Tape (?) on vacuum lines

[Tom L.]

As i put the engine bay together on my '72 I keep referring to the AIM. I see what I think is tape holding the vacuum lines together. If it's tape, what kind? If not what is holding it together. Thanks!!

[Pat M.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Lynn, I believe it's a cloth-like, black tape. A friend of mine (ours ) gave me some years ago that I used. Don't know where you can get some now.

[Randy C.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

I replaced the vacuum lines and engine compartment electric harness in the engine compartment of my '71 base engine automatic in 2002. With the old pieces, I did find two vacuum lines taped together - the two lines came from the driver side of the engine - in a position on top of the brake booster, and it was the cloth-like black tape, 3/4" wide. However, with the vacuum lines that run down the driver side just inside the fender, the originals were taped together at 4 different positions (as I recall, as illustrated in the assembly manual, too) with 1/2" wide black electrical tape. Now, I didn't buy my car brand new (it was 7 years old when it became mine), but that 1/2" black electrical tape sure did look original to those vacuum lines so I replaced it with the same on my new vacuum lines. The real trick was to find 1/2" wide black electrical tape. 3/4" black electrical tape is everywhere (3/4" even comes with the replacement vacuum line kit), and I found a lot of 1/2" electrical tape in red, green, blue, and yellow, but no black. I just about gave up my search until one day when I went into Radio Shack for something completely unrelated to the Corvette and there it was - 1/2" black electrical tape. So that's the way I went with the new vacuum lines running down the driver side of the car.

Randy C.

[Alan S.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Hi,
On my 71 sb the bundle of vacuum and headlight washer hoses running along the left side apron was wrapped with a shiny black plastic tape.
The 2 lines running from the vapor canister to the pcv and on to the carb were wrapped in 3 places with black cloth tape. It has a 'tar like' stickiness, and shows a few white threads. I believe it's called 'gaffer's tape'. I found some in the electrical dept. of my local hardware store.
Regards,
Alan

[Rich P.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Tape holding Tees together usually is shiping style clear, 1/2" wide with 5-6 strings of rope running length wise.

Rich

[Patrick H.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Tape holding Tees together usually is shiping style clear, 1/2" wide with 5-6 strings of rope running length wise.

Rich

Rich,

TFYI, that's 1970 and possibly early 71, not for 72 as per the car inquestion.

Patrick

[Rich P.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Pat thanks, did not know they stopped in 72. Ive seen it on earlier than 70 cars.
Rich

[Edward J.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

As i put the engine bay together on my '72 I keep referring to the AIM. I see what I think is tape holding the vacuum lines together. If it's tape, what kind? If not what is holding it together. Thanks!!

Lynn, If you go to home depot they sell cloth friction tape by the roll its exactly what you will need, Its made by 3M.The AIM will show the locations. for wiper and headlight vacuum harness and engine also.

[Terry M.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Guys,

The configuration of the electrical and vacuum hoses on the driver's side inner fender changed during 1971 production. Some was bundled in a round shape, like 1970 and some had the vacuum hoses and electrical harness in a flat configuration with one element stacked on the other. At one time I thought the different styles were progressive -- that is one style early and the other later, but I have seen examples that contradicted that progression.

None the less both styles had a black tape with a cloth matrix visible. In over 40 years int he electrical industry (admittedly for a single utility) I have never seen electrical tape like that.

[Tom L.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

thanks for the help. Alan mentioned that some of the tape, particularly on the left side of the car, was a "shiny black plastic tape". Others only mention a cloth tape similar to friction tape. Were there two different tapes used? Thanks for help in clearing this up.

[Alan S.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

Hi,
I'm wondering the same thing as Lynn.
It seems like 3 different types of tape are being discussed now; black plastic with adhesive (as opposed to the non sticky harness wrap), black cloth tape, and opaque narrow filament tape.
My comment was that on my 71 the black plastic tape was used on the vacuum hose bundle, and the black cloth tape on the pcv and vapor hoses. I found found no filament tape on my 71.
Regards,
Alan

[Randy C.]

Re: Tape (?) on vacuum lines

...and my experience is the same as Alan's. The black cloth tape (3/4" wide) was found on the pcv and vapor hoses (I found it in just one place - atop the brake booster). The shiny black plastic tape (1/2" wide) was found in 4 places on the bundle of 3 vacuum hoses that lay flat against each other (smaller hose on the bottom) and run down the driver side of the car. My '71 base engine automatic has a December 15, 1970 build date.

Randy C.