Will The ABANDONED Cadillac's 51 year old AC System WORK Again?

For reasons unknown to myself, we're going to try repair and refill this 1970 Cadillacs Air Conditioning system. It was originally a r112 system, and is now a r134. Think it will actually work and blow cold?
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[@hankgs]

"...kids, country-western songs and Yoga pants..." That gave me a good laugh!!! Thanks brother!

[@truetierra]

I had to run out and tell the missus this one. Far out what a classic line!

[@yeldog11]

Made me spit my coffee out...went up my nose.

[@shabadoo24]

Things that don't lie

[@MicroSoftner]

lol

[@mattm6064]

Best part of the vid for sure

[@HornetKingOfficial]

I bet a guy could tickle the video scrollerlator to skip to the end of the video, nope, probably not. I'll do the right thing and watch the whole video RIGHT now!

[@dewworm1666]

Rotflmao

[@super_steven_1776]

Didnt expect to see you here

[@kiefersgarage6262]

Can a guy get an amen?

[@John-nv3im]

@@super_steven_1776 Lol same! Two youtubers I watch 😂

[@eddeleon4108]

Need to connect the wire on the switch....the one the cheese eater nibbled on

[@CherylCold]

"3 things in life that don't lie, kids, Country and Western music and Yoga pants". The best line ever!

[@LAactor]

I posted #4 above🤣

[@JB-qg2ki]

🤣🤣🤣

[@denniseldridge2936]

Heck, that's a great Country and Western song (both kinds!) in itself, just waiting to be written...

[@davidtharp7767]

Yoga Pants on an Insecure Man might have a Sweet Potato Stuffed in the Front. & That would be a Lie !!

[@chucklindenberg1093]

You disconnected the vacuum lines that allow the ac controllator to work, in an earlier episode and capped them with blue, yellow? vacuum caps.

[@twilkinson960]

You've spent more time with your boys in three videos than my Dad spent with my brother and I the whole time we were growing up. Big thumbs up.. Keep on keeping on and one day you'll look around and see two great young men. OOps, meant to say three.

[@kenbrown9094]

I can relate to your dad comment, fortunately my mates dad taught me a few things about cars for which I am forever grateful.

[@krackpack1]

I still call my dad any time I'm trying to fix something new or build something new. I'm sorry you guys didn't have that. I wish I could of shared my dad with your guys.

[@canuckgarage]

Same. I loved my Dad. I really did (still do even though he's gone). I vividly remember all the times he was around to as a boy. His job kept him away from us and as an adult I know it must have been killing him inside. After he retired at 60 (made possible from that job that kept him away) I saw more of him than I ever had as a child. Better late than never. I think he was trying to make up for the lost time. Never got to tell him I appreciated that. Lung and brain cancer (FROM SMOKING!) took him away before I had the chance. He'd have seen his Great Great Grandchild like his father did. TL:DR Spent as much time and involve your kids with you when they are young. Trust me they will appreciate it later.

[@stacyedwards6050]

My son loves watching you, my son is 20yrs and he works on cars with his grandpa(my dad) every weekend, they have so much fun!!!

[@ViceGripGarage]

Awesome

[@gr8fulpn]

Love how my boys come to ask me how to do something on their cars. Well ya see if you had paid attention when I tried showin’ ya … but at least they listen now LOL

[@kerrylewis2581]

Those are memories your son will cherish now and for the rest of his life. How do I know this? I'm 61 and still think about wrenching with my grandfather to this day.

[@unclerick8224]

I am blessed to have had a Dad like Derick in that he had me help him with his at home automotive repair business. A guy learned a lot from his dearly departed Dad. (RIP)

[@badboybubby7794]

Any water vapour in the AC system (and yeah it's there) will react with the R134a and create hydroflouric acid, which will eat the lines, evaporator, condenser and the pump housing. That's why you vacuum it down first

[@darkdelta]

I was wondering why no vacuum pull also.

[@mikeh5952]

Should replace the drier also.

[@MikeSmith-ch7jv]

so glad this has been mentioned pull a vacuum please!

[@km-zu6qm]

Well I for one, did not. And it's still blowing ice cold after 12 years. No recharges. Sometimes you just have to dance with the devil 😎

[@mikeh5952]

@@km-zu6qm it will still work. I did it as a kid with an old Chevy Citation and the air did work. It's just not proper practice to charge an a/c system without evacuating it first. Sometimes they just won't work as well at idle because you have a system full of air that you have added refrigerant to and it can't operate as efficiently because the air that is in it is taking up room where refrigerant could be instead. I love fixing air conditioning. I even got an older recover/recycle/evacuate/charge machine. Haven't had to use the R-12 part of the machine lol.

[@Timberland1963]

The video of the revival of this car was the first VGG video I watched and at that point I was hooked.

[@dooley9621]

I've noticed your little bloke has taken a big interest in helping Dad in the workshop. Hope your paying him well lol. Keep up the hard work little man.

[@MindBlowerWTF]

he will get his own truck... or two... or three.

[@dooley9621]

@@MindBlowerWTF haha I have no doubt of that. Hopefully he keeps the farm and the old utes of your grandfather's going when it's his turn.

