---- John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
>  From memory (and that's pretty shakey these days - more senior moments
> than I like to admit) - R12 can still be used in the system legally
> because of the age of the vehicle. But R12 is really expensive, and
> because of that high cost - most opt to go to the R134a. R134a is pretty
> cheap and can be bought at Walmart or other stores. And - you can
> install it yourself. However - to use R134a, you must install a R134a
> hardware conversion kit - available from most FLAPS. Though some say
> there is no problem with the R134a in these old systems, it is good to
> know that the R134a runs at a much higher head pressure than the old R12
> for which the Vanagon systems were designed, and that seems to be the
> crux of any issues when using R134a in lieu of R12. That given - the
> rules do allow for a conversion to R134a, and after the conversion is
> made, you can then install Freeze 12 - a refrigerant that approximates
> the performance of R12. It runs at much lower head pressures than R134a,
> thereby taking the strain off of old systems. and older compressors.
> The conversion to R134a rule doesn't  require you to actually install
> R134a, so you can just install the hardware conversion kit, then install
> the Freeze 12. But to run Freeze 12 you absolutely must comply with the
> R134a hardware conversion to be legal.
>
>  From memory.
>
> Hmmm. Where did I put my glasses..............
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
>
So, for those who do air conditioning work themselves, what do you do with old refrigerant?  How do you go about collecting it?  This article is interesting in that regard:  http://www.aa1car.com/library/us397.htm  .
David McNeely