I was getting ready to fire up the red truck today after a long winter. I noticed my vacuum gauge was not working at all. Can’t run without that. Long story short is the 3 or 4 feet of 1/4" copper tubing I use with it had completely plugged with corrosion and then on top of that, a little spider had decided to set up home in the back of the gauge and keep the bellows from deflecting on the vacuum side of things. It’s always something … Regards, Mike LaRosa
Maybe fire it up tomorrow … Keep your stick on the ice …
How about poly tubing between the gauge and tap off. Then glue a small section of a women’s nylon around the back side of the gauge?
Hi Doug, That plastic tubing will crack in a year between the sun and 20 below . I use that stuff just for tests … I was shocked to see the spider in the gauge. It was probably born in it. I think it got in and out through the square place where the fitting goes in. The biggest problem was the crud in the copper. I’m trying to remember how many applications I have used that piece of tubing on. I just worry a little about some of that crud running through my engine as there is no filter from there to the throttle body. All good engines as well as people have to die from something … If that engine can’t take a few pieces of crud or dust it don’t belong on the highway anyway … :o) … I’m still here as of the moment despite the crud that plugged me up last July … Just have to rev it a bit more often … Mike
The black plastic 1/4" tubing used on big truck air lines is available at auto parts and is U/V protected and made for harsher environments. Also some red used on air bags. All exterior and tough. I used hardware store PVC. No problems yet, but then again, we’re in God’s country. 
Hi Carl, I have that “new” gauge for backup now :o). I got it from some guy in Arkansas … I had a whole batch of 1/4" plastic tubing designed for chemical transport in an outdoor environment. It all went to H in about 10 years. It never saw the sun. I had all kinds of ferrels and fittings for it too. I think it was mandated back in the 70’s that all plastic had to biodegrade in 20 years. They simply put corn starch in the mix. I now have a pair of hernia patches in my crotch that are bio-degrading there … All in God’s Country … It was easy to blow the crud out of the copper tubing … I didn’t expect the spider and I didn’t kill it either but it had to move on … I’ve been in the field today and also got my friggin taxes done … I’m beat … And I won’t preach to the choir … I’m already set for Indiana but it’s still a few weeks off. Take care amigo … Mike