[@LAactor]

I forget which one is which but one is getting Lawsuit and I forget which is going to who now but I think they're gonna be well taken care of. And at the same time taught nothing is given all is earned.

[@michaeldangelo3525]

Vacuum leak or bad diaphragm on the diverter vent ! Awesomely to see your family work with you! The family that wrenches together stays together 👍

[@cocacola3452]

I agree with diaphragm vacuum issue.. Also, if you have a hard time reading something, use your phone to take a picture of the label, then zoom the photo in.

[@ernst_junger]

That’s exactly what I was about to comment. Vacuum leak or bad diaphragm

[@colinklang]

@@cocacola3452 I do the same thing. The ol eagles eyes aren't what they used to be

[@BatGS]

Ur probably correct. I would have 2 listen 2 it. If 1 hears vaccuum and no leaks the door may B jammed. Could B the critters. "Probably not". Just "do the right thing" and use cardboard 2 divert the airflow. Grab dome dryer hose 4 the rear seat area. On another note: My '70 ragtop blew ice crystals on the OEM system (R12) Long B4 R134a was thought of. Back in the 70s -90s when I had it. The old Frigidaire System was a real "ice cube" maker. I can never get R134a 2 get below 36°. My R12 wouldn't run on cold. At med high temp it would blow ice crystals all day. This was in the desert. Top that R134a. Ahhh the good old days when society cared about what they did. That is Y our Caddys ran 50years later. This new junk is designed 2 B in the shop inside a year and expired life of 5-7yrs so U will buy more new junk. Also if U hit or something hits U hard the new vehicle is TL. My was Caddy was driven thru a garage wall (not by me) and it just scratched the front of the hood a little. 2day U fart and melt paint.

[@billybassman21]

@@BatGS I knew someone that had a Z28 from the 80s and it would get in the upper 40s inside the cab on max. R12 worked better on hot days when sitting idle. I remember doing drivers ed back in 94. They had brand new Buick's that used the "new" 134a refrigerant. The AC worked so bad when idle that we ended up rolling the windows down. They got much better over time by making the coils bigger and fine tuning the metering device, but they still struggle on hot days in traffic.

[@Dave-nl6vo]

Set of gauges and a vacuum would've went a long way. Love this guy though.

[@castirondude]

yup, get a vacuum pump , gauges and a Yellowjacket leak detector. The leak detectors find amazingly small leaks, takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.

[@BobWiersema]

And the correct amount of 134. When switching from 12 to 134 the volume is about 80% of the R12 charge. Simple formula: (R12 Charge Specification x 0.9) - 0.25 lbs. = R134a Charge Level. (4 lbs. x 0.9) - 0.25 lbs. = 3.35 lbs.

[@davidwoermansr]

The walmart cheap stuff works fine I've never had a problem with any of mine

[@Ray96744]

A guy was having a tough day, week year even but then the new episode of vice grip garage came up and this guy feels a whole lot better. Love your videos awesome family this is what America is all about.

[@robertolerota4234]

Holy shit, it's been a big year for vgg. I subbed at like 100k. All of a sudden almost a million! Right on buddy!

[@ViceGripGarage]

👊

[@warrenmichael918]

I wish youtube would show us when we subbed to each channel, maybe it does but i dont know how to see it . lol

[@MrPaige222]

He's grown like a weed because it's hard to find a funny, smart, and genuine person on KZbin. Everyone is sharing his channel and it's probably going to be over 5m within a year.

[@hawkdsl]

I subbed 3 years ago... It was just me a a fella named Fred Licktenstiger back then...

[@tubehound69]

I found this channel while wasting time on KZbin during the early parts of covid.

[@2kode692]

could honestly watch these videos literally all day long.

[@koolaid6152]

...nope... probably not...

[@TheDubster.]

Can confirm

[@daveswinfield]

Oh ya...a guy has been known to do that...

[@MegaEaglelover]

A Fella has spent a couple days doin just that… went on marathon type trip… an boy was it fun

[@klc3478]

Me too! That’s why he’s got almost 900 thousand subscribers.

[@FloridaMan0561]

This man makes awesome content and he deserves every like he gets! Thanks for the years of great videos man!

[@Stretch-1982]

I love seeing you all work together as a family! You are a good man Derek!

[@chrisambler1357]

GM has been using vacuum to change the modes of the AC for ages. I know, checking all the vacuum lines will be near impossible, but that's where I would start. Good luck!

[@earlhollar1906]

It's not too bad you just start with the blend door canister if it's got vacuum there , the diaphragm is defective. If no vacuum at that line ,see if there is vacuum to the slider switch. If not, start at the beginning where the rubber hoses will get hot and cracking and you lose your vacuum right at the intake manifold, and then work your way outward yeah, outwards, outward yeah! LOL

[@mcy1122]

My family had a 68 Eldorado. Lots of systems worked on vacuum, including the doors that routed air. Lots of leaks develop over time - even without the help of mice! Thanks for the great content!

[@MicroSoftner]

99 chevy blazer was a dry rotted vacuum line, fixed four wheel drive and vent control....

