How hard is it to change out vac lines?

[jbach36]

It'd been recommended to me that I change out all my vac lines, but that seems hard to do since they squirrel all over the place and sometimes you lose sight of where they go, or they go to places that I can't get to.

Has anyone done this, and if so, how hard is it? And where can I get vac lines? Seems that I called a MB parts supplier and they were really expensive. I generally stick with all MB parts, but the vac lines have a pretty easy job, I'm thinking generic stuff would work just as well.

1991 300d, 199k

[rocky raccoon]

is seldom necessary unless they are physically broken. In that case, generic hard lines are o.k.

What usually requires changing on our old cars are the soft rubber vacuum connectors. They live a hard life in the oily, hot environment under the hood and often crack and split. Inspect them and possibly replace all of those.

[tyl604]

X2. Just fix what is broken. I have a 81 300SD and all the plastic vac lines are like new; I have replaced just rubber joints.

[Diesel911]

Under the Hood it is the little nipples on the main Vacuum Line to the Power Brake Booster that crack off, the short sections of rubber vacuum hose that coonect the plastic vac tubes and the 3 or 4 way rubber connectors.

Inside of the car there is the same rubber stuff but on mine I found that all the rubber stuff looked new.

Where the Plastic tubing has issues is in the area where the door hinges; other wise nothing much happens to the plastic tubing.

You can use regular Vaccum Hose cut into sections to replace the tube to tube connectors and the 3 and 4 way conneectors are not too expensive if you shop around.