1994 Ranger question-Regarding a vacuum line?

[crfuller1958]

Hope I'm posting this in the right place. We're trying to find out what this piece/part is. My brother has a 94 Ranger with the 3.0. Yesterday he noticed the engine making a louder than normal noise...like a hole in the muffler type of noise. When he opened the hood and found the source of the noise, it was coming from a metal vacuum line(?) near the top rear of the engine. This line is approx 1 ft long, about 3/4 inch around, looks like it threads to the top of the engine with a large nut, has two rubber vac lines coming off it near the top, then winds down to the top of the exhaust manifold to a rectangular block and appears to bolt onto the top of the manifold. It also has a kind of heat shielding on the bottom 2/3 of the line for protection. As you face the front of the truck, the metal line is on the right side, kind of just in front of where the pcv valve is. What is this piece/part? What is it's purpose? How difficult to replace? We looked in the Haynes manual, and I've looked/searched on here, but can't find anything about it. This metal line on his truck, cracked and completely separated near the bottom, near where it enters into the rectangular block. Thanks for any help.

 

[boggs1227]

from what your describing it sounds like a the transmission modulator vac line or it is a egr part .

a pic would help

 

[crfuller1958]

Should have mentioned, we have no means to take a pic. Wish we could.

 

[boggs1227]

does it look anything like this ...( the metal line that is connected to the rubber vac hose and is near the braided grounding strap is the transmission modulator line ).

...if it is the modulator line then i would suggest trying to see if you can locate one at a yard ...tho i have never had to replace it ( or ever heard of one doing what you said) i would imagine that it the two bolts on top ( or any bolts) need to be removed ) and as far as the back side of the motor where the metal line runs i'm sure there are some bolts / hangers that would need to be removed as well ) ... i would also replace the rubber line under the truck where the metal line ends and goes back to rubber before connecting into the side of the transmission .

but of course this is IF this is the problem line were talking about here .......

 

[crfuller1958]

Thanks for the reply(s) and the pic. Unfortunately, that's not it. I think it has to be air/exhaust related, as it goes into the manifold at the bottom.

 

[rwenzing]

Sounds like the EGR tube which carries exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold to the EGR valve on the intake manifold. It can rust out or fracture at higher miles.

This picture is from a different engine but it probably looks similar:

 

[crfuller1958]

I think that's got to be it...the EGR tube. The pic isn't identical, but it's very close. Must be reasonably common for those to rust out. The truck is a 94 with 100k on it. Hopefully it's not too expensive/difficult a repair. Thanks