>what exactly is the cheaper but reliable vacuum hose that runs from the
>master servo to the intake manifold?  What's on there has stuck me with
>its protruding wire for the last *&%$# time, pardon mon francais.

The stuff that's on there, IS the cheap but entirely suitable subtitute,
if I'm reading your post right. About a month ago, I did exactly what
you want to do-- replace all three lengths of hose for the power-brake
vacuum line with something rugger that was (a) new, (b) cheap, and
(c) wouldn't collapse if you drove a bulldozer over it.

At Napa, I found some "1/2-inch wire-reinforced heater hose" that fills
all three requirements perfectly. Sounds like you may have some there,
and maybe someone did a lousy trim job on it when he installed it. The
stuff I got, not only has a coil-spring type insert molded in that keeps
it from collapsing, but also a long, THICK, wire running lengthwise. I
think the purpose of this lengthwise wire, is to make the hose retain
any bends you put in it as heater hose, while routing it around the engine
block of your Mustang or whatever.

Anyway, I replaced the old hose on my '71, with this stuff. Bingo, the
idle smoothed out, the engine didn't conk out any more at stoplights,
and the bus lived happily ever after.

And the fact that its 1/2" inside diameter is just a hair larger than
the 12mm stuff the bus came with, made no difference-- tighten down the
clamps as much as you would anyway, and it seals beautifully.

Good luck!

 -Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   '71 VW Transporter w/nice power brake syst
                                '80 V6anagon-- wanna see some LONG hoses?