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Vacuum Line replacement solution

GM Guy

GM Guy

Manual Trans. 2WD Enthusiast
Messages
4,842
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858
Location
NW Kansas and SC Idaho
I have a few rigs with bad vacuum lines (all VIN F) so it is just the lines operating the wastegate. I do know diaphragm can fail, but these lines have obvious rub through areas. so I was wondering, what has everyone still running the vac system doing for lines?

can you use regular rubber vac line, or if the little rubber reducers are still good, can one use tiny plastic air lines that are used for roadranger transmission splitters? surely if they can run a lot of air psi, surely the hard plastic could pull some vacuum, but I may be mistaken.

or is the OEM lines affordably priced? I cant find any on Rock Auto, and have not checked the dealer.

Before it is brought up, I would like to go ATT on a mechanical engine, but on the electronic ones I will stick with GM turbos for now for pure cost savings, they definitely are not perfection, but they are the cheaper solution if aquired good used, but might end up with ATT in the future. Also, I have heard about poor empty fuel economy with a turbo master, so I do plan on staying vac system.
 
I'm no longer running any vac stuff on mine, but if I was, I'd run copper gauge line then use rubber tube for the connections, long runs of std vac line can collapse which is why nylon lines were run at 1st, on my VW TDI they use braided line like the braided vac line GM uses for injector return lines but I don't like it much as you can have a leak under the braiding and not know it.
 
I have 3 splices it the wastegate lines using old injector return lines and small hose clamps and have not had a noticeable problem yet. I wouldn't make the splice overly long though due to said risk of collapse.
 
FWIW many folks actually have had mpg gains with a TM mine didn't change for the worse until I ran it hogged down for max boost operation, as far as vac vs mechanical, closed WG is closed WG with regard to mpg either fooled with a vac system or via the spring method backpressure/flow restriction is there in the GM turbo which hurts mpg.

I'll surmise the "hurt" mpg TMs some remark about were of the "homebrew" variety, with a spring of unknown spring rate and non linear settings of the adjustment.

Now one could program a vac boost control to give a more suitable boost vs mpg vs performance, to me after being stranded 2x in a heavy tow situation with the vac system, mechanical boost or the no WG turbo is best for reliability
 
I think I have some viton vacuum hose in my garage, but before the ATT I pretty much did what TanMan did by pushing the cracked plastic into normal rubber line.

If I was not running the ATT, I would probably have put all silicone vacuum line in. Or you can get like 50 feet of normal 3/16" or 1/4" auto vacuum line from Amazon or Sears or parts stores for like $20.

http://www.maperformance.com/vibrant-performance-silicone-vacuum-hose-bulk-pack.html

Here is another option by the foot from RockAuto, a reinforced vacuum hose.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?catalog=64&partnum=27073&a=FR64-27073-706557

Carry some vac line pieces with you, and a screen door sping and you'll never be unprepared on the road :)

There were two times I noticed less boost than normal, so I pulled over and found the cracked line and just patched it with the rubber hose that came in my fuel pressure guage kit.
 
I went to Autozone & bought regular rubber vacuum hose and then covered all of it with the plastic shielding used for wire looms. I have not had any issues. The tubing on mine was brittle and I just ended up ripping all that shit out & replacing it all with rubber hose…from the pump to the solenoid back to the turbo actuator all new.
 
Dealer sells the whole vac line Complete with rubber fittings on both sides, correct bends for routing and the whole shabang for about 40 bucks.


No brainer if your staying stock.....for me anyway.
 
How many miles you running per day? The MPG improvement of the A-Team could pay for itself in fuel savings at some point. Towing 1MPG or 10% improvement at 550 miles a day paid for a $500 exhaust in under 2 months...
 
If I ever do decide to go hot-shotting, I would definitely look into the a-team. but if it is just stuff for the family business, probably will stick with a gm-8..until it wears out, then a-team will be considered as well.
 
Brooklyn Tow said:
Dealer sells the whole vac line Complete with rubber fittings on both sides, correct bends for routing and the whole shabang for about 40 bucks.


No brainer if your staying stock.....for me anyway.
Click to expand...

you wouldnt happen to have a PN would you? was in at the dealer, and I think i found it, but it was 60 bucks, and was called a harness in the description. there was no true picture of it, we just found the start of it in a vac pump exploded view.
 
I love someone else can go 3 months between thoughts and pick it right back up... and get an answer in 7 hours. I love you guys!
 
Vacuum lines were like $27 at the dealer. This was about 3 years ago, had to be ordered.
 
I have the instant email notifcation option. I get a email every time someone replies to a thread that I started or replied to. You can unsubscribe to threads you have lost interest in so you don't keep getting notified.
 
Brooklyn, you have been a big help, thanks!

to the rest of you who allready commented, sorry for drudging up the old thread!
 
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