Nothing gets your eczema to flair up quite like a little R134a

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

Friday I had my buddy help re-charge the AC in the Subaru. We did this same thing last year but it leaked out over the winter. I had to re-use an O-ring on the low pressure side when I replaced the compressor as only 1 new one was included in the box. I figured either re-using an old O-ring, or an improper thickness on the new O-ring caused the refrigerant to leak out over the winter. Feel free to leave your thoughts if you've experienced otherwise.

But I figured two new Subaru sourced O-rings could solve the problem. So I found the part numbers and got myself some new O's.

Took the car over to the same friend with some beers in hand (both as a gift and consumption purposes) and we fired up the vacuum pump to give it another try. New rings, refrigerant lines properly torqued, and -30 lbs vacuum and we're ready to get going.

Now he bought this AC kit in 2017. It comes with two pressure gauges on a manifold, a refrigerant can tapper, 4 valves, and two very nice couplings. Looks very much like this:

So back to the 2017 part, do you know what happened in 2018 besides the release of the Alfa Romeo Giulia? Refrigerant cans sold in the US went from a one-time-use piercing style can, to a self sealing valve.

So if someone were to buy a kit in 2017, it would be fitted with a pick. Which makes it mostly useless for the new spring style can.

Back to the Subaru. If two fellas working on a car at 2230 at night were presented with this kind of problem, how would you solve it?

Did you say go full send and jam a welding rod into the valve to destroy the mechanism and allow refrigerant to leak out, then quickly try and thread the can onto the incorrect valve so the refrigerant can properly "leak" and recharge the AC system? Good, cause that's what we did. I'd rate the whole night a C-. I got the correct answer, but all the work I had to show for it was all wrong.

During the full send process, refrigerant and the accompanying lubricant got all over my hands. I have mild eczema on my hands, and while its been the best its been in a decade, I woke up Sat morning and they were basically on fire. Do not recommend.

[HFV_Junkyardin]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle I've got eczema too. I feel your pain. I had one summer where something was bothering my hands, and the skin on my fingers would basically constantly crack and shed.
Never figure out what was causing it, but it did get better.
My skin is overall healthier since I moved to NC. Winter was always hard.

[theturbomrt]

I also found that out about the cans
My solution was to get a new hose thingy

You way sounds much more lively and more likely to give cold burns on your hands

[Boxer_4]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle The Schrader valves can also start to leak over time. No personal experience working on AC, but I’ve seen it come up on YouTube car repair channels (South Main Auto, Rainman Ray’s Repairs)

[theturbomrt]

@Boxer_4 said in Nothing gets your eczema to flair up quite like a little R134a:

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle The Schrader valves can also start to leak over time. No personal experience working on AC, but I’ve seen it come up on YouTube car repair channels (South Main Auto, Rainman Ray’s Repairs)

Yeah I've had to replace a few of those, gotta be quick! or it's gotta be empty from a bad schrader valve

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

@theturbomrt Yeah the hosey thingy is in the mail. I'm getting it for him as an act of gratitude.

[ash78]

FLAIR

I came here to post an Office Space gif, only to be greeted with an Office Space gif.

This is weird. So I'm only gonna do the bare minimum, not like Brian over there.

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

@HFV_Junkyardin Yeah the winter, particularly the beginning, is the worst. Like I said though, the past year I've finally got a good routine. Hopefully R134a isn't part of the routine...

[trivet]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle said in Nothing gets your eczema to flair up quite like a little R134a:

I have mild eczema on my hands, and while its been the best its been in a decade, I woke up Sat morning and they were basically on fire. Do not recommend.

I have the same issue

These have been a life saver when I'm working on almost ANYTHING.

Saves so much time cleaning up too.

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

@trivet Oh I have em. Normally the work is pretty clean. But as soon as one of us uttered "full send" I should have gotten them.

[notsomethingstructural]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle that’s weird, I bought manifolds in probably 2018 and it came with an adapter knowing the change was imminent. So it could do either.

[ttyymmnn]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle

Cortisone is your friend. I use a Rx ointment called Clobetasol and it's fantastic.

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

@ttyymmnn Ive found this Good Goo that really does me well. I've certainly used Cortisone before but havent heard of Clobetasol before.

[Urambo Tauro]

@UpCreekwithShitPaddle said in Nothing gets your eczema to flair up quite like a little R134a:

But I figured two new Subaru sourced O-rings could solve the problem. So I found the part numbers and got myself some new O's.

You mean 'ose?

[RacinBob]

It was probably some frostbite too. Liquid R-134a boils at minus 15f.....

That's the reason I get the heebee geebee's when working with charging systems. Imagine what it does to your eye's?

[UpCreekwithShitPaddle]

@Urambo-Tauro The 4th 'ose one got me. That whole skit reminds me of standing around a rally and listening to Irish guys talk about racing, trying to pick up a word here and there to keep up with what they're talking about.