Rubber AAR Elbow HIPPIE FIX!

[DurocShark]

http://www.donimages.com/guac/auxairelbow.html

Ahh... The first article of the year! Hooray!

Last August while in California, I discovered a vacuum leak in the Auxiliary Air Regulator elbow. This is a right angle elbow that connects the AAR to the S-Boot on the intake. I picked up a new one from VeeDub in Huntington Beach. Coupla bucks and I was back in business.

Fast forward to January. A mere 5 months later.



5 months and the elbow is hardened and split. Nothing like Genuine VW parts, eh?

I refuse to fund the manufacturing of shit parts. Just ain't gonna happen. So I started looking for other solutions.

First I tried to find another 90 degree rubber elbow, either 13mm or 1/2" inner diameter. I know there's something out there, but the counter monkeys at the FLAPS around here are useless. Can't be arsed to look for a part that might actually HELP someone. Then someone on the Type 2 List made a suggestion:

Don, why not get a piece of good rubber hose that will fit over the "outlet"
pipe, then in the other end put a short straight piece of copper tubing,
solder a 90 bend on it, solder another copper short on the other end of the
elbow, and another short good rubber piece as long as you want it, on to
that.

So I thought, what the heck? Time to head to Ace Hardware. Where I found:





A buck and a half got me a copper 90 degree elbow. The OD was a bit more than 1/2", so it's kinda large but will work. The next size down was way too small.

Comparing the two I found that the copper elbow is a bit smaller than the rubber one. This is good because the location it goes in is VERY tight even for the stock elbow. And I'm going to need a length of rubber hose to go between this elbow and the nipple on the AAR.



But it looked like it would still be too long. Out comes the Dremel (I love that thing!) I cut off a quarter inch or so, leaving just enough of the raised area to act as a lip creating a tight seal. Then I ground the edge mostly smooth to avoid any sharp edges that could cut the hose.




This rig fit nicely. And what's awesome is I can use any 1/2" hose to replace the rubber, which makes life easier for the future.

[spiffy]

Good fix man, I always check that connection when I am in my engine bay...I have never really trusted it completely.

[bottomend]

People should not be surprised at how many things they can find at the hardware store as opposed to the auto parts store to solve problems. This is a great example. Get creative!

[Gypsie]

That little elbow cost me great grief when I was having a vacuum leak mystery. Love the fix. that one goes in the mental file: next time i have to replace this, I'm going to...)

[hambone]

I agree, great idea. Good noggin-usin'.

[germansupplyscott]

this one works, and doesn't split in a year.

http://www.germansupply.com/home/custom ... ctid=16902

[Bleyseng]

I just bought a good one from Scott....way easier than the Hippiefix.

[Amskeptic]

this one works, and doesn't split in a year.

http://www.germansupply.com/home/custom ... ctid=16902

Scott,
Do you have any dual carb buses hanging around? I'd love to know if your elbows would fit the central idling feed tube-to-left-carburetor air intake nipple. Also, will your elbows fit the fresh air nipple off the fan housing, the one that goes to the to the charcoal tank? There are yet two more rubber elbows on the charcoal tank-to-air filter hose. Dang. I need a total of 5.

[germansupplyscott]

i will check for you and report. are all years of dual carbed buses the same on the central idle tube? is this the short steel curved tube that goes between the air filter housing the left carb top? if so, i have one of those tubes to check the fit.

i do have these balance pipe elbows that have been NLA for many years:

http://www.germansupply.com/home/custom ... ctid=17006

[germansupplyscott]

here is the 022 129 637 aux air valve elbow on a carb:



i would say it is a tad too tight on the carb end, but workable.

[spiffy]

I have one of yer elbows there Scott and it is holding up nicely.

[Sluggo]

this one works, and doesn't split in a year.

http://www.germansupply.com/home/custom ... ctid=16902

Scott,
Do you have any dual carb buses hanging around? I'd love to know if your elbows would fit the central idling feed tube-to-left-carburetor air intake nipple. Also, will your elbows fit the fresh air nipple off the fan housing, the one that goes to the to the charcoal tank? There are yet two more rubber elbows on the charcoal tank-to-air filter hose. Dang. I need a total of 5.

If they are the same size as the VW/Audi/Porsche part (12 mm), they do fit those. I have one on my fan shroud air outlet and one on the charcoal cannister. You can still get them from the dealership as they are currently used in Porsches. Only a few bucks.