Broken small hoze..
Thread Starter
|
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 52
Likes: 6
Broken small hoze..
I have no heater flap control on my 95 aerostar, 4.0l. Looking under the hood I see a tiny white and black pair of hoses, and the white one has snapped where it enters a rubber connector. The plastic seems to have become brittle. I am guessing that these are vacuum hoses and this is why the flaps don't work.
Is there any way to replace or repair these hoses?
Thanks for any insight.
Is there any way to replace or repair these hoses?
Thanks for any insight.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,016
Likes: 208
From: SoCal
They are the vacuum hoses that open and close the HVAC doors, and they are prone to getting brittle and cracking as they get old. I doubt you will be able to find exact replacements, so you will have to replace them with more standard rubber hoses. The difficulty is while the hoses themselves are tiny, the ends are standard size, and are attached by magic that prevent you from pulling them off the plastic lines no matter how hard you try.
On my van, I ended up getting skinniest rubber hoses and using line adapters to step up the size so they will mate with the normal sized nipples on the various vacuum devices. The problem is there are some devices that have those plastic lines built in, so it's hard to adapt rubber hoses to them. Also, the bigger hoses may not maintain vacuum as well as the tiny plastic hoses, so the flaps may take longer to change their position, and revert when the engine is turned off.
On my van, I ended up getting skinniest rubber hoses and using line adapters to step up the size so they will mate with the normal sized nipples on the various vacuum devices. The problem is there are some devices that have those plastic lines built in, so it's hard to adapt rubber hoses to them. Also, the bigger hoses may not maintain vacuum as well as the tiny plastic hoses, so the flaps may take longer to change their position, and revert when the engine is turned off.
Thread Starter
|
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 52
Likes: 6
Thank you! It snapped right where it enters a rubber connector going to the engine, so there is nothing to join to. I an going to see if I can get a piece from a scrap yard, and cut it so I have an inch or 2 of pipe with the rubber end to join to the car. I think I'll try sheathing the joint with self adhesive electrical shrink tubing, This should (?) be air tight. I might put a couple of pieces over each other to make it more rigid. I'll report back if it works!
Thread Starter
|
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 52
Likes: 6
Well I found the hose, it is Dorman Help! 47417, rigid PVC 1/8" OD. And although the old hose is very brittle, I managed, after a battle I must say, to extract it from the rubber ends, so once the hose arrives (I found it on Amazon, neither Lordco nor Nappa stock it) I will replace all the lines I can reach.
Thread Starter
|
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 52
Likes: 6
Managed to get the 1/8" tube out of both rubber ends and replaced with new. I now have vacuum and the flaps work!! I also replaced the other pipe of the pair since it goes through a 90deg bend and was looking kinked.
As an aside I was horrified to call all our local scrap yards (there are normally several Aerostars being broken) to find no one had one. I was hoping to get a few spare hose ends from one. I hope this isn't a sign that parts cars are getting really scarce!
As an aside I was horrified to call all our local scrap yards (there are normally several Aerostars being broken) to find no one had one. I was hoping to get a few spare hose ends from one. I hope this isn't a sign that parts cars are getting really scarce!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
5_labsownus
Cooling, Heating, Ventilation & A/C
11
Apr 28, 2023 04:42 AM
wolfpackfan94
1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
4
Nov 21, 2013 07:15 PM
derherr65
Cooling, Heating, Ventilation & A/C
3
Dec 7, 2005 10:28 PM
