Disassembled R-12 A/C accumulator drier with labeled parts on co…

Accumulator-Dryer Guts

This desiccant is not as resilient as later compositions, so an R-12 accumulator should be replaced any time the system remains open for more than an hour or so. It cannot be "dried".

An R-134a dryer is very similar, but its improved desiccant means that it can be reused indefinitely, IF the pellets stay inside, and there is no obvious contamination. Holding a vacuum on it for ~30 minutes near a warm engine will remove all the moisture from it.

Owner caption November 2012 · Photo 4832 of 5000