[@ImTheJoker4u]

Worst case the blend door is jammed/broken, and the heater box has to come out, which means tearing the entire dash apart😬

[@jasonrose3620]

Most of the time the the vacuum line from the intake gets dry rotten and leaks. Sometimes it is unplugged or someone hooked it wrong and it is pulling when it should push or vise versa.

[@creekdweller9662]

Derrick, your son will grow up knowing how to do a few things in the garage. My father and I shared some of the best times under the hood of a car. He has been gone 40 years now, and hardly a day passes without me thinking of those good times.

[@armedinbama]

Very lucky man to have those memories. Hope you created some new ones with a young-un. CHEERS! 🇺🇸

[@paulday6875]

I just lost mine a week ago. Same types of memories building junkers. If you want a good listen to bring back those precious moments, try "daddy's cup" by drive by truckers. Listened to it in the funeral procession and really brought the memory back.

[@jimmevis5286]

Derek, I have a 69. The vent control is controlled by vacuum. Look under the dash by the fuse box, there are two vacuum lines there. Also, just to the right of the fan relay there is another vac line going to the canister to control the vents.

[@robgm6926]

Drove my 1995 Oldsmobile for years with the vents not working properly and no cruise control. Then one day I was under the hood and found this little spongy vacuum line. Replaced it and boom! Got cruise control and working vents! Now if I can just get the blower motor the cooling fan the electric seats and the electric locks to work, it'll be perfect! And the electric trunk release! They didn't go away all at the same time. They just kind of faded away slowly one at a time.

[@ayryz1]

Great video! I love the updates on this car! Now for the A/C... The doodad near the top of the firewall with the vacuum hoses attached that looks sorta like a power window motor but flatter. These controle the vacuum for the position of the air outlets. They can get stuck, especially after setting so long. DO NOT use lubricant inside! This will destroy the seals and render it totally useless. You can use distilled water as a temporary lubricant inside the vacuum circuit housing but only if absolutely necessary. You mentioned you thought you heard a leak, it could have been a vacuum hose . Check all the vacuum hoses attached to the control unit, they can break easily under all that heat and from time. I hope this gives a little help. I always love watching what you get up to and learning with you !

[@XH1927]

I used to frequent a forum for the old Honda VTR250 Interceptor and a member there discovered that oil of wintergreen was great at reconditioning old carburetor boots that had gone stiff. Might work here.

[@michaelbaka4777]

Had a '70 Caddy with this same issue. It was a split vacuum hose all right, but at the control switch. Replaced it and worked GREAT afterward!!!!

[@K9EMT]

If'n a guy was a little more timely he could have bleep blooped his comment in here before now, but a guy's just going to go ahead and agree with this one right here. Check those firewall vacuum hoses. I have a 1990 Isuzu Trooper that had the exact same problem. Couldn't switch to defrost because the hose was cracked and disconnected

[@stephensaasen8589]

I kinda guessed if the duct controls weren't operated with cables it would most likely be vacuum operated. Chrysler liked to use vacuum on most all of their makes into the 1990's. The wife had a 1992 Plymouth Acclaim. A rabbit (yes, a rabbit!) chewed the main vacuum line for HVAC one time and all I could get was defrost. For your Caddy, 1970 was a few years before they thought to use electronical digical controls.

[@KoJo-qh9od]

Kudos to Bentley, he is one hard working young man with a great future ahead.

[@rionsummers5939]

Love this car and the journey you are taking us on during the restoration. I’m learning a ton. Thanks Derek!

[@landiahillfarm6590]

"Kids, country western songs and yoga pants" - I blew coffee out my nose!

[@greavous93]

Id look for a crapped out vacuum hose that moves the flappers and routes the air from floor to vents and various combos.

[@stevepartridge75]

Yep. Most likely it's tore up along the firewall somewhere.

[@Randyluck1]

@@stevepartridge75 The mice might have been chewing but the GM vacuum balls are notorious failure points.

[@olddragondude4398]

Blend door is probly okay....nope. Probly got stuck with mouse juice.

[@jayjenkins4721]

My first thought was vacuum lines. My AC/Heat control unit took a crap on my 97 Jeep TJ so I bought a "new" (junkyard stock) unit and replaced it. There must have been 8 or 25 vacuum lines attached that control all of the different modes. First install and I didn't have the lines mated up quite enough and nothing worked. Reinstalled after cramming the mating point together as tight as I could and everything worked.

[@garycook2355]

could be a bad vacuum motor also.

[@jimrusso1988]

When a guy can’t get his peepers to read a label, a guy takes a picture of it with the old smart device and looks at it all blowed up.

[@XH1927]

It's truly amazing common cell phone cameras have gotten so hi-res that this actually works. You can even use the flash to throw stuff into relief and zoom into read old worn out stampings or coins.

[@mikehynes6632]

Was gonna say the same thing.

[@adrianbellamy5060]

Oor he could just ask his wife to read it you know what there like are you blind its right there.

