I know you said the old hose was brittle, but here's what I'd try since you have nothing to loose. Get a new hose and find something that's the same inside diameter like a wooden shiskabob skewer. Cut about a two inch piece of the skewer off and then glue (with rubber cement?) one inch of it inside the new hose and one inch inside of the old hose, let sit for 24 hrs and then try pulling the new one in with the old hose. Try to clean the inside of the old hose with alcohol on something small before applying the glue.
Bill