Need help with a/c recharge

My ac belt snapped a few months ago and i was too busy to replace it. so today i finally did it… now i think i need a recharge because when i press the ac button, the (i wanna call it the ac clutch but i might be wrong) does not spin. prior to the belt snapping my system worked perfect!! i charged my gf’s dc2 havn the same problem and done… cold air!! but ive been reading bout the r12 vs r134, da vs dc difference and the r134 retrofit kits for the da. kan i just buy the r12 and it will work again or do i need the retrofit kit? i need some advice on making a decision. thanx in advance

You can’t buy R12 off the shelf because you need a license to purchase it. Some shops still have it but its expensive, plus you have to pay for the labor.

R-134A retrofit kits are ok but not as efficient in older systems. But they are cheap and not too difficult to do yourself. Make sure to get a gauge if you buy a kit.

what do u think about the envirosafe es-12a?

i retrofit mine last year and its easy. i take off the old oil on my ac compressor the i put the retrofit oil the put r134. it works great. mine blows cold air

is that all you have to do? what about the valve the r134 hooks up to? tha r12 valve is smaller right?

thats all i did. i dont know about the size of the valve but mine works great.

I work at a parts store and i cn tell you now dude. R-12 is expensive!!! It is 70.00 for a 8 oz. can here in virginia at least!!! R-134 is bout 7.00 a can. And you do have to have a liscense to buy R-12. R-12 is cooler in systems designed for it but R-134 is efficient enough. As far as a retro-fit kit goes, they come with everything you need. Adaptors for the valves, all the o-rings, and a bottle of pour-in ester oil. The kit is usually about 40-50 bucks. But i have seen people convert to R-134 without replaceing the o-rings alot of times and they seem to have been ok. But whatever you do dont buy some of those quick cans you shoot in yourself. They are junk. If you overfill your system it can blow the seals out of the front of the compressor. If the compressor isn’t engaging then it could be a pressure switch as well. Hope i’v helped! Good luck