What's it called?

[Flash]

The soft rubber bit that connects the IAC to the hard plastic pipe that goes to the intake hose?

 

[Flash]

Nobody?

 

[dubbio]

its probly just a "coupler" or "hose". you can probly use a bit of heater hose or any oil safe hose/tubing if it needs replaced

 

[2000StreetRod]

elbow

The following thread may help: Air inlet hose fix?

 

[Flash]

its probly just a "coupler" or "hose". you can probly use a bit of heater hose or any oil safe hose/tubing if it needs replaced

It connects 2 hoses to the IAC and is a weird shape.

You couldn't use any old piece of hose.

 

[Flash]

The following thread may help: Air inlet hose fix?

I wanted to know what the name of the part was so I could google it or ask for it but at that price it won't be happening.

I'm almost sure that on my car that plastic pipe runs back toward the firewall and does connect to something. It was something like 2 years ago when I was in there last.

If it doesn't then I'll just bypass it with flexible hose.
Or if it does need to be connected I'm thinking that flexible hose with a T piece wold work. Then run flex all the way out to the inlet hose.

What I've done for now (on a Sunday afternoon and I need the car later) is to retrieve the 2 pieces and glue them together with rubber glue then sploosh silicone all over it to help seal and strengthen the join.`

I used cloth to reinforce the silicone, looks terrible, I don't care.

 

[Flash]

When the silicone is fully set I'll fit it up.

 

[Flash]

I couldn't wait for the silicone to set, as I said I need the car later today.

StreetRod and somebody else said that the 3rd pipe goes nowhere, that didn't sound right because Ford wouldn't have put it there for no reason; I guess it must be a pulse damper.

Anywho, that's all I needed to to try something else: I found a convenient piece of rubber hose in my BMW parts stash and cut a likely looking section out of it. It was bent in almost exactly the right angle.
In it went and everything runs perfectly.

The idle is good, the off idle transition is good.

I'm not sure if I'll even put myself through the trauma of installing the repaired 3 way part, we'll see.

 

[Flash]

I just drove 90kms through suburban traffic, Explorer performed flawlessly.

 

[ccm2001]

Hit up a junkyard part should be free or under 10$

 

[BustedKnuckles24]

Yeah, go to a junkyard. Plenty of Explorers available to pick parts from. The fibre-reinforced silicone trick is neat, but I wouldn't trust it to hold for the long term.

 

[2000StreetRod]

German influence

. . . StreetRod and somebody else said that the 3rd pipe goes nowhere, that didn't sound right because Ford wouldn't have put it there for no reason; I guess it must be a pulse damper. . .

I suspect the engineers at Cologne, Germany still had a lot of influence on the initial version of the SOHC V6. The 1997 & 1998 had VIS which was deleted in 1999. The 1997 & 1998 had a dual core radiator which was replaced with a single core radiator in 1999. The vacuum controlled fuel pressure - which in my opinion is more responsive to load change - was replaced with a constant pressure returnless fuel system in 1998. The balance shaft was eliminated for the Mustangs. And the IAC valve configuration was changed in 1999. I agree that the tube is probably a tuned port air damper similar to what is used in home plumbing to reduce water "hammering". The photo of the underside of my stock 2000 upper intake manifold shows the tube was deleted.

 

[XLTrunner]

StreetRod and somebody else said that the 3rd pipe goes nowhere, that didn't sound right because Ford wouldn't have put it there for no reason; I guess it must be a pulse damper.

Actually, that is correct. The tube runs under the Intake Manifold towards the firewall and is capped at the end. I scratched my head wondering what the point was for it, too. But, being that I am not a Ford automotive engineer, figured there must be some reason for it...so, I went down to the junk yard and found another to replace mine. Can't say it made any noticeable difference in how the engine performed, though.

 

[Flash]

Yeah, go to a junkyard. Plenty of Explorers available to pick parts from. The fibre-reinforced silicone trick is neat, but I wouldn't trust it to hold for the long term.

There's not all that many in the junkyards here.
It seems to be working ok now so I'll leave it the way it is.

Must be the BMW part.

 

[Flash]

I agree that the tube is probably a tuned port air damper ]

Seems to work ok without it. It's the sort of thing Ford Engineers do, or did.

The 2wd Explorers didn't have the balance shaft either but the Mustang with the manual box and LSD did.

It's for smoothing out a vibration that comes in at 2800-3000 rpm under high torque.