I've got a vacuum leak. How much should it cost to replace all the hoses?

[ootdega]

I'm about 90% sure I've got a vacuum leak. The engine idles high, struggles to find idle, and briefly idles correctly when I press the gas sometimes. That could be the IAC or throttle body, but there are no other problems that would indicate either of those. On the other hand, the blender doors still creak and creep when I turn off the heater, so that would pretty much guarantee it's a vacuum leak.

That, and I recently learned that soup can is a vacuum reservoir, and the hose on that broke the first time I popped the hood before I even bought it. But I dunno if that's the only leak and I might as well be thorough about it.

So, I wanted to ask you guys if anyone would have an estimate on what it'd cost to replace all of the vacuum hoses. I might as well replace all of them with silicone while I'm at it, and there are really cheap kits like this that would seem to be able to cover the job:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-SILICO...p2054897.l4275

What should I be looking for in hoses and what should I expect to spend? It's not a big problem, but it is a problem, so I want to fix it.

Are the hoses specific to the engine or the car? If it's the engine then a Mustang kit will do just fine, if not then it's gonna get complicated.

[sly]

Also check the cruise control and TV and throttle cables to make sure they're not getting bound up just before the throttle stop. I had that issue with the Lincoln early on and it was the cruise control cable out of adjustment.

[ootdega]

I've never even used the cruise control, I'm not sure it even works.

[johnunit]

I'd buy 2-3 of those kits and see how far that gets you.

[ootdega]

I don't really know what I'm doing, but there are a couple kits here for Mustangs that have instructions. Not sure if they'll work though.

http://www.hiperformancestore.com/Ford.htm

[johnunit]

There's literally no instructions involved, really. You pick a vacuum hose, pull off one end. Find which new hose will slip on whatever you just pulled that hose off, and then it's just a matter of removing the old hose, cutting the new hose to the same length, and slipping it on. Other than the brake booster, they generally don't even have fasteners or clamps, they're just on there with friction. Pull off old hose, cut new hose to fit, put new hose on. It doesn't have to be all done at once, either. I did mine over the course of more than a year.

[ootdega]

Well see, I...don't know where the hoses are. I don't know what all the sizes are either.

I'm still new at this. Tons more knowledge than experience.

[sly]

open hood... look at engine. hoses everywhere... pick one. Is it connected to the radiator or heater core? Leave it alone. Is it connected to the AC compressor/condenser, leave it alone. Is it going to the evap/charcoal canister? Use fuel hose for that one. None of the above? you've got a vacuum line! Follow johnunit's instructions.

[ootdega]

Alright. The radiator I know, the heater core I sort of know, the compressor I know.

The AC condenser and carbon canister I don't know. What do they look like and where are they?

[slack]

Carbon canister is under the battery tray. AC Condenser looks like a radiator.

[sly]

AC condenser is the radiator for the AC. There should only be one line from the charcoal canister to the intake manifold with a solenoid by the battery that controls the flow.

[gadget73]

Just fair warning, most of the vacuum lines that actually go bad require removal of the upper intake to access. Most of the ones you can get to do not go bad.

[ootdega]

Carbon canister is under the battery tray. AC Condenser looks like a radiator.

AC condenser is the radiator for the AC. There should only be one line from the charcoal canister to the intake manifold with a solenoid by the battery that controls the flow.

Awesome. I can do that. Do you know the diameters of the hoses I might need? Will the three sizes in the first post work?

Oh, and where does the vacuum reservior hook up? The hose broke off years ago, so I won't be able to follow it.

Just fair warning, most of the vacuum lines that actually go bad require removal of the upper intake to access. Most of the ones you can get to do not go bad.

That shouldn't be too difficult, should it? From what I understand there aren't any gaskets or anything involved until you get down to the throttle body and such.

[ootdega]

Bump. I need to know what the reservoir plugs into, guys. And preferably what sizes of hose I'll need, so I can buy them beforehand.

If I had a shop manual this wouldn't be necessary, but I don't have one yet.

[gadget73]

sizes I don't know. I never bothered to write it down. It was usually a case of "i have this here, I can make it fit". Probably not the answer you're after, but perhaps someone more organized actually documented things. I tend to just put things together and not remember the particulars afterward.

The only reservoir is for the climate control system. Its the soup can. If you follow the hose, it goes to a valve plugged into the vacuum tree on the firewall.