Thanks for the suggestions, I have something on order - may or may not work but I'll post my findings as and when.
Fortunately, the unobtainable hose is smaller than the newer style so a section of the old hose can be used as a spacer ring inside a newer hose.
Hey gang, go a little bit careful with what you’re replacing it with, and keep an eye on it. I connected a piece of car heater pipe ( I think) that had been hanging up in the garage for years, I ran it from the breather outlet into a large old water bottle and the fumes or residue made the pipe swell up and go soft as anything thus blocking the vent right where it did the goats eyelid thing on entering the neck of the bottle Ozziedog,,,,,,,just keep an eye on it
Finally think I've found a solution to this (unobtainable, tightly convoluted, 19mm breather hose replacement) that I'm happy with. I did try the type of EPDM rubber hose that @mikedjames used here... https://thelatebay.com/index.php?th...-bay-today-thread.55126/page-803#post-1862609, but found it was really way too stiff and unyielding to happily conform to the 2 tight 90 degree bends needed. I also understand that EPDM rubber isn't too happy in oil so was keen to find a better solution. Both @nobayinhell and @dubsurftones pointed me in the right direction, so thanks to them. For me, the solution was 19mm PVC wire reinforced hose from Auto Silicon Hoses, purchased from eBay here... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/402939548566?var=673144619910, much softer than anything else I tried and easily conforms to the required bends without kinking. A section of the new stuff shown here with the very compromised old hose above...
I like their stuff too. I used their hoses on all the heater hoses from the snail fan all the way to the totem pole.
The downside is that PVC also goes hard and brittle. I briefly used a piece of fabric reinforced PVC hose the other weekend as it was all I had. After 460 miles it had permanently formed itself into the S shape complete with kinks and had started stiffening up as the plasticiser left it. The EPDM is very stiff but the aircleaner stayed put doing 230 miles last weekend. Its a close run thing the air cleaner spring clips are really under strain. I am sticking with it - slightly more than 0.5m would have helped give more wiggle room.
Yes I am expecting it to stiffen with use (oo er missus ), seen it times on old lawnmowers etc where it was used in the fuel lines. I'm just happy that what I have has easily confirmed to the required shape without linking, I'm hoping it won't be an issue if it sets rigidly in that form - the old rubber hose went the same way but also collapsed with massive kinks.
@Devon233 I think you have found solutions, but if not, maybe this company would have something appropriate? I’ve used them to replace all the old hoses in my Fiat Coupe turbo. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=twinz silicon hoses&_trksid=p2380057.m4084.l1313
Ps I love scrapyards too but it appears gone are the days when you could wander around on your own. There used to be one outside of Reading that had fab 60’s vehicles still at the far end of the field. Sadly the scrappers that were on dads road have decided to ditch their bit that had classics in
