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4.5
First try to avoid self sealing r134a cans though i'm sure soon you won't be able to. I ordered FJC 6030 Can Tap but local auto store only had self sealing cans, which luckily they clued me in on.https://www.sbcmag.info/news/2018/oct/epa-considers-limiting-obama-era-hfc-rule--5) Extended the sales restriction to HFCs and other non-exempt substitutes, with the exception of small cans (containing 2 pounds or less) of non-exempt substitutes (e.g., primarily HFC-134a) for motor vehicle air conditioner servicing. These small cans can continue to be sold without technician certification so long as the small cans have a self-sealing valve to reduce refrigerant releases.--Right lolpump worked wonderfully, nothing magic about the pump give it time. Hoses seem ok quality, like the other reviewer stated zero the gauges. One thing that tripped me up, don't over tighten like other mentioned, it will cut off the flow. To make sure you're Schrader valves are working and that you didn't over tighten like i did when pulling a vacuum open the high side first, you should immediately see the low side pressure dropping, if it goes immediately to vacuum then you have over tightened your hose or maybe have a value issue because your vac is on the hose not the system. After ensuring that open the low side too.. I was wondering why my gauge pressures were acting funky and that i couldn't get it to take any freon.This is one of those tools i'd certainly look for quality even used if i was going to be using it more than a few times, lots of guessing with cheap stuff instead of knowing it's just your fault, but this will work for awhile. I was in a rush to get this done but think i'll look for a yellowjacket set if i have other projects coming up.The pump appears to be single-stage but did manage to pull between a 27-28" vacuum on the system within half an hour. I let it run for over an hour and it hardly got warm, certainly not hot.The gauge set did a fine job, but was not ready to use out of the box because most of the fittings into the block were just barely finger-tight and would not have allowed the O-rings to seal. Even the hook that you use to hang the gauges was backed out 1/8". I had to snug the automotive quick-connect fittings with a wrench and a pair of channel locks because they were so loose I could take them apart with my fingers. This is my first gauge set, so maybe this is just how these are shipped, but it seemed cheesy. The quick connects do not have knobs on them but instead open the car's fittings immediately on connection. The low-side gauge was not zeroed but was easy to adjust. The gauges have smooth motion.Overall, I'm happy with the value and am glad I decided to buy these tools.If you are thinking about charging your own AC, here are some observations that may help:1. You'll need a R-134A can tap to hook the gauge set to the refrigerant can. Add that to the order. Be sure to purge the charging hose after you open the can. To purge the hose, loosen the fitting at the gauge set for half a second or so so the air can blow out, then tighten it.2. Small refrigerant cans are generally 12 ounces, and cars seem to be designed for 18 ounces or so (listed on a sticker under the hood). If your system does not take an even multiple of 12 ounces, you will need to weigh a partial can. A cheap kitchen scale will work fine for that.3. Unlike the 30-pound bottles, the 12-ounce cans quickly get cold and stop feeding refrigerant. To discharge a full can, put it in a pan of lukewarm water and slosh the water around if the can stops feeding. For a partial can, put it on the scale, tape the charging hose to somewhere on the car for support, and set the scale's zero-adjust to the number of ounces you need. If the can starts to sweat and the scale stops moving, the can is too cold and you can use a hairdryer on the low-heat setting to continuously apply heat to maintain flow. Don't turn the can upside-down, because dumping liquid into the compressor will damage it.4. Open the low-side port only during charging.5. I found the EPA section 609 certification worthwhile (epatest-dot-com).6. Be sure to zero out your low pressure gauge using the adjustment screw on the face before you connect it to the system.7. If your system's leaky and has been at atmospheric pressure for a while, the desiccant in the dryer is probably used up, so it wouldn't hurt to replace the filter/dryer (or receiver/dryer depending on your system's design) before charging it.I needed to refill my R134a after replacing a few of the A/C components on my Jeep. I have never done it before, so I learned I needed a pump like this with gauges to do it properly. After researching and shopping around I found this one which was $100 for the pump and a decent looking set of gauges with hoses and quick disconnects. I normally only buy items shipped from the Amazon warehouse because Prime is fast, but this didn't have that option. I was pleasantly surprised that the seller shipped it quickly and used Fedex which got to me within 3 days of ordering.The product looked very nice with the one exception of it being coated in oil. The description states it doesn't come pre-filled, but apparently that is not true. I had to spend time cleaning it up to get all that oil off of it. On the plus side, they did provide a separate container of oil. Everything went together well and I was able to pull a vacuum and hold it for an hour (pump off) for the initial vacuum test. After my system passed that test, I ran the pump for another hour to get any condensation out of the system and it worked great. I can't speak to repeated use or longevity since I only used it once, but I was pleased with it and would recommend it to other DIY type people.Very good products, well made, nice features but the packaging was horrible. The pump has been shipped full of oil and it was a real mess when i got it.saved me hundreds for car ac repairWorks like it should, instructions are good and not an auto translate program.Great product just as described, thanks. Fast delivery.Great little outfit works well
