MR2 Tech Forum
... R134a retrofit ~
 Lancaster, CA, USA
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1988 Toyota MR2 Supercharged "Little Godzilla"
2004 Toyota Prius "The Ruthiemobile!" 2007 Subaru Outback "- The Bethiemobile -" |
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This topic is about my Dear Digest,
... 37 years exactly, blowing cold, it was April of 2025, R12 finally gave up the ghost. Spent the better part of the rest of 2025, trading thought with A/C specialists, laying out intellectual foundation with respect to next steps, studying various options:
a). gut the system -
* e.g., performance solution; part-out the A/C components; lighten the vehicle?
b). maintain status quo -
* e.g., keep recharging the R12; provenance & pedigree; it's only original once?
c). suck it up -
* e.g., r134a retrofit; bring the vehicle into compliance?
d). do nothing -
* e.g., ambivalence; adopt a wait 'n see attitude?
Thought about it, gutting the system, lightening the vehicle. Couldn't bring myself to it, tearing the thing apart, for 60 pounds curb weight.
Doing what's best for the car? Maintaining provenance and pedigree, belaboring the finer points with every mechanic on God's green acre, that it's not illegal selling R12, that it's not illegal servicing R12, that it's not illegal recharging R12, that it's only illegal, manufacturing it, I'd fallen World-weary fighting the system.
Adopting a hand's off, wait 'n see attitude? The longer a system festers in disrepair, less likely it eventually becomes, to be repairable. A system cannot be left, in abject disrepair, burying my head in the sand harboring ass-backward, waiting for a technological bailout, expectation it's going to be a simpler fix, someday in the future?
Time is of the essence.
Doing what's best for the environment? One of the few mechanics I trust, former aerospace guy admonished me, automotive R12 was never an environmental issue, that automotive R12 doesn't stratospherically ascend, that there was never enough R12 in all the vehicles ever produced, to deplete stratospheric ozone, that the crux of the ozone depletion issue was, United States Air Force generals, authorizing high volume, high altitude R12 release, to suppress and dissipate contrails from high performance military aircraft. And, that thing about having to tear the compressor apart, changing-out all the seals and o-rings?
"... horse-feathers!", so I'm told.
Only viable choice, sucking it up, bringing the vehicle into compliance. What A/C specialists never wanted us to know, old seals and o-rings work just fine with R134a. Nifty selling point, alchemy of an R134a retrofit over a depleted R12 forms a glue, sealing all leaks. Opting for an R134a retrofit, I won't have to tear the thing apart, chasing leaks.
Nonetheless, we've injected a dye. Back to blowin' cold, in a 40 year old car, if you can believe that? Really nice, having its A/C back on-line -
Cheers,
- Samuel, '88 Supercharged
//////////////////
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-25 03:34 PM by conservancyatMHR.
... 37 years exactly, blowing cold, it was April of 2025, R12 finally gave up the ghost. Spent the better part of the rest of 2025, trading thought with A/C specialists, laying out intellectual foundation with respect to next steps, studying various options:
a). gut the system -
* e.g., performance solution; part-out the A/C components; lighten the vehicle?
b). maintain status quo -
* e.g., keep recharging the R12; provenance & pedigree; it's only original once?
c). suck it up -
* e.g., r134a retrofit; bring the vehicle into compliance?
d). do nothing -
* e.g., ambivalence; adopt a wait 'n see attitude?
Thought about it, gutting the system, lightening the vehicle. Couldn't bring myself to it, tearing the thing apart, for 60 pounds curb weight.
Doing what's best for the car? Maintaining provenance and pedigree, belaboring the finer points with every mechanic on God's green acre, that it's not illegal selling R12, that it's not illegal servicing R12, that it's not illegal recharging R12, that it's only illegal, manufacturing it, I'd fallen World-weary fighting the system.
Adopting a hand's off, wait 'n see attitude? The longer a system festers in disrepair, less likely it eventually becomes, to be repairable. A system cannot be left, in abject disrepair, burying my head in the sand harboring ass-backward, waiting for a technological bailout, expectation it's going to be a simpler fix, someday in the future?
Time is of the essence.
Doing what's best for the environment? One of the few mechanics I trust, former aerospace guy admonished me, automotive R12 was never an environmental issue, that automotive R12 doesn't stratospherically ascend, that there was never enough R12 in all the vehicles ever produced, to deplete stratospheric ozone, that the crux of the ozone depletion issue was, United States Air Force generals, authorizing high volume, high altitude R12 release, to suppress and dissipate contrails from high performance military aircraft. And, that thing about having to tear the compressor apart, changing-out all the seals and o-rings?
"... horse-feathers!", so I'm told.
Only viable choice, sucking it up, bringing the vehicle into compliance. What A/C specialists never wanted us to know, old seals and o-rings work just fine with R134a. Nifty selling point, alchemy of an R134a retrofit over a depleted R12 forms a glue, sealing all leaks. Opting for an R134a retrofit, I won't have to tear the thing apart, chasing leaks.
Nonetheless, we've injected a dye. Back to blowin' cold, in a 40 year old car, if you can believe that? Really nice, having its A/C back on-line -
Cheers,
- Samuel, '88 Supercharged
//////////////////
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-12-25 03:34 PM by conservancyatMHR.
Attachments:
r134a_retrofit.jpg 34.4 KB
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