AC - Heater vacuum lines at firewall on 65

[RivVrgn]

On a 65 where the vacuum hoses go through the firewall is there a fitting with nipples they go into or do they just go through the wall? Don't want start tugging on a fifty year old piece of plastic if its there.

If so I guess best way is to slice them open and slide them off instead of pulling. 

Looks like the inside will be a bear, being behind the venting. Any tips besides getting someone with small hands?

BTW I have my interior and console out so that will help. 

 

Thanks, Joey

[CTX-SLPR]

It’s a molded piece of plastic that the lines pass through, no nipples.  Getting at it is not fun as it’s behind the metal defroster duct.

[1965rivgs]

19 hours ago, RivVrgn said:

On a 65 where the vacuum hoses go through the firewall is there a fitting with nipples they go into or do they just go through the wall? Don't want start tugging on a fifty year old piece of plastic if its there.

If so I guess best way is to slice them open and slide them off instead of pulling. 

Looks like the inside will be a bear, being behind the venting. Any tips besides getting someone with small hands?

BTW I have my interior and console out so that will help. 

 

Thanks, Joey

  The firewall grommet is a two piece arrangement. There is an inner grommet that is basically square which the vacuum lines pass through uninterrupted; and an outer grommet which is oval shaped with two holes which the hvac harness and hot air door cable pass through. Remove the inside grommet with a small screwdriver by evenly working around the perimeter a little at a time. The rest will be self evident.

  If you remove the outside grommet be careful to work it a little at a time as on one side there are retaining prongs which have a 180 posture and two others on the opposite side which provide tension but are bent in such a way as to allow the grommet to be pryed forward. Also, note the slot on the oval grommet should be reinstalled DOWN to prevent water infiltration.

 

Tom Mooney

[60FlatTop]

When I remove hoses; heater, coolant, vacuum, I slice the hose longitudinally at the fitting and peel it off. I started doing that to avoid pulling on heater pipes and it just became one of those things I do.

[Craig Balzer]

1 hour ago, 1965rivgs said:

The firewall grommet is a two piece arrangement.

Is this piece available from someplace, should it be damaged during removal?

[telriv]

Not IF your careful & gentle Craig. A little lube of some kind goes a long way in making things easier like silicone spray, soapy water, etc.

 

Tom T.

[RivVrgn]

Great info.

I would also be slicing the ends to remove them.

Is it possible to just disconnect a line at one end and possibly pull it through without removing the grommet? Since it's going to be done one at a time anyway. unless the grommet squeezes the hoses too tight. Like was mentioned a little lube of some sort and slowly pulling it through. pulling it back through would be another story.

Am I right that the hoses are all the same size 1/8 ? 

 

thanks Joey

[RivNut]

I removed the firewall grommet on my 64, it’s not that difficult. No special tools needed.

[1965rivgs]

14 hours ago, RivVrgn said:

Great info.

I would also be slicing the ends to remove them.

Is it possible to just disconnect a line at one end and possibly pull it through without removing the grommet? Since it's going to be done one at a time anyway. unless the grommet squeezes the hoses too tight. Like was mentioned a little lube of some sort and slowly pulling it through. pulling it back through would be another story.

Am I right that the hoses are all the same size 1/8 ? 

 

thanks Joey

  When I do the vacuum hoses I remove them from their position at the control head and pull them all and the grommet forward through the hole in the firewall. I replace them one at a time through the grommet while on the bench and when I reinstall them I tape the control head ends together and pull them as a bundle back through the hole in the firewall into the cabin.

  I always need to re-confirm size whenever I do this job (never was very good with fractions!) but I believe the correct size is 7/64ths?

 

Tom

[RivVrgn]

Hey Tom, when you do this do you pull the whole grommet out the front or just the outside piece (as described above) and leave the inside piece?

I guess you have to do some very precise labeling to make sure you put them back correctly on the controls. I'm going to color code them too when I replace them. 

Standard sizes are harder to find instead of the metric. I can usually find them at NAPA but nowadays its all a crapshoot.

