Evaporator drain replacement - w123

[Demothen]

Hi All,
After a lot of trial and error, I was able to replace my evaporator drain in my '85 w123. I just wanted to share the technique I used. I was not wild about sourcing/using the original tubing, though that might be the better option. In my case, the materials cost about 5$ total, more if you add pipe insulation

DISCLAIMER: This technique is slightly dangerous, make sure you use common sense and don't blame me if you have problems.

Materials:
1" diameter heat shrink (shrinks to 1/2") - 2 pieces about 6" long. I bought this in a 3 foot length, so have a lot left over.
1/2" ID pex tubing (anything roughly that size should work fine) - 1 piece about 3" long.

Tools:
Something to cut the tubing/heat shrink
A small torch with a heater attachment (mine's a bit larger than a pen, found at many hardware stores)
Spray bottle of water
Fire extinguisher - better safe than sorry

Technique:
0) This assumes you have access to the drain - in my case I had the dash out. You want to make sure there's no carpet/insulation/etc near the drain location.
1) Slip one layer of heat shrink over the tubing, so that they are flush on one end.
2) Heat the heat shrink until it conforms tightly to the tubing, and slightly shrink the rest (you want to be able to slip another piece around it)
3) Slip the second piece of heat shrink over the first, but rotate it so the flat spots are 90 degrees offset. Shrink just the area over the tube.
4) Insert this completed piece into the drain hole, and slip the heat shrink over the drain tube.
5) Spray the area under around the drain with some water
6) Use the torch to shrink the heat shrink tubing onto the drain. You'll probably want to access this from both sides.
7) Optional: Add a zip tie or two over the drain to secure it in place. Probably not necessary
8) Optional #2: Add some pipe insulation over the drain to help prevent engine/transmission noise/fumes from entering the car.
DISCLAIMER again: This technique is slightly dangerous, make sure you use common sense and don't blame me if you have problems.