CRUISE AIR GAS CHANGE

[Coloradobus]

We Are looking at a bus with OTR and Cruise Airs. The gas in each is R-12. Anyone with Cruise Airs changed out the R12 for R134? I understand its expensive to change out the gas in the OTR.....10 grand???

May have a fellow Pogger check this out for us when we decide in the next couple of days.

Anyone recently change out their engine radiator?? If one is needed?? $$$$$ ??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PREVO...=p4506.c0.m245

[merle&louise]

Jim,

In 2002, I changed out the engine radiator in my '93. $4,000!

$2,300 for the radiator and $1,700 labor.

[Sid Tuls]

Jim,what a great looking bus!! The owners must of taken great pride in taking care of it!!

[Pete]

Jim, that is a great looking coach....I like the floor plan. Are you sure the cruise airs have R-12? I thought they are R-22..shows what I know.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jim, Chris,

I suspect the OTR is R-12, but all the Cruise Airs I have know to be R-22.

The OTR uses about 22 to 24 pounds of R-12. With a good flush and oil compatible with 134a the system will work, but there are some caveats. The expansion valve should be changed (isn't vital, but helps) and the entire system pressure checked. R-134a operates at higher pressures and as such even minute leaks are a problem with 134a. There is about a 15% loss of efficiency with 134a.

Personally, if the system has lost pressure, I would get a new dryer installed, check and find and repair leaks (likely a seal behind the clutch a two hour job) and then have it recharged with R-12. At $30 per pound plus a day of labor for all of the above it should be good for 15 years

I had a radiator recored on my old coach and I cannot remember what it cost. It was about 4 hours to remove and replace. I think most 8V92 coaches have issues with the radiator if the coolant is not maintained as required. If you do need that done it is a good time to switch to extended life coolant.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Jim, if you are successful with your purchase and want to keep the R12 system, I have a canister about 95% full. I could bring it to OKC and we can haggle over the price there.

I recommend you keep it in R12, regardless of where you obtain it!

Didn't Ray make this change and have a lot of trouble????????, not sure!

JIM

[Ray Davis]

Didn't Ray make this change and have a lot of trouble????????, not sure!

No. What I believe was the final cause of my trouble was that Prevost did not pay attention to the hard-to-read placard on my coach which indicated the coolant had been changed from R-12 to something else.

When I had the system re-charged, they put in R-12, because that's what goes in older buses. The whole system locked up in about 5 hours of use. IT took many tries cleaning out the whole system, replacing the compressor three times to get things working again.

At somewhere between 15-20 pounds of R-12 each time they replaced stuff, it got to be thousands of $$ in a hurry.

Ray

[tdelorme]

I decided to keep our OTR R12, and am glad I did. I have never had a problem getting R12 and always keep an extra 30# tank at the bus barn. The Cruisairs will be R22 not R12.
Great looking coach, go get her.
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/eBay-Mot...&_udlo=&_rdc=1

[truk4u]

Jim C,

If the CO boy's don't need the R-12, yours truly could use it and I'll be glad to pay. My dash A/C has been working great, but I can never have enough R-12 just in case.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I'll bring it along then,

JIM