[@sociallyinept5430]

Show off

[@Gismo3333]

I do that to… What was the chance of that happening… Maybe 7589 out of 8000 times…

[@michaeljamison8254]

I really enjoy it when you share all the cool things you tried that worked out, like that cleaning spray. Very fun.

[@mattmonteith2175]

I love how he laughs at himself. He's a very funny preson I never met him hope to one day. I call him my friend

[@HeyItsCoates]

Bentley is becoming quite a fixture on the channel, hell yeah little brother!

[@timwoods603]

I love how Jessica laughs in the back ground at Derek lol

[@braydeny]

I love everything she does

[@MrChassmith]

Make a woman laugh every day and she's yours for life...

[@datasailor8132]

Didn’t another Jessica say: “He makes me laugh.”

[@walter2990]

Hello, I'm Walter..., ViceGrip Garage addict. 2:15am & I'm still watching old VVG vidgioes.

[@codemonkey2k5]

Far as I know, GM uses vacuum to change which vents the air comes out of. But before you go blowing the ice cubes all around, you probably want to pull the mice nests and such out of the vent lines. ;) The lever that the vacuum moves to change the vent configuration should be visible if you look up under the dash.

[@UToobSteak]

Came here to say the same. A LOT of those little vacuum lines were plastic and crumble over the years. A guy's seen it 1567 times.

[@tomdixon1213]

I love that ya got Bentley and Jessica involved in this project…i would love to see you and the family get dressed up and go for a classic American cruise in this massive machine.

[@joshuacullins3152]

Thank god. My Saturday night just got better. Vice grip garage is the best thing on KZbin.

[@dallasguy3306]

That and Post 10.

[@onemilemore541]

Love your work, Derek! As for the direction of the ice cubes. My brother drove a 79 Firebird for years with the breeze coming from either the floor or the vents. Don't remember which now... The day I bought the car from him, I found a small plastic vacuum line under the hood was disconnected. Found the spot where it seemed it should plug in (vacuum) and voila! Breeze directional changes!

[@andrewsutton7727]

Great video, when shops were converting systems years ago, they used to recommend changing just about everything in the system before changing the service adapters and charging it with R134A. Now I'm seeing the bare minimum being done and having a working system! Nice work! Definitely a vacuum issue, however, usually defaults to defrost vents.

[@davidwoermansr]

The blend door is probably stuck in the last place it was used

[@terrallputnam7979]

Jessica is a good sport helping you work on these old beauties. Great family Derek. You are blessed!

[@BatGS]

Blessed in so many ways. 1 can only B so lucky.

[@mrjamesbonney]

The wifes giggles during strength comments, PRICELESS!

[@neutrodyne]

I love the videos that Vise grip garage puts out. I Converted my old AMC car I had from R12 to R134 back in day when they were going from R12 to 134. What I had to do was to also add a special oil along with the new 134 so that the 134 would not destroy the system. As I remember the old oil used in the R12 systems was not compatable with the the new R134 so you had to add the new oil with additives. I never had any problems with it after that. I also vacuumed the system out first.

[@j.ozborne5374]

Really cool seeing them little fellers being such a big help! Thanks for the awesome videos.

[@ryanjennings4329]

The ac vents are vacuum operated. There’s probably a dried up and cracked line somewhere

[@mdkzztop]

That's what i was gonna say.

[@faircompetition1203]

Yep , but they fail to defrost for safety reasons . Probably a seized damper and weak / leaking vacuum .

[@66underconstruction36]

Yup

[@jackolson8775]

I know you guys are correct, but isn't there a spring/counterweight under there too?

[@faircompetition1203]

@@jackolson8775 Yes , it is supposed to fail in the defrost position if the vacuum fails . Given that is the position the door should have seized in while parked then there is more going on here . It was either busted before being parked , the door moved to there on vacuum when he tried it and the spring won't return it or the mice chewed off the door .

[@eazzzye2003]

The "Three Things that Don't Lie" needs to make it onto a t-shirt. 🤣🤣🤣

[@scottyellis3442]

I've always said the three things were children, alcohol, & Spandex.

[@Martin.Wilson]

The floor vent issue is sometimes the servo-motor that controls the position of the deflector that directs air to the dash, defrost, floor, etc. Check that motor and also check to see if any debris is preventing the deflector from moving freely..

[@briankinnear7461]

Some great progress. Nice to have the a/c working again. Will need it this summer I bet. Been a hot and sticky one recently up here in Ontario Canada. Be safe and stay well.

[@AtomicFallout757]

A guy has really been enjoying all the attention you've been giving this ol' boat lately! A beautiful car that deserves it! Keep up the amazing work guys!

[@ShadowsOnTheScreen]

Cmon Derrick, go all in and fix the rust and put a new vinyl top on it! Make it look awesome!

[@dannysunay4386]

Very educational Derek! One of the best instructional videos! All the best to you and your wonderful family!

[@oddfoxchassis786]

Just catching up, I appreciate the diagnostic tips with the volt meter, relay info. Keep it coming!

[@rodneypidcock6903]

I'd bet you're gonna have to replace some vacuum lines for the blend and mode doors under the dash, and maybe an actuator to get the air outta the dash vents.