 

Thanks Joey

[1965rivgs]

2 hours ago, RivVrgn said:

Hey Tom, when you do this do you pull the whole grommet out the front or just the outside piece (as described above) and leave the inside piece?

I guess you have to do some very precise labeling to make sure you put them back correctly on the controls. I'm going to color code them too when I replace them. 

Standard sizes are harder to find instead of the metric. I can usually find them at NAPA but nowadays its all a crapshoot.

 

Thanks Joey

  Just the inside grommet which the hoses travel through. I cant imagine why standard sizes are harder to find as compared to metric? I usually buy hoses by the roll and generally Gates products.

Tom

[RivVrgn]

Tom, the sizes are out of stock , went to two napa stores last week they both had a lot of empty reels of hoses, mostly standard. they said its being used and not restocked. unfortunately another supply chain issue. Don't know why I can find it online and not in the store. Try to support the brick and mortar.

Joey

[Craig Balzer]

"Standard sizes are harder to find instead of the metric. I can usually find them at NAPA but nowadays its all a crapshoot."

 

Is this the right stuff?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352443720838

 

Or this?

https://www.amazon.com/HBD-3341-Vacuum-Hose/dp/B000BO9DN0/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrVSxyE7nd6ZNUFWms786-JnjB1dl1TwlLd26GkEBi87b0O1YTYyacMaAoEfEALw_wcB&hvadid=282528635260&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028738&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6078289882294921415&hvtargid=kwd-377775434145&hydadcr=5709_9590312&keywords=7%2F64+vacuum+hose&qid=1648666341&s=automotive&sr=1-6

Edited March 30, 2022 by Craig Balzer (see edit history)

[RivVrgn]

1 hour ago, Craig Balzer said:

"Standard sizes are harder to find instead of the metric. I can usually find them at NAPA but nowadays its all a crapshoot."

 

Is this the right stuff?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352443720838

 

Or this?

https://www.amazon.com/HBD-3341-Vacuum-Hose/dp/B000BO9DN0/ref=sr_1_6?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrVSxyE7nd6ZNUFWms786-JnjB1dl1TwlLd26GkEBi87b0O1YTYyacMaAoEfEALw_wcB&hvadid=282528635260&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028738&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6078289882294921415&hvtargid=kwd-377775434145&hydadcr=5709_9590312&keywords=7%2F64+vacuum+hose&qid=1648666341&s=automotive&sr=1-6

yeah that's what i had to do, should be here on thursday. Like I said if I can find it online why not the store? Thanks

[NC1968Riviera]

Old Air Products in Texas used to sell a color coded vacuum hose kit that a friend of mine bought when he did his 65 Riv wiring harness re-wire job. All of the original hoses were dry rotted so we removed them. 

23-0905 - Vacuum Hose | Hose Kit 8 pcs, Colored (oldairproducts.com)

 

Classic Muscle has a similar kit with T connectors: 1969 Vacuum Hose Kit (correct color coded) | Classic Muscle

Amazon kit: Amazon.com: Universal Rubber Vacuum Hose Kit #23-0905 : Automotive

 

We couldn't get the new hoses to fit through the firewall grommet with it in the firewall so we removed it then fitted them in the grommet then placed it back in the firewall.

 

The hose kit has all of the necessary hoses but a couple are not colored to match the original hoses.

 

You definitely need the 65 Chassis or Body manual (can't remember which at the moment) to correctly route the hoses and fit them to the proper control nipples and engine compartment fittings.

 

Be aware that there are several cross connected and T connected hoses on the back side of the AC / Heater control unit. 

 

Take your time, read three or four times then run one hose at a time.

[Riviera63]

1 hour ago, RivVrgn said:

yeah that's what i had to do, should be here on thursday. Like I said if I can find it online why not the store? Thanks

 

1 hour ago, NC1968Riviera said:

Old Air Products in Texas used to sell a color coded vacuum hose kit that a friend of mine bought when he did his 65 Riv wiring harness re-wire job. All of the original hoses were dry rotted so we removed them. 

