[O' Darkness]

If the elbows are good condition and still pliable, you should be able to just smash it together to fit through the hole, then pull it back out slightly so it engages the groove with the lip of the surge tank. These are normally pretty tough and shouldn't tear easily.

I usually push in deeper than it needs to go, then pull it back outward to catch the groove.

There are other ways, but you're limited with the amount of space below the surge tank. A piece of twine in the groove and pull the ends opposite of each other, same as installing a rubber windshield gasket. But there really is no room for that.

If you cave it in with your thumb, push it through the hole, then pull back, it should snap into the groove.

Remember how there was a discussion about changing one's own tires by squeezing them into a smaller configuration with zip ties? I bet you do.

I sort of used that same general idea for reinstalling the rubber hoses back into the bottom of the surge tank. I caved in and then folded the rubber until it was roughly half the size. Then I took a wine cork and placed it against the unfolded side of the rubber, and then put a zip tie around the whole thing. Once I had the rubber tube up and in position, that wine cork gave me enough space to slip a set of linesman's snips over the zip tie so I could cut it without risk to the rubber.

Worked like a charm.

When spring arrives, I'm doing that ear shave. I don't want to battle with those hoses and the surge tank anymore.