[@joemoskowitz7427]

I had a 79 Coupe Deville for a long time, and I'm remembering vacuum lines being a real pain for a guy.

[@willis3721]

+1 definitely

[@richraff6086]

There is a vacuum canister under the hood somewhere. Check to see if there is vacuum to it and that it holds vacuum. They tend to rust through. Any vacuum hoses that have been chewed through by the little furry creatures will also cause your blend doors to not function, default position is floor vents. BTW, the bubbles passing under the sight glass indicates air in the system. This can be caused by low refrigerant level. In your case, it's probably due to you not drawing a vacuum in the system before charging. If it blows cold enough, no worries, but a vacuum pump draws not only the air out of the system but it evaporates the moisture.

[@chucklindenberg1093]

If a guy's brain case is operating with 21.6% efficiency there was some vacuum lines disconnected and capped with blue or yellow caps in an earlier episode, that probably might not be the problem.

[@carlashton9331]

I’ve had vacuum lines crumble apart in much newer rigs than this

[@OldChief27]

Glad to see you got the A/C back to the chillin’ mode. Here in the Sunshine State we use that A/C 355 days a year, the other 10 days of the year we don’t drive.

[@robertburns3014]

Dats da trufe! I've lived all over Florida and it's 1000 degrees just about all year long wherever you live in this State! It's home though, what are ya gonna do? ☀

[@neil6212]

Yep. My friends up North laughed like crazy when they heard I ordered a car with 4 speed and factory air!

[@whammond511]

@@robertburns3014 It’s not the temp. that keeps me out of FL; it’s the extraordinarily high humidity……..and the Gargantuan insects!! I’ll leave that to others!!

[@LynxStarAuto]

Yep I'm from Miami. Tell me about it.

[@Phonejag1]

Loved this informative video! These late sixties/early seventies Caddies have got about a million vacuum hoses right under the dash on the heater air door… your problem is there… and it’s a fairly simple fix if you can find the vacuum line that goes to the heater shutoff door…. The vacuum line is most likely ”off” or at worst.. cracked and broken. (Sometime just simply cutting off the end and putting it back on will fix it!) Good luck Derek! It should be a-blowin’ out of them air vents soon!

[@marcosmaisterra4477]

Derrick, this is one cool series, and not only because the AC works. But the fact that you are putting it back on the road in total makes it awesome

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

The old stuff is R12, you also have to add a POE/Ester oil additive to the mineral oil to make it compatible with R134A.

[@DishNetworkDealerNEO]

@Disk Horse this is an explanation as to the original Mineral Oil used with R12 chlorofluorocarbon based Refrigerant, PAG Oil used with R134A Propane based refrigerant. MINERAL OIL Up until the early 1990s, mineral oil was the lubricant of choice because it mixed easily and well with the R-12 (freon) refrigerant that was universally used at the time. When R-12 was phased out in 1994 due to its ozone-depleting properties, however, a new refrigerant oil was required which mixed well with the new ozone-friendlier R-134a which took its place. Summary: Mineral Oil is used on R-12 systems, primarily on cars built prior to 1995. PAG OIL Polyelkylene Glycol (PAG) oil is a synthetic oil used by OEMs in their R-134a systems. PAG oils are harsher than mineral oils, and may cause skin irritation and damage O-rings and seals. There are different viscosities of PAG oil being used by OEMs: PAG 46, which is the most popular; PAG 100, which is also common; and PAG 150, which is more rarely used. FJC offers PAG oils in all three viscosities, and also offers each PAG option with Extreme Cold or Fluorescent Dye additives. FJC also offers a “Universal PAG oil” which is a variable viscosity oil that can replace any of the other three. Summary: PAG Oil is used on R-134a systems from about 1995-2015. Check your manufacturer’s recommendation for proper type of oil as well as specific viscosity. POE/ESTER OIL Because mineral oil and PAG oil cannot be mixed, another A/C compressor oil was needed to bridge the gap for system conversions. The transitional solution was polyol ester oil (“ester” oil or POE). Ester oil is often called “retrofit oil” because it mixes with both R-12 and R-134a. Like PAG oil, Ester oil is a synthetic lubricant. Ester molecules are very stable and have excellent performance characteristics in both high and low temperature environments. Ester oil comes in only one viscosity so it does not include the viscosity numbers associated with PAG oils. FJC offers Ester oil with Extreme Cold and Fluorescent Dye additives. Since R-12 was phased out in 1994, vehicles newer than 1995 typically do not contain ester oil as the lubricant for the A/C system. Summary: POE Oil is used for retrofitting R-12 systems (pre-1995) to R-134a. R-1234yf OIL While R-134a has dominated the U.S. market for the past two decades, it too is beginning to be replaced by a new refrigerant. Although R-134a does not deplete the ozone layer, it has been shown to have a high global warming potential (GWP). For this reason, R-1234yf was developed and began to be phased into US vehicles in 2015. However, just as the discontinuation of R-12 necessitated the use of newer oils, the introduction of R-1234yf has also brought about the need for new specific R-1234yf A/C compressor oils. Summary: Refrigerant R-1234yf uses its own specific R-1234yf oil. The changing environmental regulations has put the onus on shop owners and technicians to be stocked with a wide array of A/C compressor oils, equipment and knowledge to accommodate whichever vehicle rolls into their shop.

