What is the part inside the air breather housing with vac lines going to it?

Inside the air breather there is a white device/part located about 7 o'clock when looking in it that I think has two vac lines going to it from under the housing. What is its purpose and do they fail, if so where can I get one?

 

It's the temperature sensor for the snorkel door. I forget which way it works, but it it applies or shuts off vacuum to the door at a certain temperature to allow hot or fresh air into the air cleaner assembly.

 

My door in the snorkel works, moves freely but seems a little stiff in its movement in that vac to it would not be enough to close it.

 

Test it with a hand vacuum pump.

 

I don't have that type of tool.

 

Put the hose in your mouth and suck on it. Should not take much

 

I love it when you talk dirty to me. ha ha ha. I will try that.

 

I don't think they are available from any supplier at this time. I tried to chase one down last year and couldn't find one listed anywhere. I checked the operation on mine and found that it was not working (opening up the damper in the air cleaner snorkel). It will be closed cold and open when warm. You might be able to look in the end of the air cleaner snorkel to see it being open / horizontal. Or, you can simply disconnect the vac tubes from the temp sensor and cap them off to maintain your vac supply for proper carb operation. When I removed mine, the MPG went up and performance improved so it was definitely impacting the amount of air getting into the filter and feeding the carb. I'm not an expert on this sensor but just my practical experience!...

 

I have one vac line coming off intake manifold to that device in the air cleaner and vac line from that device going to the flap in the snorkel that is always open. Do I just cap off the intake vac source?

 

That sounds right to me. Might take your vac hose off and take it in to auto parts store to have them find you right size rubber cap/plug. the flap in the snorkel should be spring loaded to the open position so your good on that end. Do you have a service manual for your car? Might be a good time to check any other vac line /fitting to make sure everything is tight and not leaking.

 

Yea I have been meaning to get some new vac lines and install all new one. Yes everyone is telling me to get the manuals, ha ha ha. The wife will kill me if I put another 50 bucks in this car. Just coming off about 1200 to get her road worthy, need to tap the brakes on some spending for now. This forum would be dead if we all looked at our repair manuals, no one would have any questions to post here.

 

Every time I have been in that engine bay there have several times when I have just started the car I have checked that flap when the motor is stone cold and it is wide open. I'd say it is not working.

 

I am assuming when you said fully closed when the car is just started and running, not just sitting there motor not running.

 

I will tonight when I get off work.

 

Dang that is almost as much as the WP for the car. Why so costly?

 

Well I am a lousy mechanic. I can fix most simple things just horrible at diagnosing so I throw parts at it for a bit before I hand it off to a car shop if I don't get it via the parts blitz. ha ha ha
So if the sensor is good, I check and replace vac lines as needed, then in theory when I check the door in the snorkel it should not work if everything upstream from it is fine.