Anyone purchase/install the LMR R-134a conversion kit?

[Ricomondo]

Stock '92 that had R-12 system, - tried to convert it to R-134A, and not super happy with the temps.
Was looking at swapping out the entire system with the LMR R-13A kit AND changing out the EVAP and HEATER cores at the same time.
Anyone install this kit and are you satisfied with the temps?

Thank you!

 

[JMG9350]

I bought that kit. It replaces everything except the evaporator. You can use it, just flush it out with an A/C flush. I wouldn't replace it unless it really needs it. Mine blows decently cold, and the new condenser is much lighter than the OE part. The hard line going from the condenser to the filter/dryer needed tweaked a bit.

 

[Potomus Pete]

I bought it also. It didnt cool that good so I put Arctic Freeze in it. Works good now.

 

[RaggedGT]

Are you still running the R12 low pressure switch?

 

[Ricomondo]

Are you still running the R12 low pressure switch?

I am. It was adjusted properly for R-134A ( I think). I just saw today that the firewall connector for the liquid line & orifice tube is wet, so I'm guessing I could/do have a small leak? Going to replace the liquid line, and recharge and see where we are at.

 

[Ricomondo]

I bought it also. It didnt cool that good so I put Arctic Freeze in it. Works good now.

Thank you. I'm not familiar with that. Will look it up and perhaps give it a try?

 

[Ricomondo]

I bought that kit. It replaces everything except the evaporator. You can use it, just flush it out with an A/C flush. I wouldn't replace it unless it really needs it. Mine blows decently cold, and the new condenser is much lighter than the OE part. The hard line going from the condenser to the filter/dryer needed tweaked a bit.

Thank you for the input. Gonna try and keep these original components the more I think about it. Have to change out the liquid line and see if that was the issue.

 

[nickyb]

I would keep what you have ,flush it all out ,find and fix leaks and use ES12A. That's what I did ten years ago and couldn't be happier,and I live on the surface of the sun( Nevada)

 

[Potomus Pete]

Thats what I used off E Bay.....I think I paid about $15 a can. Now they charge $89 a can. Thanks to Nickyb.

 

[nickyb]

Thats what I used off E Bay.....I think I paid about $15 a can. Now they charge $89 a can. Thanks to Nickyb.

No Amazon has it cheap Pete

 

[TOOLOW91]

I’m did a customers car with the whole kit we added the ac back on to . Worked great

Pulled a vac with it and let it sit for a good bit . Charged it up and it was great no issues on temp.

 

[FastDriver]

I replaced the liquid line with LMRs... Temps aren't as low as the were with the OEM line. I wonder if the orifice tube is more restrictive, causing the difference. Temps aren't terrible but went from ice cold to just decent. Can't keep up on the hottest days.

 

[RaggedGT]

I replaced the liquid line with LMRs... Temps aren't as low as the were with the OEM line. I wonder if the orifice tube is more restrictive, causing the difference. Temps aren't terrible but went from ice cold to just decent. Can't keep up on the hottest days.

Was it 134a before the liquid line?

 

[foxbodybill89]

Bought new system for mine, not yet installed. Can get all of those components separately with the Evaporator for a couple hundred less from Rock Auto, FWIW.

 

[FastDriver]

Was it 134a before the liquid line?

yessir. To your possible point, I bought the car the first time in 2014, and can't say it was the OEM line, though.

 

[Methodical]

Man, I still have cans of r12.

What was your process to complete the conversion? You don't say what you did so my response is based off of that.

If you dont already have a set of AC manifold gauge set, I suggest you get a set and use it to do the conversion and to better monitor the high/low pressure sides to better know what's going as you do the conversion.

I did the conversion with a '94 ranger (not a mustang but same job) and all I changed was the A/C drier/receiver and connectors from Advance Auto or Auto Zone. I removed the refrigerant and pulled a vacuum using my compressor and a cheap vacuum pump ro make sure there were no leaks. The system was ice cold after the conversion. The trick was to get all that old refrigerant out of the system and pull a vacuum and to make sure the correct amount of refrigerant was in the system via the gauges.

If I had to change all that you posted, I probably would not have made the conversion. I don't think you need to change all of that stuff. I think you need to check the system capacity and maybe redo the charge.

Is that AC cycling switch ok?

 

[dan50]

My A/C died on my 1991 GT in 1999 and the repair bill was $2000 so I got my R12 license and did a rebuild myself. Thankful for a fraternity brother that owned a junkyard and had reclaim tools!

I have the R143a conversion kit from LMR in my garage. Really, really want to replace the evaporator and therefore not muck up the flush of the existing evaporator. But then I'll want to swap out the heater core, vacuum and wipe down the HVAC box, and the next thing I know it'll be 2028 with the car still apart lol!

 

[Mustang5L5]

I replaced the liquid line with LMRs... Temps aren't as low as the were with the OEM line. I wonder if the orifice tube is more restrictive, causing the difference. Temps aren't terrible but went from ice cold to just decent. Can't keep up on the hottest days.

I've found the orifice tubes are all over the place on reproduction parts. The blow through test is the quick easy way to see. Blow through some of the lines and some are easy, and some are difficult.

The issue with this is the amount of pressure drop you get correlates to the effectiveness of your cooling. Some of the lines blow through way too easy which translates to poor performance. Easy flow = less pressure drop. Pressure drop is what creates that cooling effect.


But at the same time, too much pressure drop creates a restriction in flow and that also causes problems. So, there is a sweet spot.

 

[FastDriver]

I agree. Too much pressure drop is my problem, and it was The Infamous Project's problem, too. I suppose too low a pressure correlates with less coolant mass in the evaporator core, which means that it has less mess to transfer energy into.

 

[Mustang5L5]

it was The Infamous Project's problem, too.

I know. I made a comment on his channel but not sure it was seen. That pressure drop is how the AC system gets cold.

What are your pressures both on the high and low side? Should be 225-275ish on the high and 20-25 on the low on a typical 80 degree day.