[@kevinlimo696]

It had already been converted to 134

[@paulriggers1558]

@@DishNetworkDealerNEO 1234yf is rotting out the condensers in european cars at an alarming rate [2yrs for nissans] + it costs a fortune. our systems over here take an average 500g at a cost of £80 to the dealer, so its £130 ish to refill an average car [cost to customer] back street garages [shade tree garages?] are just refilling with pure LPG, should be interesting in a crash.... electric cars are using a refined 1234yf system, so u need 3 different AC machines in the workshop testing must be done with nitrogen, jailtime if you leak gas into the enviroment, but at its current price, you couldnt afford to waste it....

[@bonniejohnson1518]

@@paulriggers1558 actually all Freon is flammable because of the oil in it...R12a is an excellent replacement...the flammable fear thing is very small concern if any..i dont think they have one reported incident in Canada which uses R12a, which is a consumer product replacement in a can for R134a sold in all auto parts stores..R12a doesn't need to be put in an evacuated system, and moister in the system is not harmful like it is with R134a....also no adapters of any kind are needed when going from 134a to R12a.........willie

[@stapler314]

Love your vids man you inspired me to be a mechanic in the army. Living the dream HOOAH!

[@LS1sLegoGarage]

Thank you kind sir for your service!

[@kevinl.2291]

Thank you for your service 👍😎✌️

[@briansutton7764]

I imagine your work load just a a little bit lighter. Like sand Through The Hourglass, it should have been added to the transmissions and motors some where to the East. Stay safe out there, where ever you are.

[@MattExzy]

I was inspired to change on my own oil. Baby steps lol

[@stapler314]

@@briansutton7764 thanks, I'm still in the states since I'm in an MP unit but I'm doing my first transmission job and it's been tough but not too bad 👌

[@paramounttechnicalconsulti5219]

My favorite car ever was a 78 Sdean de Ville with a 425; big parts for small hands! Did an entire exhaust, front end, brakes, cooling system, springs, rebuilt a carb. Was planing for the front end and had all of the parts in the trunk and a ball joint seperated. Had allof the parts and the tools and replaced a ball joint on the road in 20 minutes. MY proudest moment ;-p

[@jefft2259]

This is by far one of the best channels on youtube for this genre and Derek is an awesome human being. Always looking forward to new episodes. That said, I would caution on the oversimplification of AC work, that is of course if you actually want it to be a sustaining repair that doesn't require dumping $30 worth of freon into the system every week. You either do it right or it wont work or last, there's no brute forcing it. Leaks need to be tracked down and component replacement procedures need to be performed with utmost attention to cleanliness and precision... unless, again you dont mind the fix lasting less than a few weeks or less. Fill procedures do require proper equipment but its really not that much of an investment ($30 for gauges, $40 for a pump and whatever you want to spend on freon, i bought the bulk 5 gallon tank but you can purchase an adapter if you want to purchase the smaller cans.) Lastly but most importantly, add the proper amount and correct types of lubricant to the system when replacing components, if you have a slow (manageable) leak that takes a few years to lose any significant amount of pressure then its good practice to add a can of freon that comes precharged with lubricant every once in a while. I love properly functioning AC systems in my vehicles, no matter how old they are. Use your system even during the off-season to keep the seals happy and parts moving around. Use it or lose it. Happy wrenching!

[@batemanclan2]

You need to pull a vacuum before you charge an a/c system to get all the moisture out. It will make it work much better.

[@RABBITMotorworks]

My mind was telling me the same but didn’t want to be that guy, from what I read as doing this right now too is air and moisture in the system makes an acid that will chew up the compressor leading to failure

[@batemanclan2]

@@RABBITMotorworks I've been doing refrigeration for 20 years and you're correct.

[@hotpuppy1]

@@RABBITMotorworks That and it's best to replace the dryer since system had no charge in it to start with. It'll be contaminated. Chances are whoever changed it to 134-a didn't bother to change out the hoses or anything else so it'll lose the charge after a bit. Hoses for 134 are lined and the compressor uses different oil than r-12. Old GM a/c's were complicated, used more gasoline to run them with that big A-6 compressor running all the time, but they were great.

[@StrongEnough78]

He also forgot to mention flushing the R12 mineral oil out, replacing the accumulator and adding PAG oil to the system before applying a vacuum and charging with R134a. Plus he kept calling it 112 instead of R12. This all worries me.

[@StrongEnough78]

Plus you only use 80% of the R12 charge with R134a.

[@dylindambrosio8353]

Well I'll be dipped! Derrick never fails to just hook a fellers peepers right in to another great vidjeo! Hats off to ya!

[@kiefersgarage6262]

Vidja!

[@wraithoftheirish]

Needs a tv show!

[@CurtisBlanchard]

@@wraithoftheirish nah then there'd be a director and things to ruin his personality!

[@kiefersgarage6262]

@@wraithoftheirish got one! Right here on youtube!!

