For replacements for the vacuum lines, what are you using?
I broke the vacuum tubing that goes from under the dash to the heater valve in the 5/8 water line... Its a plastic tube 1/8 and I was thinking to just go rubber...
I know I should go ahead and replace all the rubber I can.
Anybody else done this and if so what was the sizes you purchased?
Thanks

 

I did silicon ... let's see if I can find the picture.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...dbb72441ac.jpg

Those clamps are what are sometimes called ADEL clamps; hose clamps with a rubber insert to help hold the hoses. I also needed to caulk / seal the hole left in the middle when the box went against the firewall. Some RTV (engine grade!) took care of that.

RwP

 

Hey Ralph, thanks for the post..... I ordered 4 rolls of the standard rubber type. 50ft each. 7/64, 5/32, 7/32, 9/32. I figure I will replace all I can under the hood, and also, I need to do my 93 corvette....
The plastic vacuum tube that goes from the water valve through the firewall.... Is it hard to replace? If so, for now, I have about 1 in sticking through the firewall and I may try to connect to that.

 

Well, that "plastic tube" was broken on mine, hence the silicon hose and the RTV sealant.

It's one screw holding it (a "H" design, with the cross brace the mounting tab) so I used a pair of Adel clamps to hold the hose in place.

With flex hoses, it becomes a bit more difficult since you need to feed them through as you're installing the HVAC box.

If you're lucky, it's the heater hose cutoff valve fitting; you can plug that at the wall if you don't mind the heater core still being hot on MAX (that's all it does, is cut hot water off on MAX).

If it's the vacuum line in, though ... which was what was broken on mine, hence the retro engineering I did.

RwP

 

Its the tube going to the valve.... Broke it getting the heater hose off. BTW I had the orig. heater hoses on the truck. Its an 87, talk about being lucky!!

 

Something to plug that, and then ignore it can do the job.

With the bypass hose up front, you can actually use a manual valve - turn it off in summer, on in winter.

You DO need to plug it for recirc/MAX to work; it's teed off the switch and also feeds the flapper, so in MAX, you have this vacuum leak that kills the A/C from anywhere but defrost with that line open.

RwP

 

I appreciate it. The under the hood part is easy.... I see wher it comes through the firewall, by the heater core, but did not know how hard it would be to replace all the way to the control.

 

Wasn't hard while the HVAC box was out. It'd be a right bitch with it in.

But that's all that return line does, anyway. So plug'er and put a hand valve in there; down here your A/C will thank you during the summer.

For ****s/n/grins, open it once a week and blow the heater on MAX HEAT Usually right after you've eaten at Taco Hell; that'll fumigate the bed too!

(That last line is a joke - don't take it seriously.)

RwP

 

Sad thing is, I already purchased a new stock type valve....... But I believe your suggestion is the best....
Oh, and FWIW, last night I had 2, 5 layer borritos.... Did not help a bit!!