IWE Vacuum Hose Replacement

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K1LDZR2

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I have a 2010 5.4 L, and I think I might need to replace the vacuum tubes. (I'm hearing the grinding from one front wheel and banging from the other.) The truck originally came with vacuum hose assembly with part number AL3Z-7A785-E , but it has been discontinued. I can get my hands on a AL3Z-7A785-F, but I was hoping someone could confirm that this revision would still work on the 2010 5.4 L. I know the A denotes a 2010 and the E and F only denote revisions, but I know that those "revisions" aren't always backwards-compatible.

Does anybody know whether revision F would still work on an early model 2010 5.4 L? Or could anyone confirm that BL3Z-7A785-*, the 2011+ hose assembly, would work instead?
 

pat247

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I just bought the BL3Z-7A785-B for my 2014 to have just in case and it was only $51.xx shipped. If you can get the AL3Z for a reasonable price I would jump on it otherwise get the BL3Z and make it work. These things are becoming obsolete so you don't have much choice.
 
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K1LDZR2

K1LDZR2

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I just bought the BL3Z-7A785-B for my 2014 to have just in case and it was only $51.xx shipped. If you can get the AL3Z for a reasonable price I would jump on it otherwise get the BL3Z and make it work. These things are becoming obsolete so you don't have much choice.
Fair point, honestly. I've considered getting a spare steering wheel for the same reason...
 

PoolManRaptor87

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I used 1/4" black irrigation tubing from home depot to replace all my iwe lines. It's thicker, stronger, but more flexible. Just need vacuum fittings from auto parts store to complete install. Very easy and under $30 all in to replace all the lines. Have done both my gen1 and my 2011 expedition this way and they have held up great.
 

rschap1

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^
Once I took a few minutes to look over what the line sets actually are, I just used some tubing and zip ties and replaced it all.
 

AZ-Rich

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I also have a 2010 and needed to replace my IWE vacum lines and came up with same finding that the OEM part is now discontinued. The parts director for all the region dealerships is my neighbor and he investigated what the service techs are doing to replace. Turns out they modify the BL3Z-7A785-B which is still readily available so it will work in the 2010. I bought one and realized it has the same bend pattern as the original; but some of the xmas tree zip connectors are rectangular not round, plus some are in different locations. So I snipped those off and replaced with round zip connectors in the correct spots to work. Relatively easy to modify. My only issue was the last zip connector before the rigid tube is connected to the rubber end lines running to the hub actuators. Since I had both my front wheels lifted off the ground they hung at the lower end of the suspension making it a stretch to reach the actuators. As a fix I simply did not tighten down the last zip tie connectors before the rubber lines start on each side, allowing a little play to accommodate the suspension’s droop. IMO, If the rubber lines were an inch or two longer that would not have been necessary. It took me about an hour to do all this. First, I popped off all the old line zip connectors before feeding the new line in. Otherwise you might damage it. I would suggest starting in the center of the vacuum line assembly which spans across from drivers side to passenger side and from there very carefully work each end up to follow the EXACT path of the existing lines. Be real careful over the top of the shock tower mounts as it’s here that any tension can damage the rigid tubing. Once you have the new line precisely in situ and the old line cut out, you can start popping in connectors from the center towards each end, replacing all those connectors which are either in the wrong spot or are rectangular vs round. I had my front end lifted and on jackstands so I could easily test the functioning of the actuators after the lines were replaced and vacum restored with engine on, switched to 2wd. The wheels should spin freely without half axle CV joints turning.
 
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K1LDZR2

K1LDZR2

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I used 1/4" black irrigation tubing from home depot to replace all my iwe lines. It's thicker, stronger, but more flexible. Just need vacuum fittings from auto parts store to complete install. Very easy and under $30 all in to replace all the lines. Have done both my gen1 and my 2011 expedition this way and they have held up great.
Almost like these? Or could I get by with the even cheaper, black tubing? LOL


 

AZ-Rich

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I’m sure you could make your own customized tubing runs with connectors but I imagine it will require a lot more time to install vs popping in a BL3Z-7A785-B with a few mods.
 

PoolManRaptor87

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Yes those type of fittings, but cheaper tubing. I got 100 ft because I was doing both my trucks but you can get 25 and 50 ft rolls of the same stuff. Screenshot_20240417-162552.png
I did all my lines in about an hour. That included me using the black plastic wire managers that went over the old lines. Figured they couldn't hurt, but deff doubled the time of the install as they are a pain to re-use.
 
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