I learned just how brittle those plastic vacuum lines can be this weekend...

I was changing the thernmostat on my 86 F-250 (351W HO). While disconnecting the vacuum tree on top of the thermostat housing, they broke (the small diameter plastic vacuum lines). Luckily, this is not my daily driver and I can still easily read the vacuum diagram on the radiator support.

Since I will have to replace them, I was wondering where can you get these plasctic vacuum lines? Or should I replace them w/ rubber ones. I like my 85 F-350 (460) better, all of the vacuum lines are the rubber color coded ones.

In addition to those (4) that broke on this tree (top to bottom - Black, Red, Green, White), I broke a smal red one that seemed to connect to device that was in between the front of the carb (there was a larger rubber hose coming from the front of the carb (4bbl) that connected into the device. There also seemed to be the same size rubber hose coming from the back of the carb too. [I am not engine literate]. The truck still starts and runs, but I want to replace these and get them back to where they should go.

My main concern is that the smaller plastic vacuum lines seem to be needed just to fit (looks like a plate of spaghetti under the air cleaner), but if I can't get these, I'll have to use the larger rubber onesI guess.

 

go with rubber....you can get thin walled line if room is a problem.............

I hate those hard lines ..you just look at them and they brake....

 

I need to replace mine (1992 E150 302) also. I have been thinking about using brake line to replace the plastic line. Has anyone else done this? My only worry is if the steel lines corrode the rust particals could cause troubles.

Any thoughts on replacing plastic line with a suitable hard vacuum line would be appreciated.