Vacuum Line for a New Power Brake Booster?

[ante_up13]

What kind of vacuum line do you need...steel or will rubber do fine?

[68LSS1]

For the rubber, any that's fuel safe--it will last longer. Regular vaccuum hose will work, it will break down easier/quicker than fuel line.

[chevy68]

I just swapped out a 327 to a 396 and i also put in the power brake booster. I just used a rubber hose off the carb and it works great.

[tmcgrawlookalike]

they(gates) make a thick-wall rubber vacuum brake booster hose that most parts have, or can get.is offered in 2 id sizes.fuel line will tend to suck itself flat,providing no vacuum to the booster,which will mean a suprise of almost no brakes when you need them.

[flatblackclassic]

Originally Posted by tmcgrawlookalike

they(gates) make a thick-wall rubber vacuum brake booster hose that most parts have, or can get.is offered in 2 id sizes.fuel line will tend to suck itself flat,providing no vacuum to the booster,which will mean a suprise of almost no brakes when you need them.

Vacuum line has a built in resistance to collapsing that Fuel line simply does not. Think about it. Fuel lines have pressure pushing OUT on the line while a Vacuum line is constantly trying to be collapsed, IE removing all of the air. This is why they make specific hoses for specific applications. I would hate for someone to have to find this out the hard way.

[Tx Firefighter]

I always bend up a hard line for a majority of the run and then connect with rubber brake booster vacuum hose. The factory did it this way a lot, and I figure the engineers are smart enough to have a reason, so I follow suit.

I've attached a couple of pictures below of the one I built for my big block truck. Notice it screws into the back of the carb. Notice, also, that I put a bulge on the end of the line to keep the vacuum hose from slipping off as easily.

People think that it being vacuum, there's no worry about the hose coming off, but there is. When I worked as a GM dealer tech, we had to do a massive recall on S-10 trucks because if the engine ever backfired, it would blow the booster hose off and the driver would no longer have power brakes.