Vacuum Canister Tubing

1966veedub · Post by **1966veedub** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:08 am

I'm trying to locate the metal portion (or maybe it's brass or copper?) of the bendable tubing that leads from the vacuum canister on the distributor to the carburetor on my '66 beetle but have had no luck finding any online. Any suggestion on where I can find one? Or if there's another tubing I can use in it's place?

Thanks a bunch.

fatalifeaten · Post by **fatalifeaten** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:34 pm

Any rubber line will work as long as it's the correct size and the sidewall is stiff enough not to collapse from the vacuum signal

1966veedub · Post by **1966veedub** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:16 am

Thanks for the info.

I've always understood (and have been told) that the tubing I'm referring to needs to have that unusual upward bend to keep moisture from passing through, which I wouldn't be able to get from just a rubber line. Do you know if that's true? If not, I'll go with the rubber line.

xam1 · Post by **xam1** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 8:05 am

You can make that tube for yourself by using metal brake line tubing for example. That upward bend should be there to prevent the damage caused by gas got in touch with the rubber diagram inside the vacuum canister.

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:59 am

Exactly right. The upward bend was intended to keep gas from getting into the vacuum advance canister.

I've never really thought of this being a hard-to-find part, but I guess most everything is getting to be these days. Try scouring the swap meets at local and regional VW shows.

1966veedub · Post by **1966veedub** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:49 pm

I ended up purchasing a 2 foot piece of 3/14" metal brake line (for about $4 at O'Reilly's Auto parts) that bent nicely with my pipe bender and worked perfectly! Thanks guys!