Mystery Bracket above P/S???

[KnockKnock]

I've been doing a lot of image searches for engine-bay pics for the '04-'05 model 2.3 Rangers, and I've noticed that mine has a bracket attached that none of the others do.

At first I thought that it was for a smog-pump that was deep-sixed by a previous owner, but I haven't seen a smog pump on any of the 2.3's during my image searches, so that leads me to my real question: What in the heck is that?!

 

[adsm08]

Well, I looked up the instructions for removing the pump and it just says "bracket".

It wouldn't be and AIR pump, those have been electric for 15 years now, not belt driven.

 

[KnockKnock]

It looks like the earlier Duratec had an intake muffler. I wonder if this is just left-over bracketry the engineers didn't get around to getting rid of until '05.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, that's what it looks like. I pulled up the manuals for 02 and 04 and went to the intake tube removal, the drawing show and box and a nut or bolt or something over near the PS reservoir in 02 that is gone in 04. Right about where that bracket is.

 

[stmitch]

It looks like the earlier Duratec had an intake muffler. I wonder if this is just left-over bracketry the engineers didn't get around to getting rid of until '05.

That's exactly what it is. My 01 had the intake air silencer thing. I almost pulled that bracket off this past weekend, but I didn't have the shorter bolts that would be needed once the bracket has been removed. The pics You've posted of the MX5 look like they have the proper length bolts to allow that bracket to be discarded.