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From memmory:
1992 R12 ceased availability to general public. By late 90's very difficult to get and expensive. Most likely since it was installed late 90's it is R134a unless who ever did the actual charging had a surplus of R12 laying around.

As for R134 fittings i have ran into two different types (low side), very subtle difference. All R134a adapter fittings i have seen have Loc-TIte type substance in the threads when new from parts store shelf. REMOVE the Loc-TIte substance. IT is usually red. OTherwise if the OEM service port shrader valve goes bad (they DO!!) the adapter will be difficult to remove and have to be cut off.

Also some R134a adapter fittings do not fit good and the shrader in the R134A adapter has to be adjusted to meet the OEM R12 shrader valve depth correctly. Otherwise it will hang the oem R12 valve open OR not open it all during charging. It is VERY sensitive.

I won;t go into much more detail on this. Your car - your resources expended. But make NO permanant changes such as permanant adatper installation that can not be easily reversed or cause adjustemnt difficulties.

RE: very slow cool down time when parked in parking lot:

THe Ranko valve for the heater is probably not closing all the way. Splice a common houshold plumbing valve into the heater hose. That will insure the coolant is not passing to the heater core.

Since u have a sight glass then ignore my previous comment about needing the gauges. However, gauges mite give a better clue as to whether currently the car has R12 or R134a. But that determination is strictly academic anyway. Would be nice to know however.

Coming back to the 56, got a call today frpm a friend who thinks the thermostat is stuck oen and that is causing overheating.

Is this even possible?

Or are we being visited by beings from other planets again?

If it was stuck open it would never warm up. You must mean stuck closed

Just got another call and realized that he has had a very liquid filled afternoon. Still, he's happy.....tonight....

THERMOSTAT!

Clean bill of health for pump and radiator.

Per our club tech expert, I installed A 160 degree thermostat.

Is this bit of information something that belongs in the X=ref listing?


Anyhow, car runs delightfully cool and well, a/c works fine so I'm cool and comfy, which to me is a good thing!

Ok. Glad u have the problem solved with a new 160 T'stat. BUT, what temerature rating did the previous T-stat have that CAUSED the problem to begin with????? Or what was wrong with the previous T'stat that caused the problem??????

It died and went into rigor mortis closed. It was a 180, which is probably what the book calls for. Our local tech guy has a 56 and is an airline mechanic who is very good technically; he insisted on a 160 so a 160 it is. No problem finding one, and a spare, in stock locally....

Today it is chilly, but we logged twenty miles or so, filling the tank at a mere $4.47@ at Costco; $4.75 and higher elsewhere...

Waiting for a hot day to check it out. One issue left; drain lines are kinked so over flow goes on floor. That will be fixed soon.