Got my 609 this afternoon.

Only got to check a single place while in town this evening, Kragen Auto Parts, as everyone else was closed by the time I got in -- the heat's necessitating my becoming nocturnal. They hadn't any in stock, but the clerk said that they do carry one-pound frigen-baby cans of R12 -- best he could remember, last having sold one a couple of months ago: about $40! I'm going to check around more on Monday, but they did have Freeze-12 in stock at $8/lb, if I get stuck. This whole time I'd been under the impression that the Freeze-12 vs. R-12 debate was fueled by cooling efficiency and reliability/compatiblity alone; I knew there must be a cost difference, but had no idea it was so vast!

On Freeze-12 again, to clarify, I meant to flush the system as it is, without diassembling it (maybe I'll just change the o-rings at the evaporator valve..?) and use the existing evaporator valve and drier when temporarily filling with Freeze-12. With the Freeze-12 in, I'd do a thorough leak check with Big Blu and identify the culprit. Then, when everything's together at the end of the month, I'd flush again, repair all leaks, replace all o-rings, as well as both the evaporator valve and the drier, and the compressor itself, if I find that it's not working correctly with the trial Freeze-12, and fill with R-12 for good -- all if, of course, I confirm that Freeze-12 is too weak to continue with, which I'm quite sure will be the outcome. My hesitancy is concerning using the existing, possibly fairly ragged equipment with Freeze-12; for instance, could using the existing drier with Freeze-12 possibly foul an otherwise functional compressor?

My understanding is that Freeze-12 is a blend, concoted specifically to modify R-134a so that it may more easily be used in an R-12 system. An attempt to chemically simplify/aid the retrofit of R-12 systems by modifying R-134a to behave more like R-12.

I've still got to call around smaller A/C garages, too. Tomorrow's to be spent compiling and comparing costs and budgets: R-12, Freeze-12 and later R-12, with compressor and without, using local parts supply or mail-order, etc.

By the way, where's the best/cheapest place to get a new R4 compressor, beside eBay?