Re: r-134a a/c conversion q's

["Curt Voss" <curtv@eudoramail.com>]

I just got my Caddy's A/C fixed and went through this in detail the mechanic. His take is, don't bother. To do it properly you have to replace the condenser and evaporator, but you can't get the right ones for VWs. R134a isn't as efficient as Freon to begin with, and without the larger condensor & evaporator it's pretty much useless. He thinks that Freon will pretty much always be available via the black market and repackaged as U.S.-made so even the shops can't tell it's black-market. Plus, R134a is going away in 20010 or so because it's carcinogenic.

BTW, he said it usually runs around $800 - $1000 to have them to do the retrofit properly. Another shop told me they used to get about the same price but they don't even do retrofits any more because the new systems just aren't satisfactory.

I'm not completely convinced, having just spent something like $150 on Freon alone, and all it takes is one leaky seal or hose and I'll get to spend another $150. I'm about to replace the compressor on my '82. Has anyone done the retrofit in a hot climate - 100+ degrees is common here, and occasionally it gets over 110 - and if so what do you think of it? Anyone found a source for the correct condensor and evaporator?

---
Curt

'86 Scirocco 8V
'82 Scirocco 1.8
'81 Caddy
'78 Rabbit 1.7L rustbucket

On Sun, 20 May 2001 21:44:33   Allyn wrote:
>ok, i got an 87 jetta wolfsburg from a guy, and it had r-134a in it! fully
>converted. im clueless on this, and i want to do it to my rocco (a/c is
>broke now, prob empty). has anyone done this conversion? not necessarily at
>home, even at a shop? if so how much did it run?
>thanks
>al
>
>Allyn Malventano, ET1(SS), USN
>87 rocco 16v (reiger gto - green - 'der rocco' - restoration in progress)
>87 jetta 8v wolfsburg 2dr (260k, still tight :)
>
>
>
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