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Tractor AC / 12a Refrigerant?

C

Chris in SK

Member
I have a Ford 8700 tractor that I’d like to try and get the ac working. The compressor runs, and has a metal tag showing 134a, so I assume it’s been converted from R12, but it has never really been cold, so I guess the refrigerant is low. The only refrigerant available here over the counter seems to be 12a (Red Tek or Dura Cool), sold in packs with hose and gauge, they also have cans of oil, leak stop, sealer etc. The Red Tek 12a leaflet says it is an easy install… ‘a direct drop in replacement for R134a and R12’ and ‘is compatible with existing ac oils, seals and components’…..but the small print says R12/134A should be evacuated first. I don’t know anyone that has used this stuff, and the places that sell it don’t seem to know much. Does 12a work, can I just top up with it? If I could get two months out of it that would be ok…..a good heater is more important here. I don’t want to spend $$ taking it to an ac shop. Thanks
Chris
 
You guys can't buy R-134 up there OTC anymore, eh???

RedTek is simply a hydrocarbon... sort of refined propane/butane.

It IS flammable but the mfg. downplays that aspect as only a small amount is needed... only about 1/2 by weight of the equivalent cooling capacity R-134.

So, yes, it does work, as long as you accept the small risk associated with it, and works best if you pump the system down before charging with the hydrocarbon stuff.
Cooling with hydrocarbons...
 
It might work as long as you never need professioal help with the ac system. At our shop we always use a tool to ID the gas in the system before connecting any ac equipment. If we find any of the junk gasses in there we refuse to work on them. We won't contaminate our equipment with any of that junk. Go to a parts store and get 134a and install that. Hope you can get it working.
 
There is much more risk of a fire from the fuel in the fuel tank than compressed hydrocarbons in the air conditioning system. I have used a propane/butane mix in my air condition system and it cools better than the properly filled R134 system and has lower pressures on the high side. I have no problem recommending them to anyone for off road applications, as it's technically illegal to use them on-road. Some may disagree wtih me, but I have not seen any reason to not recommend it. If you make your own mix, make sure you mix some isobutane in with it, not n-butane. There's plenty of reading on this on the web. There are other alternatives to r134a out there like r152 (what they now use in computer dusters instead of r134a). I would buy a set of manifold gauges and get a good set that has a hose to fill/vacuum the system; it will pay for itself the first time you use it. Also, a vacuum pump is worth the money to evacuate.

Hurst
 
The reason that propane /butane refrigerant is much more dangerous than engine fuel system fires, is that the flamible refrigerant has direct access to the inside of the cab through the AC vents.
A leaking / ruptured evaporator will release hot liquid propane inside the cab that will expand aprox 200 times into highly explosive / flamible vapor that quickly fills the cab.
Sparks from the brush type AC blower motor is a perfect ignition source to light off the propane vapor.

Why risk that kind of danger when R134a is legal, cheap, avalible anywhere and it works.
 
Jon, I don't think 134a is available here, at least not over the counter, but I will check further....i'd like to stick with it if I can get it. Is the 12a really that bad? It's sold everywhere here, Walmart, Canadian Tire, all the farm and auto parts stores all stock it. The packaging lists for automotive, truck and tractor use.
 
I risk it because it cools so much better, but that's just me. I am not worried about an evaporator rupturing and blowing me out of the cab, as the chances of that are about the same as me winning the lottery. There has yet to be a single injury reported from the use of hydrocarbons as a refrigerant. The system has only a few ounces of propane in it, so if something did happen and it did ignite, there wouldn't be much to burn. I'm not going to say anyone should use it over r134a, I'm simply sharing my experiences. I also have all new seals and hoses in my A/C system, which makes a difference. If you have a leak, I wouldn't use anything until you get it fixed or at least pinpointed so you know it's not blowing into the cab, as r134a is supposedly carcinogenic according to some recent reports.

Hurst
 
used to clean out ac system by jumping low ref relay open high pressure and let it pump dry I would not do this on high dollar unit but have on older equipment
 
used to clean out ac system by jumping low ref relay open high pressure and let it pump dry I would not do this on high dollar unit but have on older equipment
 
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