Vacuum Hose Sizes

[haux]

Does anyone know what the sizes of the various vacuum hoses in a Gen4 i4 Camry are (front end, NOT charcoal canister)? I replaced all of them several months ago, and so far so good for the most part. But for example, there's one off the EGR Modulator that keeps slipping off. I used bulk hose from AutoZone/Advance. I'd like to check out a few local "performance" auto stores and see if they sell metric size hoses. But rather than buying a few feet of several sizes, it would be cheaper to know what sizes I really needed.

The ones I refer to mostly come off of the Throttle Body and EGR Valve.

[fenixus]

post up your findings. mine are due for replacement too, some of them have already cracks on ends (still holding though)

i'm interested in cheap metric replacement hoses as well. auto part stores sell only SAE which is NOT a tight fit and i do not feel like clamping each and every one of them ...

another option is to get all hoses from dealer online like www.toyotapartsoutlet.com with free (sometimes) or discounted (always) shipping, the ones with no special rubber/plastic shielding on them should be fairly cheap, still probably 5-10x times more expensive than bulk.

[haux]

Originally Posted by fenixus

another option is to get all hoses from dealer online

The cost is around $100 excluding any shipping costs. I decided I wasn't going to pay that much money. Some of those tiny hoses cost more than the huge radiator hoses! Ridiculous.

I still have my old dried up hoses, so I suppose I could just bring those with me and compare... if I find a place that sells metric ones. It would just be easier to have numbers. I'm pretty sure that only a couple of different sizes are used between all of the hoses.

[fenixus]

maybe Canadians sell metric ones

I think all EGR hoses are same size. OEM ones have that plastic shielding here and there, but i think it doesn't matter much. so far the only OEM hoses i bought were the most freaking expensive with all this fancy rubber & plastic shielding for VSV for EGR, i paid like $50 for it alone and bam! UPS package got lost in transit (UPS fault) what an irony haha!
dealer is working with them to confirm loss and send out replacement to me.

larger ID/OD hose is from TB to EVAP VSV and then EVAP hoses are also different. i hate that SAE/metric & imperial/metric mess around the globe. it's so weird that after so many hundreds of years we still don't use 1 general (same for all) system on our tiny planet

[haux]

Originally Posted by fenixus

maybe canadians sell metric ones

Silly Canadians and their beavers...

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by haux

Silly Canadians and their beavers...

what if they are right?
at least they use metric system which i am (and our cars are) more comfortable with hehe
i have yet to master using Fahrenheit degrees after all those years I spent in USA haha ... i am no Canadian BTW

[haux]

Originally Posted by fenixus

i have yet to master using Fahrenheit degrees after all those years I spent in USA haha ... i am no Canadian BTW

My parents use Celsius... I hate it.

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by haux

My parents use Celsius... I hate it.

i think most of the world and even "american" scientists wouldn't agree
i'm off to bed now, need to earn some money tomorrow ... for those damn vacuum hoses haha!

it's close to 2am in my timezone.
have a good one over there

[fenixus]

posting some findings, but that is on using SAE sizes in place of metric:

Re: Source for metric vacuum hoses?

Just to clarify, you don't need metric hoses for the vacuum lines. Standard hose sizes are close enough... 1/4" ~ 6mm, 5/16" ~ 8mm, 3/8" ~ 10mm etc.

Nigel
'73 240ZT

source: http://www.zcar.com/forums/702688/so...c-vacuum-hoses

I haven't yet found any local store selling metric vacuum hoses (or silicon hoses).

but it seems they sell them online:

a) http://shop.hoseandfittings.com/catalog/Hose.html
located in Fort Wayne, IN 46808

b) http://www.hoseline.net/ahe/index.htm
located in Glendale, California 91202
the only problem is this: Minimum order: $150 per size.

hope it helps.

also on a personal side note. when i was testing various vacuum ports of EGR system with my loaner mityvac i was using a small diameter plastic hose which came with "one man brake flush kit" (should be part of retail mityvac too). it was sitting perfectly tight on all vacuum ports of EGR.

tubing like that in picture below (i'm only talking about the ID, not the OD):

OEM 25036 Bleed-O-Matic One-Man Brake Bleeder Kit

it seems it is 1/4" ID based on mityvac website describing a vacuum pump kit:
http://www.mityvac.com/pages/products_hvpk.asp

not sure what the original metric ID size of EGR vacuum hoses is, but 1/4'' makes exactly 0.25"=6.35mm

Which SAE hoses are you using, haux ? 1/4'' ID ?

that would make a perfect SAE replacement from local NAPA (preferred as they sell different types of hoses for various applications) or autozone (they sell one type which "fits" all).

