If it's stupid and it works, it isn't stupid

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
02/28/2017 at 19:56 • Filed to: Hoosier ingenuity

So my S10 has been idling weird and feeling waaaay down on power for a couple days, maybe a week now. I finally got fed up and asked my dad if he had any ideas.

He immediately starts checking intake hoses behind the MAF. He pops the piece that attaches the air hose to the throttle body. There’s a little gasket in there that’s completely toast. Obviously it’s letting air past the MAF and freaking my truck out, making it run lean.

Gasket should be in that black piece where the lip tapers

The gasket pops out so obviously it can be replaced, right? NOPE. Only sold with the airbox piece and only sold through GM for $140. Not happening.

So what does my dad dream up? He takes some silicone fish tank air bubbler tubing, cuts it tolength, glues the ends together, and shoves it in there and puts it back on the truck.

It fucking WORKS.

My truck runs sooooo much better.

It’s a temporary fix until I find it necessary to buy that stupid $140 piece. Or maybe it’s permanent. Probably permanent.

DISCUSSION (16)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 20:20

140, that’s brutal for a piece of rubber.

VW Max > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/28/2017 at 20:31

#righttorepair

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/28/2017 at 20:37

But you get a $2 piece of Chinese plastic too, so obviously it’s worth $140 now.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 20:39

Show us the fix! I don’t care about the broken bit.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 20:42

Junkyard. There are always plenty of S10s and related vehicles to pick through.

I did something similar to fix a hair cutting machine. The rubber sleeve that connects it to the vacuum cleaner hose broke, and rather than paying the manufacturer $20 for a new one I just went to a bike shop and asked them for a ruptured mountain bike innertube out of their garbage and cut out a section of appropriate length. Plus I have plenty of material left over should I need another one (or six...)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2017 at 20:42

I forgot to take a picture! And it worked so perfectly I’m scared to take it back off. Just imagine some bright blue rubber hose glued into the shape of a gigantic o-ring.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
02/28/2017 at 20:44

They’re all gonna most likely be just as worn or worse than mine one. Most people don’t even think about that piece.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 20:48

I did a similar temporary fix on my truck. The accordion section right before the manifold rotted apart, so I cobbled together a replacement from a soup can and some tyvex tape. It worked for over a year.

That silicone tubing is also the same size as the tubing connecting the motor to the chuck inside a dremel tool. If your dremel motor spins up but the bit doesn’t turn, open the case and use a bit of aquarium tubing to reconnect the motor to the chuck.

Alfalfa > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 20:53

$140!? I’d call that a fix how it sits.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Alfalfa
02/28/2017 at 20:56

That’s about what I’m thinking!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 21:04

When I was reading your post, and before you told us about Pops The Genius, I said to myself, “Self, there’s got to be a way to make that work.”

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
02/28/2017 at 21:29

A way had to be found because I was about to be driven crazy by the feeling that my truck was down about 50 horsepower after 2000rpm

wafflesnfalafel > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 22:09

love it - better motoring through smarts and ingenuity

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
02/28/2017 at 23:09

If you go to a proper hardware store they may be able to find you a much cheaper and more permanent o-ring solution for next time.

Dave the car guy , still here > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/01/2017 at 08:34

And when your S10 was newer that was likely a $50 part. We’ve been seeing insane price increases on some older GM parts. Can’t recall what it was but had a customer needing a part last fall which he had bought for $60 3-4 years earlier that was three times that now.

ateamfan42 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/01/2017 at 09:50

It’s a temporary fix until I find it necessary to buy that stupid $140 piece. Or maybe it’s permanent. Probably permanent.

Reminds me of a classic line:

“This is only temporary, unless it works.”