Tales,Trails and Trials of a (wet) Dream Machine (3 Viewers)

[Gordobe]

When piggy was in getting therapy from my last miss hap, the shop had a rainstorm flood and my hood (the one on my pig that is) got a bit beat up. It ended up have to get painted, consequently the underside of the hood also got a fresh coat of paint, lucky me, it was pretty funky looking. After some hunting and pecking on the inter-web I was able to find the correct original smog sticker from a supplier back East, name slips my mind at the moment.

Picture also shows the sticker indicating the fact that R12 has been replaced with the new cocktail for the AC system

 

[Gordobe]

In October took my first trip since pig rehab (not me). Explored a place call Mono Hot Springs, South of Yosemite. Also visited Sequoia and Kings Canyon Rewoods

 

[Gordobe]

In April I spent a few nights In Quatel canyon in the Cuyama Valley. Starting to feel alive again.

 

[Gordobe]

Fabricating upgrades, sorting gear and loading up. Added a bracket to keep stove from flopping around

 

[RUSH55]

Thanks for the update @Gordobe !

 

[WarDamnEagle]

I wonder why they didn't just convert your R12 to R134a? Not a refrigeration expert but curious if there was a reason they didn't go that route. Great to see you back and posting!

 

[J Mack]

I wonder why they didn't just convert your R12 to R134a?

Because $16.00... Duracool 12a Refrigerant 6oz Can – Deepfreeze Refrigerants Inc. - https://www.duracool.com/shop/duracool-12a-refrigerant-6oz-can/

I just converted a Lincoln, it was kind of expensive for what was needed and we could have gone all new aftermarket for less money.
I would have charged his system with Duracool 12A or some other R-12 replacement but the system needed most all new parts anyway and he wanted it converted to R134.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Gordobe, I'm just going to say it, I love your brackets. I'm a bracket man, myself. I love thinking them up, making them and putting them to use.

 

[trainbufftony]

I'm going to go ahead and say that you should pull the butane and propane out of your refrigeration system and instead convert to R134.

My guess is that you can buy all of the stuff to do it yourself for less than this nimrod charged you to make a car bomb.

Propane in AC systems is what you do when you live in Guatemala 500 miles from an auto parts store in the rainforest which doesn't burn....

4 wheeling the western us with propane for refrigerant is in my opinion total lunacy.

Pm me and I'll give you a walk through

 

[J Mack]

Lots of information about hydrocarbon refrigerant out there and yes it does have its opponents, to say you’ll automatically die in a fiery crash is silly. Please point me to some facts showing the amount of “car bombs” that had actually caught on fire specifically because of the hydrocarbon refrigerant. And yes I’m aware it is illegal for use in public transport vehicles and the bus fire that killed 18 people that specifically blames the the hydrocarbon refrigerant but we are driving vehicles powered by atomized gasoline “car bombs” every day and accept those risks I don’t see the big deal.

My propane powered forklift has tried to kill me several times but never from turning itself into a car bomb… YMMV

 

[trainbufftony]

Lots of information about hydrocarbon refrigerant out there and yes it does have its opponents, to say you’ll automatically die in a fiery crash is silly. Please point me to some facts showing the amount of “car bombs” that had actually caught on fire specifically because of the hydrocarbon refrigerant. And yes I’m aware it is illegal for use in public transport vehicles and the bus fire that killed 18 people that’s specifically blames the the hydrocarbon refrigerant but we are driving vehicles powered by atomized gasoline “car bombs” every day and accept those risks I don’t see the big deal.

My propane powered forklift has tried to kill me several times but never from turning itself into a car bomb… YMMV

The cost of the parts is a factor.
I think in California I could probably do the conversion for $500 with money left over for burritos.
When doing it right is that cheap, remind me, why are we playing with flammable gas?
Someone simply couldn't be bothered to buy the right stuff, and they aren't putting themselves at risk they're putting you at risk.
The likelihood of catastrophe is always low until it happens to you.
Ive had to call the fire department to extinguish a Volvo which suffered an external combustion event due to an error i made...

