there's stuff at the auto parts place (and sometimes at walmart) called "radiator flush."

it's a cleaner that helps to remove the crud that builds up in the system over time.

note to self: using radiator flush will sometimes remove the crud that's keeping the freeze plugs from leaking, so be prepared to have to deal with that too.

as for the AC. you pretty much have it. just add expansion valve to the list of things to change (little plastic stick looking thing inside the lines usually near the accumulator inside one of the lines... I never can remember which). You can also get any shop that does AC work to pump it down and charge it. You'll know for sure if the system has been converted to R134a properly if there is a R134a notice sticker near the low pressure fitting/compressor/upper tie bar of the car. Also, the fittings will only allow R134a connections. If this isn't the case, then it's probably still charged with R-12 and you may want to let a shop do the whole thing (accumulator and expansion valve are not very expensive).

 

Add heater core to the list of things that like to start leakign when the crud is flushed out...

 

I just called auto zone. They said they have the pump and conversion kit from R-12 to R134A. The guy I talked to said there's probably no R-12 in my car left and I could most likely do the whole thing myself.. that does not sound very accurate. Would I be able to keep the same condenser if I switched from R-12 to R134A?

I'm still confused on this whole thing, I thought it was a law that you had to get the R-12 pumped OUT by a professional. Is it possible to just get the R-12 pumped out, drive it home, replace the accumulator and condenser, and pump in the R134A by myself? (In other words the only shop work that would have to be done is the R-12 being pumped out)

Feel free to suggest things I've left out, or things you can foresee that I will have troubles with, remember I'm pretty new but good with tools. By the way, the new starter works great, starts up just like a new car, literally.

 

yes, you can keep the same condenser and evaporator. The only thing is that once the new dryer/accumulator and expansion valve are in and the system is bolted together, it needs to be pumped down for at least an hour to completely evacuate the system of any leftover r-12 oil.

if the system is still cooling, there's r-12 in it. if not cooling, then no r-12. And yes, you are supposed to get it pumped out by a pro. If the system is already empty then the pump down would be the only thing you would have to get done unless you have a vacuum pump and fittings that can hold between -15 and -22Hg I think. Then when you pull the vacuum off, it shouldn't change pressure wise for at least another hour (this shows good seals).

at least that's when it's done thoroughly. You can shorten the wait times to 30 minutes but very slow leaks may not be found. The problem with mixing old R-12 oil with the newer R134a oil is that sometimes is can become corrosive and eat the system from the inside out.

 

Stealth.... where are you located at? if you wanna increase power, you can do a small HO conversion for a lil more bang outta the car. way to do that is find a Mark7 in junkyard or mustang with the HO in it. take the upper intake and throttlebody.

the throttlebody needs modded to work in our cars and i know how to mod to work and you old EGR spacer needs bored out to meet diameter of the upper intake and throttlebody. the extra diameter improves the performance and dual exhaust will help too. when i get around to it, i will post pictures on how to mod the throttlebody up. things needed are a dremel wheel cutter, and welder but the EGR should be taken to a shop to be bored out.

 

I live in Arizona. I'm not really worried about power at the moment although it could use some more, I'm worried about the overheating and the air conditioning. When I turn it on there is pretty much cold air and I find it to be cooler turning the system off (During an Arizona summer day) I guess I will take it to a professional and see if theres much r12 still in there. If there is, i doubt its a lot. I have access to a pump which I can rent. I'm glad to hear I can do all of this myself. Anyone know a good place to get a radiator flush? I called firestone and they said its around 70$.

 

if you want to do the flush yourself, you can get the bottle at autozone/pep boys/oreilly auto/<insert local auto parts store here> for usually around $5. you may also need to check/replace the fan clutch The fan will spin weakly even if it's worn out, but will never turn full force if the clutch worn out. That would also contribute to the overheating.

 

t-stat might need changed to a cooler one, hoses might need replaced, fanclutch could be an issue, radiator acnd system could use a flush....

flush is easy enough to do... i disconnect the heater core and flush it after initial flush to make sure it is cleared out...

 

did you have the car during the last Arizona summer? If so how did it act?

 

Yes I did. I put it through hell.. literally. I would drive it way out in the heat of the day, and drive it back in the heat of the day for hours at a time. Never gave me any signal of trouble. I took it on the highway never any trouble. Last summer was the best summer because of that car, in other words. Air conditioning always worked.