Yeah... I've been reading about that effort, and it sounds like a real pain in the ass.

"Effort" sounds like an understatement, from what I've been reading.

Thank you for your response. With all due respect, "perhaps" doesn't answer my question.

Can someone tell me why you can't cut off the connecting ends... affix a silicone or rubber hose... then snake it to the fitting opposite the AOS? Is there a way to effect the replacement of the AOS absent the hard line that is a fuss to install?

Thank you.

I have the new hose sitting on my workbench ready to be installed. I took a look at where the hose terminates under the left (drivers' side) manifold and it doesn't look like an easy job. If you pull off the engine cover/firewall from the passenger compartment you can see (barely) the connection at the end of the hose. How to reach that without manifold removal is not real obvious.
I would be interested to hear how others have replaced that hose with or without manifold removal.

i'd love to get rid of that hose. impossible to get at, gets brittle, and is in the way of a lot of tasks on the engine - pretty much anything that requires moving the intake. and, with my ac, sai, and ps off the engine, it is the last piece of clutter. i've often thought of fabricating a replacement. doing as start says must be possible, as it is often done with with the shorter aos hose to the intake.

You know... specifically I was going to quiz you on my inquiry... but somehow I knew you'd chime in. I'm glad you did.

Since you've had the intake, sai and ps out... did never you say to yourself "I'm going to employ silicone/rubber."? Do you believe that it could be done with silicone/rubber tube/hose? isn't there an alternative to the hard line? Would it be terribly difficult to affix the new silicone/rubber to the connecting ends (once they've been sawed off the hard tube)?

Thank you.

Outstanding! Thank you.

That's the top hose. Do you believe the lower hose would be amenable to the same procedure... cutting the connecting ends... snaking the flex/sil/rub hos from the AOS to the final destination?

I'm just looking for finality. Don't want to beat this subject to complete death.

Thank you, RK.

i presume they are very similar - diameter, end connectors, so see no reason why not.

Is there a lot of vacuum in that line that could cause a softer hose to compress, thereby causing problems?

don't think much of an issue - all kinds of aftermarket aos systems for flat four subuarus on the market - use whatever hose they do.

The collapse under full vacuum issue is a wise question. In general the larger the diameter for a given wall thickness and compound, the more likely it is to collapse. So suggest you avoid cheapo hose , try thick wall or reinforced wall. The problem is that may be too stiff ??
If someone ever finds the 'sweet spot' for the spec of the required silicone hose, it would be very useful for some Forum members.
For the picky, it may not be Smog-legal but at least it would never fail again ?

Well, mine was totally brittle and cracked the corrugated part right off.

Has anyone come up with a replacement for this yet?

Thanks.

The best replacement is the factory one. Can't really come up with something different due to the way the lines connect at each end, but that doesn't mean you can't come up with a solution.

True dat, as the kids say.

Ok, I'll bite....anyone have a solution for one of these hoses where the end that connects to the AOS has broken off? I can feel there is an inch or more of corrugation left before it appears to move to smooth rubber.

This is an older parts car that I am working on, but it is in the way of construction that will be happening soon, and I'd like to be able to drive it away, so second thought is will it actually drive with this breather hose disconnected? For about the distance of 1/2 a city block?

if the car starts and engine runs, then drive it. will not run well and expect you would spray oil, not have any vacuum but if you could move the car. If you dont want to replace it with a factory one then make one from the hose you have that's broken, pictures are right above.

That would work. I just don't want to damage the car by not having it connected....could be possible to block it off before moving it I guess in the short term.
Not necessarily planning to NOT replace it with stock, just under a time limit here.

dont block anything. just start it, move it to where it needs to go and then park it.

Sounds good. Hopefully she starts after sitting for the winter.

Where are you located?

Central Alberta, Canada. Not on here much, but I will edit my profile.

The best upgrade for the AOS hose should be a material unaffected by oil,heat and vacuum. The 2 obvious candidates are reinforced silicone(see #21 above) or corrugated (yellow) natural gas line(Home Depot). You'd have to adapt some fittings and paint it matte black to look stock for Smog.