Has anyone else heard of this stuff?

http://www.maxifrig.com/printver2.html

__________________
Dave

1982 300D
352,000 miles

Quote from http://www.heco.net/freezone.html

"There are a number of products on the market that use flammable hydrocarbons (propane, butane, isobutane in many combinations). Here are a few that we know about: OZ-12, HC-12a, Duracool 12a, Enviro-safe, Red Tek, Maxi-Frig, ES-12a and Auto Cool. According the EPA SNAP list, these are illegal to use in mobile A/C systems."

Run away. You might as well run propane in your A/C system.

Your best bet: Have an A/C shop do a proper R-134a retrofit. This includes Evacuation, new Receiver-dryer, 134a desiccant, expansion valve, oil and any needed hoses. This can be done for $60-120 depending where you go.

Ohtooman has two issues that make his car a very poor candidate for a 134 conversion. First he is in Oklahoma, not a tropical climate, but certainly not known for chilly summers. Second he has a 123 MB. This car has a very marginal refrigeration capacity due to limited condensor size.

If he were willing to spring for a parallel flow condensor, then he might be able to make a 134 conversion cool adequately, BUT that would cost more than just using R12 and be done with it. R12 prices are coming down. I just bought a sealed, 30 pound cannister delivered to my door for $425 total cost. That's less than $15 per pound and I didn't even shop very hard. It probably could be had for less.

It has amazed me how much money I've seen people spend so that they can pay $5 per pound for refrigerant rather than $15. I only went to public school, but the math that they taught me just doesn't show this to be an economically feasible modification.

Have a great day,

In the long run, you will NOT regret sticking with a virgin R-12 system! R-12 is not that expensive, and the 609 certification is NOT difficult to receive!

Maxi-frig is probably propane. Some cars run on propane for fuel and carry far more than would fit in an AC system but nobody seems to duck into a bomb shelter when they drive past. Most cars have gasoline under high pressure under the hood and nobody ducks into a bomb shelter when they pass. But let someone mention installing propane in an AC system and people act like it is Chernobyl all over again.

I agree that I would rather have R-12 in my AC than propane or R134a.

Some refrigerants produce poison gas when they burn - call homeland security. Code Red.

Some people a thousand miles from home in hot weather and needing refrigerant in their AC, have been known to use the vacuum pump on the engine to pull the AC system down to vacuum and pump it up with propane; chill and enjoy the ride home.

Heads are reeling, blood pressure is rising, take a deep breath and read my sig line. Repeat as necessary.

I will certainly concur with that. My '82 300D had great a/c with R-12. And I lived in some hot and humid places, including Corpus Christi, TX. It doesn't get much worse that that. Then I converted to R-134a. It would not cool adequately above about 85 degrees F. (I did the conversion because I bought into the story that R-12 was going to be unavailable.)

I have heard that propane is not heavy enough to move the oil through an AC system properly. Don't know if that is true. That was a reason not to run propane on an extended basis, besides the safety issue, and the legal issue.