Help Need New Vacuum lines
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Altus OK
Help Need New Vacuum lines
I have an 87 I was putting roller rockers in and I accidentally broke some of the small vacuum lines. Where do I get more? I also messed up some of the little rubber elbows and a Y splitter. It seems like everything made of plastic under the hood of this car is about half rotten and breaks if I put any pressure at all on it because I also seem to break the tabs off about a third of the wiring harness plugs I try to disconnect. Also just to be clear, a question for those that have put in new self aligning RR. I'm supposed to remove the guide plates correct?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
If you are talking about the hard plastic vacuum lines, I don't think you will find them. You can replace these with rubber hose. You should be able to find plastic "T's", "Y's" and couplers at a good auto supply store like NAPA.
Or just buy a small section of rubber hose and splice the broken lines together.
Or just buy a small section of rubber hose and splice the broken lines together.
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L did the samw rging wgen I just did the roller rockers, and I have done it before
John is right, doubtfull you will find them, but an easy and look a like repair can be done with heat shrinkable electric connectors. They are tube like and come in various diameters and lengths
Simply treat the two pieces of broken tubing as if they were wires. Get heat tubing diameter close as possible to your hard tubimg. Don;t apply too much heat or direct flame. I use soldering iron and rub it all over the tubing until I get a tight seal.
Repair even looks original
Jack
John is right, doubtfull you will find them, but an easy and look a like repair can be done with heat shrinkable electric connectors. They are tube like and come in various diameters and lengths
Simply treat the two pieces of broken tubing as if they were wires. Get heat tubing diameter close as possible to your hard tubimg. Don;t apply too much heat or direct flame. I use soldering iron and rub it all over the tubing until I get a tight seal.
Repair even looks original
Jack
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
I left the guide plates in, and I also installed new, longer, stronger studs. AFR from Summit I believe
No problems
Are you using same valve covers? If so, consider clearances with the oil baffles and overall height
No problems
Are you using same valve covers? If so, consider clearances with the oil baffles and overall height
Last edited by covertte; Feb 18, 2010 at 07:00 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
Likes: 412
From: WV
Everyone I know has replaced the plastic with rubber hose including myself, this works fine and then you don't have to worry about them breaking and you not noticing it..If your dead set on plastic, Advance Auto carries the plastic line in 3' rolls along with the rubber elbows...WW
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,322
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From: Summerland B.C. Canada
Your 87 came with NON self aligning rockers. Either, buy the correct rockers, or grind the push rod slot in guide plates, so that there is no chance of interference.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Phoenix AZ
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Mercedes Benz sells the plastic vacuum line material in lengths. It's like $2 a foot, and you can heat the tubing to form bends, but it's a critical temp, just before the line melts, it will bend and take a "set".
Rubber hoses are certainly an acceptable alternative, and if you use the Mercedes Benz plastic lines, you can buy rubber elbows at the same location to make your own workable vacuum lines.
The only drawback: They are not black, they are some funky beige tan with colored stripes to designate which system they are part of.
Other colors are blue, red, green, orange. great if you want translucent colored vacuum lines.
Rubber hoses are certainly an acceptable alternative, and if you use the Mercedes Benz plastic lines, you can buy rubber elbows at the same location to make your own workable vacuum lines.
The only drawback: They are not black, they are some funky beige tan with colored stripes to designate which system they are part of.
Other colors are blue, red, green, orange. great if you want translucent colored vacuum lines.
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Feb 18, 2010 at 09:17 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
Not to say that your plastic vacuum lines weren't toast from years of under hood heat exposure but avoid messing with any plastic when the ambient temp is lower than 60 degrees F....plastic stuff tends to shatter. As the others have suggested use regular vacuum hose to replace the stuff you broke.
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