What is this thing good for?

[Lukas2009]

It's from a 2007 Explorer V6.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Looks like it’d be good for holding a hose.

 

[J_C]

Yeah you probably have a hose on your intake that popped off and now a vac leak.

 

[Lukas2009]

Maybe someone could look under his hood and tell if there is a hose on it or not.
I saw a video from another Explorer that also didn't have a hose on there. This thing seemed even not to have a hole.

 

[BKennedy]

When the engine is running is air being sucked into that fitting? If you can't hear it, you can check by covering the opening with a finger.

If not, then don't worry about it, or cap it. Most auto parts stores carry a assortment of vacuum line caps.

See, I went through a entire post without saying NIPPLE! OK, almost a entire post.

 

[Olds67]

Yeah, for cleaner emissions some states (CA?) might require this nipple to be sucked on to reburn combustion fumes, others just want you to cover that nipple

 

[J_C]

Maybe someone could look under his hood and tell if there is a hose on it or not.
I saw a video from another Explorer that also didn't have a hose on there. This thing seemed even not to have a hole.

I think you're onto something... zooming in on the posted pic, there does not appear to be a hole in the pictured nipple, just an indentation.

 

[Madman254]

It's from a 2007 Explorer V6.

View attachment 426861

View attachment 426862

View attachment 426863

That is the bolt for the valve cover.

 

[Lukas2009]

That is the bolt for the valve cover.

Thank you. You are absolutely right!
Part # 4L5Z-6C519-CA

 

[J_C]

Hmm, why does a valve cover bolt have a nipple?

 

[Olds67]

Is it really? What a weird design. Doesn’t it make it extremely annoying to get to. Torque wrench needs to be out if the ordinary too…

 

[Mbrooks420]

It’d just be a deep well socket on a regular torque wrench.

 

[J_C]

So are all the VC bolts like that or just this one and (some or all of) the rest lack the nipple?

 

[Olds67]

It’d just be a deep well socket on a regular torque wrench

I dont have deep wells in every size, actually just one
But still what’s it designed for this way?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d assume it was an adaptation to block a hose some of them have, or had. They certainly didn’t just put it in there for no reason. They’d certainly put them in after they were needed to burn up a stockpile they already had, though.

 

[Lukas2009]

So are all the VC bolts like that or just this one and (some or all of) the rest lack the nipple?

Each valve cover has three of them. And also three "normal" ones.

 

[Olds67]

Each valve cover has three of them. And also three "normal" ones.

Doesn’t make it less weird.

 

[WildWillie]

V.c. bolt or not, when everyone thought it was a vacuum line nipple w/o a line attached, in order to find out if it's sucking air, with the engine idling, just spray a little starting fluid on it (or any suspected leaky line) and not the engine reaction. If the rpms change, up or down, it leaks !

 

[Fbird]

its just a holder "stud". There are many un-used similar bolts in the engine compartment. Typically it is used for a harness clip to route a wiring harness to locatation. You have nothing missing or strange just another way of making assembly fit many applications in a generic fashion.