air conditioning

[andy b]

This is for people who are recommissioning the ac .

Just a note for people with the old ac gas(I have been repairing car ac for 30years) this info is correct and it has always worked for me.

First of all all early lotus with R12 systems do not have O ring fittings, it is all american flare (a mechanical joint) so all you need to do is drain the old oil from the compressor only about an egg cup full there is no sump. All the oil is carried around the system with the refrigerant gas. You should then replace the oil through the suction connection (the large one) not too much. You should get the oil from your local mobile ac repairer supplier. This will mix with the 134A and move around the system. You may find that after a long time in service the comp front oil seals may fail (never happened to me with the alloy Sanden type of compressor ) so just replace with a 134A comp. With the limited use these days with the low mileage we do it will last for years.

You should always replace the receiver drier. The new ones are O ring type, you can get little ali adaptor which fits in the connection with an O ring and converts it to flare fitting. The O rings will be green these won't fail with 134A (the receiver drier is the black tube normally with a little sight glass between the pipe connections located in the front boot). This keeps any debris that is in the system and also keeps the system moisture free. Try to store anything you take off the ac sealed and clean plus dry. When the system is working properly the comp is cooled by the return gas which is cold if the system is correctly charged with refrigerant, so you can retro fit cfc free gas in your lotus without any ill effects, REMEMBER THE SYSTEM ON A HOT DAY HAS APROX 100/150 PSI STANDING PRESSURE EVEN WHEN THE AC HAS NOT BEEN RUN, ANDY B

[USAndretti42]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the post.

[andy b]

your welcome andy b