[fenixus]

OK. tried 1/8'' ID hoses for 2 vacuum lines from EGR modulator to TB ports and ... well ... they feel a little too loose. no leaks confirmed, but they do not sit tight.

here is what JohnGD posted in my thread, that might help

Originally Posted by JohnGD

I think the stock ones are just plain EPDM (ethylene propylene diene Monomer) rubber. Common under the hood but not as good as the silicone ones used by engine tuners. Just did a google on "3mm vacuum hose" and got:

3mm x 3 meters for $13.55+shipping.
http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/t...e-p-92009.html

This one is cheaper 89 cents/ft, or $8.90 per 10 feet, plus shipping:
http://www.boostcontroller.com/index.php?category=8

This eBay one costs a bit more 16.4ft for $19.99+shipping ($1.21/ft). 6 different colors!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3mm-S...Q5fAccessories


Also check Amazon. Free shipping over $25.

[JohnGD]

Now if we can verify it's 3mm and not 2.5.


The 5/16" and 3/8" are close enough for 8mm and 10mm respectively. Never had problems with these. It's the smallest ones giving problems.

[fenixus]

exactly, let me go to my car now and get one of the hoses for measurement

so far it looks good:
vacuum hoses from Booster Controller come up cheapest including shipping.
seems like 10ft of 3mm ID x 2.5mm wall (black) comes to $16.90 (shipping to Jersey), good price!

[fenixus]

ok, that's odd ... i think i my original hoses are deteriorated ... one end measures 4mm ID, while the opposite end seems like 3mm ID

wall thickness also varies from 1.5mm up to 2mm LOL
i guess i need to replace them no questions asked. getting 3mm ID replacement (2.5mm wall seems a little thicker than original, but screw it)

probably this is the one I used with mityvac ...

let me get the other one ... and the throttle opener hose too ...

[fenixus]

LOL!

checked the other TB<->modulator hose and the throttle opener hose and all of them are 4mm ID on one end and around 3-3.5mm ID on the other end ... i might have been using all of them with old (silver) mityvac in past though (stretching them a little so they fit on inlet port) ...

same about wall thickness, it's uneven, sometimes i measure 1.5mm, other times 2mm. old hoses ...

thing is that they may still sit tighter than 1/8'' ID hoses because i measure only a tip end (might be stretched) and they may be narrower further from tip ends.

i guess going with 3mm ID is fine. i think 2.5mm might be a problem. only thing that replacement hoses will have slightly thicker walls (clips might not fit well). anyways replacements seem tighter ID than those old original ones... to measure them properly would need to cut one in half, but i can't need them all still

will post back here if 3mm ID turns out to be bad

edit:
after second thoughts i will go with ebay link, which is thinner (2mm vs 2.5mm from Booster Controller) wall thickness and same 3mm ID, will be a better fit (clips), closer to originals ($26 shipped for 5 meters is still a good price, just the length is an overkill) ... however they will be shipped from Hong Kong, might take a while hehe

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3mm-S...item1c02157857

[JohnGD]

I think a thicker wall may mean it can resist a stronger vacuum, so should be a plus? I don't remember ever seeing clamps on 3mm ID hoses, so I think the Booster Controller hoses should be fine.

1/8" SAE is 3.175mm. Maybe .175mm can make it feel loose. Unless a new 3mm hose measures smaller than 3, otherwise 2.5 may be the correct choice.

Originally Posted by fenixus

LOL!

checked the other TB<->modulator hose and the throttle opener hose and all of them are 4mm ID on one end and around 3-3.5mm ID on the other end ... i might have been using all of them with old (silver) mityvac in past though (stretching them a little so they fit on inlet port) ...

same about wall thickness, it's uneven, sometimes i measure 1.5mm, other times 2mm. old hoses ...

thing is that they may still sit tighter than 1/8'' ID hoses because i measure only a tip end (might be stretched) and they may be narrower further from tip ends.

i guess going with 3mm ID is fine. i think 2.5mm might be a problem. only thing that replacement hoses will have slightly thicker walls (clips might not fit well). anyways replacements seem tighter ID than those old original ones... to measure them properly would need to cut one in half, but i can't need them all still

will post back here if 3mm ID turns out to be bad

edit:
after second thoughts i will go with ebay link, which is thinner (2mm vs 2.5mm from Booster Controller) wall thickness and same 3mm ID, will be a better fit (clips), closer to originals ($26 shipped for 5 meters is still a good price, just the length is an overkill) ... however they will be shipped from Hong Kong, might take a while hehe