I don't recommend adding risk when the price to do it correctly is so very very low...

 

[J Mack]

So no facts?
Like I said we are driving vehicles powered by flammable liquid...
There are public transportation vehicles powered by compressed gas and nobody has a problem with that, The total amount by volume of propane/butane used in an air conditioning system is so small I don't personally see the concern unless you have something that can change my mind..
Again I almost daily drive a propane powered forklift and the propane is probably the least dangerous thing about it!

 

[bobm]

At least its not a Ford Pinto

 

[trainbufftony]

So no facts?
Like I said we are driving vehicles powered by flammable liquid...
There are public transportation vehicles powered by compressed gas and nobody has a problem with that, The total amount by volume of propane/butane used in an air conditioning system is so small I don't personally see the concern unless you have something that can change my mind..
Again I almost daily drive a propane powered forklift and the propane is probably the least dangerous thing about it!

The propane in your forklift is surrounded by concrete and heavy steel.

Facts:
I attended and graduated from Denver automotive and diesel college.
I took a class on refrigerant systems and according to the textbook, using propane in refrigeration systems is a major no.
There's not a giant concrete weight and a bunch of steel in most automotive applications protecting the refrigerant system.
On a factual basis the manufacturers are incentivised to use less steel in order to comply with CAFE. Modern Grilles are designed to crush.
That leaves your heat exchanger out in front of everything in the direction of travel potentially traveling at better than 100 mph. *although not likely in an iron pig.
Opinion:
that seems like a dumb way to save a couple hundred bucks, that's my opinion as a trained mechanic with 20 years in the industry.

 

[J Mack]

The propane in your forklift is surrounded by concrete and heavy steel.

Ha... No.. Plus I promise you leaks are a real thing not only on mine but every one I've ever seen or worked on.
What you should do is start an A/C thread and give us all the information on the $500.00 retrofit and we can all jump in and ask questions there instead of $hitting up Gordons thread!

Facts:
I attended and graduated from Denver automotive and diesel college.
I took a class on refrigerant systems and according to the textbook, using propane in refrigeration systems is a major no.

OK but that's not the kind of facts I was looking for when I said change my mind..

 

[jestlurnin]

New thread on the A/C retrofit would be awesome and welcomed.

 

[Gordobe]

Amen

 

[Gordobe]

New thread on the A/C retrofit would be awesome and welcomed

There is an extensive thread dated March 18, 2018 in thread "60-Series Wagons" created by mrlocksmith. The language sounds like he works for NASA, (which I take as a good sign). It's a very long read and I got lost when the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious showed up.

As far as I was able to get, it sounded non biased, with an excellent intellectual approach. I'm not biased, cause I only got one arse.

When we're are sitting around our next PP campfire I'll tell you about the time when I was 7 years old and I burnt our house down.

Till the next bon fire, be well to all

 

[bobm]

U Gots more dan 1 you a Kardashian

 

[Gordobe]

So I have 4 misc. buildings on a lot next door that I use as an extended yard. I had to relocate them to make room for a new house. The first one I had to move 40' straight back to an allowable property line set-back and is on a 10'x10,' 4" slab, and is completely full of construction tools. The other 2 are smaller (no slab) but still full of stored stuff for work. One of them half full of???, you guessed it, FJ55 stuff, go figure.

The first one (with slab), I used the winch with one pulley hooked to a large bush as a dead man, well???, I didn't need that bush anyway, dead is key word. So I resorted to driving into the back yard and hooking slab direct to my mistress and she showed no mercy. The other 2 were no issue. Done in a day.

Fourth building is 12' x 12' I used as an office. Going to take a bit more finesse. When???, no date set yet.

Since a nice new shed would have cost $5,000, I figure the pig paid for itself right then.