Converting vehicle A/C from R134A to propane?

[oil pan 4]

If I remember correctly 152 is "computer duster".
It's been around for a long time and there's no patient on it, and it's cheap.

What's it need for lube?
Ester based or mineral oil base?

I use it as part of a mix to fill trailer tires.

[jeff5may]

As far as compatibility goes, propane and butane don't care. They work with natural and synthetic lubricant just fine. R152a is very similar to r134a, so it likes synthetic oil better than natural, just like r134a.

[elhigh]

I know I'm weighing in a little late on this, but have you determined the location of the leak? If it's your hoses you may just need new O-rings. Cheap fix, quick, recharge the refrigerant and be done for years instead of months.

[ham789]

As it was explained to me...
The R134A molecule is VERY MUCH SMALLER than the molecule
for R12. It leaks out thru the hoses because they are too porous
to contain it. That's why you can't just put R134A in a system
not designed for it. Maybe you can replace all the flexible hoses...dunno.

Compare the cost of just adding more at intervals to your other
options. May not be such a bad idea to keep what you've got.

[WyrTwister]

I have read that old hoses used on R12 have absorbed enough oil or something , to make them less porous . Enough to work OK .

Wyr
God bless

[Themitchells04]

I have successfully used propane in a r12 car system. I tried to put propane in a 134 a system never got the compressor to kick on May have had other problems with the system but I gave up and never tried again. Would also be interested to see if anyone else had luck With propane .

[dc€x]

One labstudy on r134 "drop-ins" also available from Spain.

https://www.researchgate.net/publica...a_alternatives

The indicated pressures (MPa) in the test are probably misleading (bar OK?).

However ,its obvious r290 and r152a superior to r134a and ... to newcomer r1234yf, which is (of utmost peculiar reasons) chosen as the winner refrigerant over r134a in the new car segment.

Earlier for ex. VW-was stronly against r1234yf but today the very same refrigerant is
as a default in their new vehicles ... odd!

https://refrigeranthq.com/germany-au...gainst-1234yf/

[Vikijoj]

]

There are not enough information about your question , and there are many miss information out there because r290 is flammable and industry doesn't like to use it in cars . And also it is not legal in many places to use R290 or R600a in cars . Also it is illegal for neutral person in many places to buy r134a gas . And that attract them to use Potentially explosive gases . So if you want to experiment Try on your own risk .
To do such conversation the best mixture would be 10% r600a and 90% r290a or , 10% r600a 40% r290 and 40% r134a . Of course first mixture has better performance . Second mixture reduce The flammability.
As a compatibility , There is 2 issues ,first is compressor oil , which needs to be thickened , for example pag oil 46 should be replaced by pag 100 . To provide correct lubrication ( on this on There is good research , you may find it ) . The second is refill volume , which should be 40% of r134a . For example if your system requires 500 gram of r134a refrigerant , you shouldn't fill it more than 200 gram of r290 .
The procedure of refilling should include complete vacuum of system , hoses and gauges . Since it is legal to release R290 or r600a into atmosphere in many countries , prefilling of system with r600a and vacuum it and then complete refilling with mixture of R600a and r290 to ensure zero presence of Oxygen in the system .
All and all r290a is explosive and is used in many house appliances like fridges and indor air conditioners , with possibility of leaking in closed spaces and creat big enough devastating explosions. But we do not hear such stories everyday . Maybe when car industry move toward r290a , law would move toward legalisation too .
As a comparison r290 is superior compaire to R134a performance , reducing electricity or fuel consumption , compatible with all oils , ozon friendly (actually one of the lowest ozone depletion potential refrigerants) . But again , explosive property of it makes it more deficult to use and service . Specialty in cars which condenser is located where the most of the car crash damage and potential fuel burn is .