Basic question: If the drier's desiccant bag was ruptured, where would system get clogged? Would pieces of that stuff make it through the condenser and clog up the expansion valve? Can this stuff (like small shards of broken glass) be completely blown out of the lines, condenser, and expansion valve (and how)?
Long story short (I'm lying!), a tire blowout towing mishap caused me to meet a guard rail head on, with relatively minor damage. I pulled out the core support in driver side front corner, and everything was drivable (nicked the PS high pressure hose), but then realized I'd lost my nipple-hardening A/C.
The drier had been dented in 1 inch or less, by the inside ridge of the front bumper. I didn't hear or see signs of freon leak, so I'm thinking the A/c should be working. Took it to a mechanic who thought the drier canister insides had shattered, and when I first turned on the A/c little pieces of that stuff went in and clogged some valve inside the dash, preventing the a/c from flowing.The fix was taking the unit from under the dash and clearing those lines/valves out, retrofitting for r134, and replacing the drier canister, refilling. $250. Having just paid a $1000 towing bill from the wreck and not having money to burn, I let him take the r12, and went to AutoZone and Walmat. Try the easy fix first.
I got a drier and a/c kit and hooked it up. Two+cans, and no dice. Realized I'd left the cap on the HP nipple onbut no big deal. After I turn off the car, I hear hissing under the high pressure side, and remove the cover and blam all the r134 is hissing out (bad needle). The needle might have been bad, but I got enough r134 in that the temp should have been lowered but it wasn't. BTW, the old drier sounded like a glass had broked inside it, and I actually could shake out pieces of what looked like black glass (score one for the mechanic).
How tough would it be to access the a/c lines and valve under the dash? To clear them, would you just blow them out with compressed air? If this was clogged under the dash and I put 2+ cans in, might I have put WAY too much pressure on the compressor? It did come out with much force when I removed the HP cap... Any detailed info would be appreciated.
Also, it was suggested by someone else to keep the r12, which I might consider after I get this thing resolved with the R134. Can I simply take the retrofit off and dump the r134, and refill with r12? I'd only do this if dissatisfied with the r134. This is south Florida, man.
Sorry about the novella...I can be too detailed sometimes.
Long story short (I'm lying!), a tire blowout towing mishap caused me to meet a guard rail head on, with relatively minor damage. I pulled out the core support in driver side front corner, and everything was drivable (nicked the PS high pressure hose), but then realized I'd lost my nipple-hardening A/C.
The drier had been dented in 1 inch or less, by the inside ridge of the front bumper. I didn't hear or see signs of freon leak, so I'm thinking the A/c should be working. Took it to a mechanic who thought the drier canister insides had shattered, and when I first turned on the A/c little pieces of that stuff went in and clogged some valve inside the dash, preventing the a/c from flowing.The fix was taking the unit from under the dash and clearing those lines/valves out, retrofitting for r134, and replacing the drier canister, refilling. $250. Having just paid a $1000 towing bill from the wreck and not having money to burn, I let him take the r12, and went to AutoZone and Walmat. Try the easy fix first.
I got a drier and a/c kit and hooked it up. Two+cans, and no dice. Realized I'd left the cap on the HP nipple onbut no big deal. After I turn off the car, I hear hissing under the high pressure side, and remove the cover and blam all the r134 is hissing out (bad needle). The needle might have been bad, but I got enough r134 in that the temp should have been lowered but it wasn't. BTW, the old drier sounded like a glass had broked inside it, and I actually could shake out pieces of what looked like black glass (score one for the mechanic).
How tough would it be to access the a/c lines and valve under the dash? To clear them, would you just blow them out with compressed air? If this was clogged under the dash and I put 2+ cans in, might I have put WAY too much pressure on the compressor? It did come out with much force when I removed the HP cap... Any detailed info would be appreciated.
Also, it was suggested by someone else to keep the r12, which I might consider after I get this thing resolved with the R134. Can I simply take the retrofit off and dump the r134, and refill with r12? I'd only do this if dissatisfied with the r134. This is south Florida, man.
Sorry about the novella...I can be too detailed sometimes.
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The only difference was that the electronics are split onto two different plugs, which wasn't a problem (switched the 92 plug into the 88 evap), but the liquid line and vacuum hose in the 88 are slightly smaller, like an Asian you-know-what smaller, so the 92's hose/liquid lines are a no-go. 
I hate figuring out the hard way what someone else did to my rig..... 