for red/blue caps...GM uses black apparently.

Yes, the engine was redone...twice...no idea how they handled the A/C

Glad to hear it worked for you....Think I'll try it

Thanks

I spent tons of cash on the A/C in the Monte years ago at a few different garages and finally gave up as it seems nobody can properly charge an A/C system and not have it leak out over time (even with all new parts, all replaced one at a time and recharged in between). The whole experience reminded me why I do my own work. When these aftermarket refridgerants became readily available, I was able to give it a try myself and haven't looked back.

I've used Duracool on several occasions (used to buy at the flea markets, now sold at walmart) and have had great luck. By the book, you aren't supposed to mix refridgerants for environmental reasons when/if it's ever removed, but Duracool does state there is no functional issues with doing so (ie. don't worry about it). I've done it every time and have never had a problem.

First thing you'll want to check is if your system is pressurized at all since your system has been apart - quickly push the shroeder valve to find out. If not, you'll have to pull a vacuum on it, in which case it's easier to have a shop take care of it the first time. This is what I did when I conveted to a serpentine system on the Monte (used 134a hoping for the best), then when it leaked out over the ensuing winter, as expected, I charged it back up with Duracool.

You'll see some techs slam these refridgerants and say they are junk and dangerous etc, but the only reason they say this is because the "mystery" of A/C work can literally be done in your driveway in 10min now. It's a huge hit to the pocket book for them if people start doing this themselves. And yes, these refridgerants are propane based and are flammable, but last I checked, so are gasoline and oil

The stuff works great. Its enviro friendly. ALL manufacturers would use it but.... its flammable... and thats the only downside.

The reason you cant mix "refrigerants" like 12 or 134 is not because the gas itself causes an issue its the lubricants that dont jive with each other. In a nutshell the older 12 systems used a mineral based oil and the newer stuff uses an ester based oil. The lubes are there to stay mobile in the cold and keep the seals swollen and compressor humming along smoothly. The problem is when you mix the mineral and ester oils together it makes acid which pretty much eats through the seals and/or aluminum.

Also the orfice on older 12 systems is not correct and the density of the evaporator core and condensers are designed for specific coolants. So when you take your older R12 system vehicle in for a conversion almost NO tech knows that you should change the orfice and even if they do the system isnt designed for 134a so it doesnt perform as well. Thats why you have a lot of haters against 134a when in fact it is a much better coolant so long as you have a system that was designed around it.

Now back on "redtek" or duracool or whatever? They have a lower boiling point than all of the above so the stuff really cools well. It doesnt take near the volume to achieve the same heat extraction. The stuffs great imo

Easiest way to fill is to remove all the old coolant if possible. Two cans will fill most cars fine. Start with the engine off and put in as much as the system will take ( probably close to one full can ) then start the car and put the AC on high and put in as much as the system will take without going over two cans. This works mint 99% of the time.

Now if your ac works "better than ever" for 20-30 mins then gets weak? You have too much coolant in there so bleed some off ( yes this is enviro friendly dont worry its legal ) The reason it stops working after a while is with too much coolant in there the evaporator will freeze up and prevent airflow through the core and you wont feel the cold coming out so to speak.

Nice! Thanks for the advice guys

How about the Sonoma, it's blowing semi-cold...is it worth trying to add some red-tek to the system....Or should I have it evacuated first? I don't wanna mess something up and then have no A/C......Least in the Firebird I can't really scew up because I've got no cooling at all anyway!

I'm sure you're just referring to not mixing 12 and 134a, but I just wanted to clarify that it's not an issue with 12a (duracool redtek etc.). Speaking only for Duracool again, I know for certain it's not an issue to mix it with whatever you have in the system (12 or 134a):

http://www.duracool.com/Duracool/faqs.html

Just because the oils will mix doesn't mean you can mix refrigerants see the pic.

85 SS the reason you had issues with converting from R12 to R134A is that the molecules are smaller and leak more easily. The hoses for R134A have an additional layer that your R12 hose would not have had. Also the o-ring materials are different so all seals are to be replaced with a retrofit.

The reason most shops don't want to get involved with alternative refrigerants is because our equipment is not setup to be able to recover the refrigerant. When you hold an Ozone depletion license you are liable for up to $20,000 per day if caught releasing refrigerants into the atmosphere.

Actually, I was more concerned with the risk of overfilling......Everything I've read about Red Tek says I can mix it with any other refrigerant safely....so I am not worried about that.
See when installing in the firebird, there is likely none (or very little) coolant in the system.....so I should ok to install whatever the required amount is as shown on the car's sticker? But if I just want to add some to the Sonoma to make it colder I am adding to a system that already has some refrigerant in it....So I assume I'd have to watch the pressure guage to make sure I don't over fill it??

That's only there for legal reasons. The FAQ also states the following:

-Compatible with mineral & synthetic oils including Pag & Ester - No Oil Change Is Required!
-Does the system need to be completely empty?
Although mixing DURACOOL12a® with CFC-12 or R-134a in your A/C system would not damage or harm your system, it is illegal to charge your AC system without first evacuating the refrigerant that is currently in the A/C unit.




They contradict themselves because they are in a roundabout way telling you that while it's illegal to mix refridgerants, it will not harm anything (ie. it will work and you can do it, but don't get caught). It works.




I understand the molecules are smaller, and all seals were indeed replaced by the two shops I dealt with (I learned more than I ever wanted to know about A/C at the time! LOL). The original system was actually charged with "Hot Shot 414b" by a shop, which is before duracool etc was around (he recommended against 134a for the reasons noted above). That's where I spent the most money as nearly every part was detected as leaking and replaced one at a time, with a recharge every single time. The next summer I charged with Duracool when it became available, but had to start over when I installed the serpentine setup. I decided to try to "do it right" one more time and had a different shop charge it up with 134a, hoping for the best but knowing leaks are common due to the smaller molecules. In the end, it still leaks out over the winter so I just deal with it and charge up once a season with Duracool for $10/can (compared to $130 or so at a shop). I haven't tried it out yet to see if it's working this spring, but if it's not I have 4-5 cans kicking around.



That's the beauty of it - the "off the shelf" refridgerants are environmentally friendly so there is no issue with it being released to the atmosphere. The issue for shops is dealing with a system that's been mixed - now there is no way to properly recover (without contaminating your equipment) the 12 or 134a mixed in with the 12a.... hence the legal requirement to have the old stuff properly evacuated first.

Probably won't be long before they start pulling over cars to check for A/C leaks and handing out fines for pollution

Kevin, Thanks for sharing your experience it's been really helpful!

I think I am going to ply around with this stuff this weekend and see what I can do.

Just to clear something up in my head.....is the low service port the one that is on the canister??

The low port is smaller than the high port you can't mix them up

i have a question about it... ive had it in my car for 4 years and last year it worked intermitiently nad this year there is nothing.
cold air that is, its got pressure and redtek in it. what should i do to get it cold again? drain the system and refill it? what parts can can i inspect for non working, or pluged, or.....

TIA

Took me all of 2 mins to find this

You don't use as much redtek as you would 134 and they have a weight chart to figure it out. How you gonna weigh it I don't know.