I want to replace the vacuum hoses of my '87 (2wd, gas, naturally-aspirated). The stores have hose in 1/32-inch increment, and it’s flexible. I’m not sure I can measure the difference that finely. I have drill bits in 1/64 increments. I can jam them up the hose but am not sure how tight they should be. If I measure the tubes on which they mount will that tell me? What’s the relationship?
If you have any of the hose you want to replace just take a short piece of it to the parts store and let them match it.
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Tight enough to require a bit of spit on the barbed fitting to enable installation.
Volvo had the best answer. Bring a piece in. Of course, if you’re like me and will be driving the vehicle to the parts store that might be a challenge!
I suspect the vehicle in question is the old pickup that has caused several hundred threads about it’s carburetor.
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I have only enormous respect for troll. He’s really done a great deal of work and shown great patience, persistence, and dedication to fixing up this vehicle. He’s also done a lot of research and openly asked questions well beyond the norm. I enjoy helping those who put their own sweat into the work and have the persistence to keep plugging at problems.
Troll has “stayed the program”, and I hope he gets this completely sorted out. I’m happy to try to help.
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I forgot to mention that I did this and found the ‘help’ helpless, as we have discussed in other threads. I’m unsurprised: they don’t get paid much and there isn’t the army of motorheads who’d take the job as there were 50 years ago.
[quote=“the_same_mountainbik, post:5, topic:100489, full:true”]
I have only enormous respect for troll. He’s really done a great deal of work and shown great patience, persistence, and dedication to fixing up this vehicle. He’s also done a lot of research and openly asked questions well beyond the norm. I enjoy helping those who put their own sweat into the work and have the persistence to keep plugging at problems.
Troll has “stayed the program”, and I hope he gets this completely sorted out. I’m happy to try to help.
[/quote]Not to mention the soft spot you have in your heart for old Toyota pickups. 
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As long as it’s tight enough to not be pulled off easily when the motor moves around. It’s under a slight vacuum, not pressure, so that helps retain it.
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I was kind of hoping @the_same_mountainbik knew off the top of his head.
I suspect I could get a 1/32 too narrow and it would fit, but why not get it right?
And I think it would be valuable information. I couldn’t find any site that tells me what they are. I couldn’t find a useful Youtube video (there’s a guy from a manufacturer with a professional set of tube sizers - big help).
Thanks. I think I deserve only ordinary respect, the kind everybody who follows the rules and respects others deserves.
I did, as anyone who reads ‘diagnose my fast idle’ can read for him/her/itself. And I’m grateful for all the help I got here.
But it got long and old and bogged down in a plethora of details and lost everyone’s attention.
That’s the answer to @volvo_v70 : people stop paying attention to threads after a while. Some of the questions I asked in separate threads I had asked in an earlier thread that had stopped drawing attention. I don’t see the harm in making a separate question a separate thread. Someone else searching for an answer to that specific question will find it more readily if it’s in a separate thread.
I find it hard to believe that someone ( mechanic or not ) can’t hold a piece of hose next to several sizes and not find a match or at least close enough.
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The drill shank should slide in easily, with no slop.
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LOL, I do have such a soft spot, but it has no effect on my opinion of the owner.
Troll just seems like a decent and very determined guy, who’s accepted undue criticism with dignity and forbearance.
Heck, I can’t even remember what shirt I wore yesterday! 
I can imagine being certain with the ODs but not a 1/32 difference in IDs. They may not track. My hoses are 30 years old; perhaps hose technology has improved in the interval so that they can make hoses thinner. I’m also replacing multiple hoses which may not all be the same. I’d rather measure them at home.
Perhaps the local hardware store will have some barbed plastic $1 plumbing fittings of various sizes that you can use to determine what size hose you need. You could then bring the fittings to the parts store to check the tube sizes.
I really don’t think it matters a whole lot if the ID is small enough to give a good seal. Last time I did this some years ago, they pretty much had universal fit hose that stretched quite a bit. Never had any problem.
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That’s all I needed: that wasn’t hard, was it?