Help: R/R heater hose & brake vacuum line on 308.

I have a 77 GBT and the heater hose runs through the center tunnel. I had thought it had run through the left side too. There's two hoses and they both run through the center tunnel. I'll see if I can find the diagram of it somewhere.

Bob Wassam

 

Do a search as there are lots of threads. I did mine a few months ago & had to loosen the fuel tank & move it rearward. Some cars seem to have a clip or bend over tab behind the fuel tank that needs to be undone.
Good luck
Bill

 

One word. LUBRICATION
I used dish soap applied liberally with a squirt bottle and a long hose to get into the tight spot right behind the engine. I pulled from the engine to the front and did it by myself. Tie the new lines to the old lines and pull the new thru as you pull the old out. After doing it once I could probably do it from start to finish in three hours.

 

I suggest replacing the brake booster vacuum hose at the same time. I didn't use any lubricant but lots of patience. Pull and inch and push an inch. Use a splice coupling to pull the old hose while threading the new one in. At times it a helper is appropriate. When finished, replace all the gas tank hoses.

 

1. Remove tank
2. Remove panel behind tank, may need to drill out rivets, bend tabs securing the hoses away from panel, detach hoses from panel
3. Remove small panel in front wheel well, as big as your palm, as bottom of the well, will need to drill out rivets
4. Disconnect hoses but do not remove them.
5. Attach the new hose to the old hose using a long socket and a couple of hose clamps.
6. Do the hard hose (vacuum hose first), with two persons one feedind one pulling and with lots of lubrication of your choice, pull / push one through. You may need to pull it out through to the front wheel well and then feed it up to the front bonnet.
7. Repeat with the heater hose
8. Cut, trim, fit, attach
9. Put back the panels, using pop rivets
10. put back fuel tank
11. fill, check for leaks, drive,
12. enjoy.

That is one hard job !

 

Good write up of the procedure, but if you have a QV car there are some differences. There are no rivets in a QV just screws. Also you will never get the hose thru the first turn at the engine end with clamps on the hose. I had to drill holes on the old and new hoses then wire them tigether. Then wrap the tied area with duct tape and lube the hell out of it. Its still one hard job, especially by yourself.

 

I just finished replacing mine. On my car it was not that bad, a one man job (1979 308 GTB). Hose clamps and coupling will work if you rotate them properly as you run them ahead of the fuel tank. I was able to reach one hand above to push the hose and one below (while lying on my back) to pull it down and toward the back of the car as I fed it ahead of the tank. The pull to the front wheel well and up to the cowl were just simple pulls.

By the way, the left tank would not come out short of removing suspension, but sliding it back gave pleanty of room. Right tank came right out (for other reasons).

 

By the way...what are other people using for vacuum hose?

 

I used good quality heater hose. I know its not correct but I havent had any problems with it and it has been three years.

 

That is what I used too, I was having second thoughts about it though. It would be easy to swap it out now with better hose. I was concerned that it could get sucked closed. This did not seem likely but... Based on your relpy, I see that this is not a real concern.

Any other experience?

 

This is a good way to do it. Maybe you may just want to use a coupler for the hoses without the hose clamps when you do the second hose. It will be tight when you install the second hose and every bit helps. If you can get a helper to push while you pull makes a world of difference.
It is not, really, a difficult job as long as you remove the tank.