[@samuelwhitman172]

I think youll make it work by any means necessary, im newer to your content and have thoroughly enjoyed you and what you do and now i have a strong urge to strand myself across the country with an old car and see what happens, thanks for that

[@danielmatas851]

Love this project, going to get a Cadillac again very soon!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for rekindling that!

[@DanKruty]

A feller thought for sure you were pluggin a sponsorship at 2:55 but nah you’re just doin the right thing and education us. 👌🏻

[@jeffreyevens2033]

AC does stand for "Artic Chill." Awesome job by the coolest guy. Maybe install a couple of those cold snack holders down on the floor. That would be nice!

[@josericardogs1435]

Really? I thought it was "Ayce Cubullage" !!!

[@williamwebb9094]

It brings me a lot of joy and happiness just watching your videos guy keep them coming thanks for the pick me up

[@markfargnoli6347]

I have a 70 Cadillac convertible for 30 years and have a bunch of parts. Glad to see you are keeping her alive

[@rickmalarky9878]

The Caddy continues to be amazing! Go figure. There's 3 things that don't lie, kids, country songs, and yoga pants. .I love it!

[@robroaring7175]

Ditto, mate. That line made me laugh so hard!

[@gben7084]

that reminded me of Tim Wilson's 100 things everyman should know.....it's on youtube

[@victoriadurham29]

You need a blend door actuator. It will be located under the dash somewhere, it diverts the air to the upper vents or the floor or the windshield.

[@The3chordwonder]

It could be a vacuum leak to the actuator as well, I've seen that happen before. Those vacuum hoses are like filet mignon to rats.

[@michaelcoonce6694]

No blend door on that baby it's all vacuum there is probably a bad hose under the hood

[@WizzRacing]

Them old cars never used electric actuators..They were all cables and rods...I bet the blend is stuck from trash in it...Then the rod popped off the control lever or broke..

[@victoriadurham29]

@AkshonClips see correction below, I’m trying now to figure out how the 1970 Cadillac worked. Do you know what the part is called?

[@victoriadurham29]

A vacuum pod?

[@brianproffitt7263]

I don’t blame you for showing this so much love, not much better than a good ole Cadillac. But imagine this thing with a Texas speed 427

[@sheldonharvey8306]

Great video series, so far. Please tell me you have removed and cleaned out the behind the back-seat back rest. Keep up the good work.

[@corywatkins9685]

There should be a flapper valve that make it go form floor to to the vents and I do believe that those are done by vacuum on Cadillacs of that yr and valve should be right on top of the floor vents

[@jimsblack]

There should be a vacuum valve bank in the dash that works the flapper valve. Betting the vacuum lines are rotted out.

[@papabones6307]

Yep. He needs to pull the HVAC control set out. Check the vacuum lines there and the ones running down to the vacuum control valve at the vent door housing, basically all the vacuum hoses.

[@carsonmeile1718]

My new shirt arrived last night and i love that it says vice grip garage on the back I am wearing right now

[@ViceGripGarage]

Awesome appreciate you

[@randywl8925]

I didn't know that the clutch wouldn't engage if the system was low or empty. Thank you sir. Always enjoy your teaching style. 👍

[@richardlee1751]

Derek, I had the exact same problem on a '76 LTD. My father always said the heater and A/C were mixed up. I think a kid riding in the front middle had pulled a hose lose with his foot. Years later I found a clear hose disconnected near the floor heater vent and hooked it back up and that solved the problem. May be worth checking in your 'Caddy. Good luck.

[@jurisklavins2578]

Looking forward to a fella loading his family into the goin' to town Caddy and making a video of a short road trip 😎

[@ronniebuchanan6575]

They are,suppose to take it on power tour.

[@larrydavidson3402]

Always get good laughs watching Derrick's videos, love his crazy phrases.

[@Derek-tk4wf]

'Awesome Orange' from Dollar Tree is amazing cleaner. 64 ounces for $1. Cant beat that.

[@georgehill99]

“3 things that don’t lie; kids, country western music and yoga pants!”

[@Beeboop]

This got way more technical then I'm used to, I Love it!

[@TheDubster.]

Ya know. A guy just gets excited when he hooks his peepers on a VGG video. Love the caddy. Cant wait to see her just cruising down the blacktop!

[@dukree3391]

When I have a 30-minute lunch and there is a 27 minute video from vice grip garage..things are good.

[@rileyjackfansmithandjones8238]

Totally LOVEDwatching Mom helping to bleed the Brakes. Thats how my Dad started me. On 60's Buicks. My Mom Was 33 when i was 11.....and she got too tired to pump the brakes, so when i was 12, i quess i was old enough. I wasnt too tall and i needed both feet on that pedal, but i learned the rythmic cadence..." Pump Down Hold Up". I never got on the wrench end with my Dad until I was a driving teen, and had helped bleed brakes for friends and co workers, and the kind a girls who would date us, and my Dad never knew. When i finallyhad my own car, Dad worked the pedal, and the lesson was completely learned.......kinda Mr. Miogi/Karate Kid. Also love those GM cars, no center post , all windows down with family looking down at you while youre on the deck checking those brakes .....time for a test hop and get some Dairy Queen!

