riverracer au

silly question time...
most of the firewall grommets will be replaced during the clean up of the 72's engine bay
except the heater control vacuum hose grommet, sits along side the ac harness grommet, which is actually molded to the hoses when it's made.
and it has a larger firewall hole size than the others, so it will need to be reused.
so, what is best to use to clean off the bitumen/tar sealant gunk from the hoses?
have been using mineral turps on the firewall, but will that be safe for the old rubber of the grommet and hose

doorgunner

Rookie answer: I would think that any original grommet needs to have some type of rubber conditioner/restorer rubbed into it to put some flexibility/"oil" back into the material.....(I don't have any product names, sorry)

Hammerhead Fred

ahhh...you mean this vac hose grommet?

1968-1982 Corvette vacuum hose firewall grommet - fits into firewall and headlight vacuum hoses are routed through the rubber grommet. Often times a butyl sealer is used in addition to seal the grommets and hoses into the firewall to prevent air leaks into passenger compartment.


Difficulty with this grommet is the hoses are passed through it so while it may appear to be a "molded" unit it's not. Pulling the lines and wiping them down with some watery dish soap will help the install.

7T1vette

Use lacquer thinner on a clean cloth to wipe down vacuum hoses, electrical wire insulation, and other rubber/plastic parts in the engine bay. When clean, use another clean cloth to wipe on a coating (or two) of Nu-Vinyl or other polymer protectant (like Meguiar's for plastics). It will put a clear gloss coating on the surface of whatever it is wiped on. It dries completely, will not peel or chip. I use it for my interior and tires, as well. Greatest stuff ever made.

If you can't find Nu-Vinyl in auto parts stores, you can 'special' order it from Tru-Value or Ace Hardware stores. Or you can buy over the internet.

redrdstr72

While I would agree that lacquer thinner will quickly clean hoses and grommets, I offer a strong word of caution. Be aware that lacquer thinner will instantly remove ALL identifying printed or painted stripes, part numbers, etc from hoses and other rubber parts too. Vacuum hoses have colored stripes to identify their application.

riverracer au

i've bought a couple of that size, but they are not correct, too small.
the only site that i have seen them on is the dr's., and they dont have any stock.


from reading they are molded on the hose as the assy is made.

will just try and clean best i can.

Hammerhead Fred

Is that the one that runs below and just to the passenger side of the wiper motor?