I am so screwed. My truck (1985 f-150 351w 4x4) came out of the southwest, it's where I bought it 11 years ago. Defrost wasn't an issue, but it is now in the midwest.

I couldn't figure out why I could get vent air, not defrost and floor. The vacuum lines I have are black/blue strip to the main motor and the black/yellow strip and black/red strip to the motor for floor-defrost.

Somehow a HOT wire sliced through the black/yellow tube near the control box (it's totally melted and each end sealed like with a hot knife). The black/red strip tube is melted alittle bit (collapsed in on itself, but not cut in two).

The melt happened several inches from where the tubes leave the right side of the control box (the melt didn't happen up by the motor). On that side of the box is a 'battery' of rubber vacuum tubes. Can that all be pulled from the side of the box and replaced with a whole new set? Or does it take a whole new control box that comes with those tubes already attached?

For the moment, I thought about splicing the two ends with a really small diameter tube inserted inbetween, then sealing the seam. Any thoughts??? I haven't asked a question in forever because my problems are usually so simple, I can find the answer in a search. Sorry so long, but Thanks Guys. Eric

 

Brittle hard vacuum lines are usually spliced by slipping a piece of small (3/32"?) rubber vacuum hose over both ends.
Can you trim off the sealed ends and do something like that?

What would have caused a wire to get glowing hot without blowing a fuse first?

 

That's what I do. Cut the ends clean and square, and then get some small vacuum line, the kind that you use for your windshield washer lines, and slip it over the plastic line. You can slip it way up on the plastic line and it won't come off.

 

ArdWrknTrk and Dave

Yes, I can do that Thank You, that makes a lot more sense than reducing the inside diameter of the hole further down. Trimming the ends flush would not be a problem to reestablish that pathway.

I called the previous owner last night (we worked together for the same company a long time ago). The only thing he could remember was his son installed a new radio back in the mid nineties and something went wrong a week after the install where the power wire got super smoking hot. The cut is below and to the right of where the radio mounts....makes sense.

(on a side note: he was amazed I still have this truck (same engine, trans, everything-I still drive it everyday-just put new tires on).

 

Not Pretty, but it works perfectly! Thanks again guys. I don't know why it didn't occur to me, I just stared at the melted hose thinking D'OH!

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Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

 

Nice job! Sometimes the hardest fixes are the easiest............