[@lyons56m59]

Derek, your videos have really helped me remember the days my pops and I would be in the shop doing grease monkey stuff, thank you for being you🤙🏻

[@sharpeidad1055]

Auto AC systems typically leak through the compressor, as it's impossible to seal an indirect drive shaft. You should've evacuated the system to remove air and moisture...i.e. humidity, from the lines. Ice crystals will form in the metering device and plug it up. Most likely you've got a bad actuator door motor or a rotten vacuum line...thanks for the video Derek...I love Cadillac's

[@quevicular]

Exactly. I had to do this with my ford windstar. Must evacuate with vacuum pump, check for vacuum loss and then add through the gauge cluster and monitor the high and low pressure sides to do this correctly. These kits only top up however there is still a vacuum loss needed to keep moisture from building up inside the system

[@BatGS]

Greetings: Define "indirect drive shaft" and describe how it applies.

[@robertkitchell859]

Most likely with the 🐀🐁 being in there it's a vacuum line or the vacuum ball, he is definitely smart enough to figure it out,

[@robertkitchell859]

@@BatGS it's a shaft inside of another shaft,

[@davidwoermansr]

I've done many this way and never had a problem

[@ChiEKKUsama]

26:20 Blend door actuator. It's hoover activated, so prolly have a leak. Or the blend doors are full of mice nest. Either way, it's really fun to fix!

[@WrenchingwithPas]

Need the old mouse sucker 200

[@creekdweller9662]

Or the vacuum operated actuator is gone

[@Bill23799]

By fun to fix did you mean rip out the dashboard to get to the vent housing?

[@davidlove4842]

Watching from Australia , I'm loving this car , it's going to be a real nice ride very soon

[@marcomoreti7803]

Nice to see your son helping and learning,he'll never forget,good memories :)

[@kirkstruik6118]

Please, even more content like this; I love seeing even more work done on the cars like this. Gives a feller ideas and confidence on his own cars.

[@bradmaddox8152]

a guy has told literally EVERY person he's interacted with since June 30 about vgg. it got me through my recovery from rotator cuff surgery. I really hope a guy gets to have a cold snack/ hang out/meet ya one day. you and your family and videos were a God send.

[@chrisbarnhart4178]

Thank you for teaching me that the conversion isn't that complex! I'm gonna try to change my 80s bmw tomorrow! So many have made it sound like a whole days worth of work doing the conversion

[@brandonosborne6894]

The conversion was already done before he got the vehicle. He just replaced the compressor and filled it.

[@skater9653]

I really can’t wait for the day that you get to a million subscribers man! Love the videos no matter what mood I’m in or what’s going on I can always watch one of your videos and smile the whole time and laugh at least 37 million times.

[@MegaEaglelover]

Ya took the words right out my mouth… never fails to brighten a fella up

[@mjmcomputers]

Nice work! The older I get the more priority AC becomes in a new project.

[@eric1985elcamino]

After having the system open, you always want to pull the air conditioning system under a vacuum for a while to remove moisture from the system before you charge it with refrigerant. I also avoid those refrigerant cans that have "sealers" in them as they can cause restrictions/more issues within the system. That's just my personal advice as a automotive technician, but I always enjoy your videos and everything you do! Keep up the hard work Derek 🤘 Also the vent issue you have is more than likely a failed vacuum diverter, a torn vacuum line or a torn diaphragm that actually moves the doors in the HVAC plenum. Pretty common failures but they're easy to fix

[@WreckDiver99]

@14:41 and Richard over at Precision Transmissions just started shaking his head...LOL...He just LOVES additives in the transmissions..LOL

[@charlesgall7829]

Yoga pants don"t lie ! Derek, you are brilliant! LOL

[@keithdavies150]

That was actually very informative AND helpful to a guy. Thanks, Der. LOVE the humour, as always.

[@natevanlandingham1945]

R12. You also have to make sure you don't out Pag oil in those old ones. But yes you can do what your saying. Once you open it you really want to pull that system down with a vaccume. For those that don't know this gets the moisture to boil out as well as gets air out of the stystem as that reduces the effectiveness of the system if it has air in it .

[@lysanderminoza2076]

Today's Lesson: There are 3 things that don't lie: kids, country music and yoga pants...EXCELLENT!!! :D

[@brandonzilka1274]

Loved the special guest appearance by Professor Vice Grip to help explain and diagnose the relay switch! Great job Derek! I wonder what Diamond Rio is doing today???

[@LiquidSquidYT]

I love the uploads as frequently. Enjoy you tackling side projects like this just as much as you fixing cars in fields 🤘

[@bruceplumisto]

My grandpa had a 66 caddy, I remember taking trips to Texas in it from Kansas, he bought it from the salvage yard, it had a fire under the hood and he fixed all the stuff and had a slick driver with fire damaged hood paint..lol

[@btbb3726]

Sir, I truly enjoy your videos. Thank You! Have you considered doing short videos (like

[@Cars.or.Cardioversion]

Check out his instagram for just that. Has frequent Instagram Stories that are short.