740 A/C retrofit, or what about that imitaion r12 stuff?

dripcandles · Post by **dripcandles** » 23 Jan 2008, 07:21

I have an 87 turbo 740 wagon that I was considering trying to get the air conditioning working on so I would have a cold car on those hot summer days. I dont think I will fix my 98 V70XC's air because it just looks like to big of a job. I found there are generic retrofit kits I assume would work for the 740, and I also found some stuff on ebay that is supposed to be a direct replacement for r12. Has anyone had any experience with either of these? I tried searching the "official" a/c thread for info, but it all related to 850's and up.

Post by **billofdurham** » 23 Jan 2008, 11:44

One thing that must be checked is whether or not a conversion to R134a has already been done. There should be a decal somewhere in the engine compartment if it has been changed.

If the system has no leaks, and has not been converted, then go with the R12 substitute. I have read good reports about the Freeze12 and the AC shop which looks after mine has that in stock and recommends it.

If there is a leak then the retrofit kit would probably be the best option as you will be pulling the system apart to repair it.

Bill.

dripcandles · Post by **dripcandles** » 23 Jan 2008, 13:41

I didnt see the decal, and I really dont know how else to tell if the conversion was done. I suspect it wasnt though. I dont know if the system has any leaks. Is there a way to check other than putting the freon into the system? I know I should use the dyed freon to find leaks.

Post by **billofdurham** » 23 Jan 2008, 15:27

The AC shop that I use (we are no longer legally allowed to buy recharge canisters) uses an inert gas to check for leaks on systems that have not had the dye added.

Does the compressor kick in at all?

Bill.