Good refrigerant valves?

[Wanderer]

So, I've googled the part name and a few tool companies but can't find a place to purchase quality valves for adding 134A to my trucks A/C system. I borrowed a pair from a buddy one time that he said were from Snap On but I haven't found them searching their site.

Anybody got any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Macgyver55]

When you say "a quality set" what price range are you looking at? I have a set that is 25 or more years old that I paid well over 100 bucks at the time, and a set I bought 6 or seven years ago for only 49.dollars that so far has worked just as well for me. Unless you are using them commercially, I'd look at some of the less expensive ones. Otherwise I believe Sears has "Robinaire " which is a decent brand online for around 220.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have a set of Gage's from sears and a can tap adapter that thread on to it from NAPA.

I think the gauges set me back about 150 bucks and the adapter was about seven bucks.

Before that I had a decent can tap that I bought from NAPA that lasted for several years.

You can't beat a decent set of gauges. Makes the whole process a lot easier.

[Wanderer]

I have the manifold guage set and a tank of refrigerant (I am Esco certified if anyone cares) just not my own set of automotive adaptors. Right now the set I borrowed is on the truck holding the charge I put in it in the fall. My leak is the port and I tried to change the schrader valve but can't get it to budge.

I should have my own set and need to return the set I borrowed but I don't want to blow the whole charge and replace the entire line set ($90+) in the winter. No matter what, I expect to dish out $100-$150 and would just as soon put that money into new tools I don't currently own.

[Macgyver55]

Ok gotcha, you only need the adapters. This is the style I got with my less expensive set. These Robinaire ones are available online separately for about 75 bucks.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I handle a lot of different refrigerants (I still can't spell that) at work. I use different gauges for different types. My work is pretty much commercial and I use Yellow Jacket brand. These will set you back a LOT but take a beating. I dropped a set off a roof once, almost cried, got to the ground to check em out and they lived. I was surpirsed.

If it were me, I'd do what MacGyver said. Get the 134a adaptors and use them on your gauge set. My gauge set that I use for 134a costed right around 300 bucks. That's a lot to spend on something you're only going to use a couple of times.

[Wanderer]

Ok gotcha, you only need the adapters. This is the style I got with my less expensive set. These Robinaire ones are available online separately for about 75 bucks.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

Yes, this what I need and I did find them on line - thanks! I was about to order them but the threaded part is female and I need male threads to connenct to my guage set. I looked at check valves and couplers but there isn't any info if threads are matching sizes. There is a Robinaire dealer in Minnetonka which is close by work. I'll stop in there and see what they say.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Macgyver55]

Mine have male threads as well, and they are specific so be careful. R12 and R134 use similar looking style but different size threads.