23-0905 - Vacuum Hose | Hose Kit 8 pcs, Colored (oldairproducts.com)

 

Classic Muscle has a similar kit with T connectors: 1969 Vacuum Hose Kit (correct color coded) | Classic Muscle

Amazon kit: Amazon.com: Universal Rubber Vacuum Hose Kit #23-0905 : Automotive

 

We couldn't get the new hoses to fit through the firewall grommet with it in the firewall so we removed it then fitted them in the grommet then placed it back in the firewall.

 

The hose kit has all of the necessary hoses but a couple are not colored to match the original hoses.

 

You definitely need the 65 Chassis or Body manual (can't remember which at the moment) to correctly route the hoses and fit them to the proper control nipples and engine compartment fittings.

 

Be aware that there are several cross connected and T connected hoses on the back side of the AC / Heater control unit. 

 

Take your time, read three or four times then run one hose at a time.

I have had this problem for many years trying to go to NAPA for hoses. They (at least my local stores) never seem to carry the correct hose sizes and /or style. I have had to go online to get the hoses I need more than once.

 

I bought the color coded hose kit from Old Air Products to redo my engine compartment vacuum hoses on my 63. Worked great. Not all of the colors are the same as OEM but, at least it enables you to get all of the hoses used for different purposes a different color to enable you to keep track of them. 

 

Bill

[kreed]

I bought a set of the Old Air colored coded hoses and they are 1/8 instead of the correct 7/64 . Gently massaged the holes in my grommet with a Dremel and used silicone and they slide in OK but definitely snug .

KReed 

ROA 14549

[RivNut]

I just took a 1/8” drill bit to the holes in the grommet.  Holes in rubber aren’t clean so the tubing goes in easily but it’s snug once you get it in.  On the other hand, I don’t know how well they’ll seal on the ends of the devices being that they’re 1/32” too big.

[1965rivgs]

11 hours ago, kreed said:

I bought a set of the Old Air colored coded hoses and they are 1/8 instead of the correct 7/64 . Gently massaged the holes in my grommet with a Dremel and used silicone and they slide in OK but definitely snug .

KReed 

ROA 14549

Ken,

  I've received feedback from folks who have used the repro hoses that the hoses do not fit tight enough to the nipples on the control head.

  True?

Tom

[Riviera63]

I only put the hoses in my engine compartment and did not go all of the way through the firewall to the control head. The hoses seemed to fit tightly enough on the connectors there. 

 

Before I started the project I did a little art work in my chassis manual. This made it a lot easier to track and route the hoses where they needed to go. All of the needed colors are there (at least for the 1963) except yellow. Substituted the orange in for the yellow.

 

Bill

 

 

[RivVrgn]

Yeah I've got the manual, gonna do one at a time. Thats a good idea on colorizing the manual, I've got some sharpy paint pens for all the stripes on the hoses. Might be diving into it this weekend, when I'm done i'll post a pic. All the info has been great.

Thanks Joey

[kreed]

9 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

Ken,

  I've received feedback from folks who have used the repro hoses that the hoses do not fit tight enough to the nipples on the control head.

  True?

Tom

Hi Tom. - don’t the answer to that yet - will let you know . The ID looks ok but not sure yet . Should have tried them on the control head first before pulling through grommet . 
Kreed 

ROA. 14549

[NC1968Riviera]

On 3/30/2022 at 8:13 PM, kreed said:

I bought a set of the Old Air colored coded hoses and they are 1/8 instead of the correct 7/64 . Gently massaged the holes in my grommet with a Dremel and used silicone and they slide in OK but definitely snug .

KReed 

ROA 14549

We also found the Old Air hoses to be slightly too big. If I recall correctly the car owner ended up removing the grommet.

[NC1968Riviera]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:01 AM, 1965rivgs said:

Ken,

  I've received feedback from folks who have used the repro hoses that the hoses do not fit tight enough to the nipples on the control head.

  True?

Tom

Tom, we found the repro hose kit hoses fit great on the control head nipples. Not to small, not to large.

[RivVrgn]

Turned out not to bad. Could not get a good pic inside. The grommet through the firewall, the inside part ended up pulling out into the engine bay, made it pretty easy. Then just pushed it back in.  thanks for everyone's input.

 

Joey