Hi everyone, I've been reading the forums for a while now. I purchased a 1990 300D from a friends mother. The car is in very nice condition and was maintained by an independent MB shop. I knew that the A/C didnt work when I got the car but since I am in the HVAC business I wasnt too concerned. I was told that the A/C was charged last year but it wasnt cooling, presumably from a leak. I ordered a complete o ring kit and receiver/drier. My intention was to remove the hoses and replace them. There is a local shop that has the tooling to replace the hose portion. I was going to connect my gauges to check for any remaining refrigerant and noticed that the gauge ports are 134A connections. I was under the impression that the 1990 model year still used R12. The gauge ports are on the steel portion of the suction and liquid lines. If the car was originally R12 and the hoses have already been replaced, could the new ones have already come with 134a connections? This leads me to wonder if the car currently has R12 or 134a in it now. I have access to both and am well aware of the short comings of using 134a in this car.

The next question is the TXV (expansion valve). How do you get it out? I can see it in the cavity by the brake booster but how do you get any type of tools in there? I notice that there is a nut between the liquid and suction line. Removing the nut allows the valve to come out? I thought perhaps the water tray that funnels rain water away may come out to gain easier access but wasnt sure. I assume there are orings at the TXV connections and I'm tempted to order a new TXV considering the amount of work it will be to get it out and replace the orings.

I've tried searching through the threads but havent come up with anything on the hoses. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks