RE: Direct Freon replacement?

[rwoods@triad1.com (Ron Woods)]

Actually, I just visited Pennzoil's Web site and they have a replacement product
they claim to have the same properties as r-12, they are calling their product
FR-12, and it is EPA approved and works in existing systems. Connectors are the
only thing that need to be changed. Looked very intriguing to say the least....
Anyone tried this yet? I'm gonna contact Pennzoil and ask a few questions..... 
 
Ron 
86 4KCSQ 
 
-----Original Message----- 
From: JDEAN@CSTONE.NET  
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 1997 8:24 PM 
To: RON WOODS 
Subject: Re: Direct Freon replacement? 
 
>Hey all, 
>I read in European Car about 8 months ago about a new "direct replacement" 
>for Freon.  They only thing you need to buy is an adapter for recharging. 
> ANyone else hear of this or has anyone USED it?????   
 
It's a real bad idea, in my opinion, to use any of the so-called 
'drop-in' replacements for R-12 Freon.  They have some very unusual 
characteristics, which no mechanic can be expected to know.  For one 
thing they contain butane, which is not explosive in the mixture if it 
is used correctly but which can become explosive in a system that is 
serviced by people who don't know the unusual properties of these 
oddball chemical mixtures. 
 
The easiest answer to the Freon problem is simply to upgrade to R-134a, 
which is now the standard Freon product.  The retrofit is not difficult 
or expensive, and might even be cheaper than charging with R-12 at 
today's prices.  Most of the retrofit problems that were foreseen 
early-on have not materialized, and the few real problems have been 
solved.  Scare stories about repairing older A/C systems are mostly 
paranoia.  The only scary part is the prospect of people using incorrect 
or unusual products in the system. 
 
John Dean 
Charlottesville Virginia USA