Im thinking of recharging my air in the el camino. its a 68. After sitting all these years it does not blow cold at all. the AC is intact and doesn't look like is been tampered with. Ive got a small vacuum pump I hooked it up to a gauge and it will pull 18 inches of vacuum. Do you think its enough? I was going to try one of those retro kits with the oil etc. I did have luck on my burb. and my Jimmy, I figure I really don't have much to lose. Jim

If youre talking about pulling a vacuum before you recharge it, then no 18" is not enough to remove moisture. You will need closer to 30" (almost a perfect vacuum and, some few hundred microns).

If you only get 18", then-
1. Your pump is weak or
2. You have a leak in the A/C system
Did you hook the gauges to the car and then pump it down, or did you just hook a vacuum gauge to your pump??

BillL

the pump was pulled out of a old film imager. I just put my finger on the end of the hose as it was running and the vacuum gauge only went to 18". its a small pump with a 1/6hp motor. I have a bigger pump but its a 220v motor so Id have to plug it into the dryer outlet. Jim

Jim,
Use the bigger pump you want to pull as close to 30 inches of vacuum for 30 minutes this will cause any left over moisture to evaporate.

Ill drag out my 220v pump then. thanks Jim