Why the hate on R134a? it wasn't horrible, and i was able to buy 12 oz cans for 5 bucks several years ago. Much better than the new R1234yf garbage in cars now.
AJ
Why do you say that? (first time I've heard anyone say bad about R-1234yf other than its cost... R-134a OTOH, I keep hearing about it incessantly)
R-134a has very small sized molecules... Because of this it tends to permeate through rubber hoses & seals at a much faster rate than R-1234yf (and also R-12 for that matter). This is why it was recommended to replace the hoses with what were known as "barrier hoses" back in the day when doing R-12 to 134a conversions.
This has shown itself in every vehicle I've owned or been around that had 134a (the conversion on my BII included), not one of them ever stayed as cold after 2-3 years as it was when it was new.
On my BII page is a pic of a thermometer stuck in the vent showing 38°F... That lasted maybe a year. It then drifted up to around 45° under the same conditions, and finally to around 50° (topping off the system with more 134a got it back down to 45 or so, but 38° was something never to be had again).
My 1994 Ranger (among the first to have 134a from the factory) and a 2018 Subaru Forester (among the
last to have it)... Same thing, both froze your ass off when they were new... Several years later, again not so much (cool, just not cold... and also struggling a bit while stopped or in bumper-bumper traffic). My Ranger needed top-offs as well, surely the Subaru could use one too.
However a 2018 Toyota Tacoma (same age as the Subaru), and 2020 Camry (both with R-1234yf), both of these will still freeze you out of the cabin to this day (and no struggles when stopped/going slow).
That is certainly a win in my book... R-134a is just a PITA if you ask me.
I need to redo the A/C again on my BII... R-1234yf is what I plan to use for it (especially now that it's getting cheaper as it's production has increased).
