Puzzled

[freedom5]

I'm puzzled. The platform the air filter mounts on in my 1987 Ranger with a EFI 2.9T engine has what looks like a canister of some sort to the rear. It has what appears to be two attachments for small hoses (one larger than the other) similar to those on the carbon cannister. there are no openings other than these two fittings. I assume there is a check valve in the larger one as I attached a section of hose which I could blow through but could not suck through. There has never been anything connected to this item that I know of. Also there is nothing refering to it in the Haynes or Chilton manuals nor can I find any diagrams showing any connections to it.

Is this something Ford had on a previous model and just used it to mount the air filter box on? My Ranger is an early 1987 as it was assembled in August 1986 so it could be from previous parts in stock.

freedom5

 

[martin]

Sounds like a vacuum tank. Don't know when they changed to vacuum controlled heaters.

 

[freedom5]

If it's a vacuum tank - it wasn't designed to be for my vehicle as my heater door is controlled manually.

 

[superdave1984]

I am guessing it's the vac boost tank. It's so when you mash the gas your vacuum driven stuff doesn't stop. Like on my Jeep the A/C would stop blowing out the dash when you went to pass somebody because the vent location was vacuum controlled.

 

[adsm08]

The platform that the air box mounts to on the 87 2.9 IS the vac tank.

If the canister is oriented along the length of the vehicle and mounted to the fire wall, that's probably your blower.

Pics would be VERY helpful here.

 

[RustedRanger]

I think my 87 has the same thing. When I got mine the air cleaner lid was broke and all the ones I saw at the junkyard was different,my lid had no lines at all,just into the base like freedom5 described.

 

[freedom5]

Vacuum Tank??

Thanks for all of the replys. There hasn't ever been any vacuum lines connected to it nor are there any place to connect any to from it. I took a photo as suggested by Doorgunner 2012 which may help. I'm not too swift at uploading images yet but if you click on the attached thumbnail I think you can see it.

freedom5

 

[adsm08]

Ok, the air box is not from an 87. It's from an 88.

The two plastic nips below it are the ports for the vac tank, and as I said before, the air box mounts to the vac tank. Those lines would have gone to the vacuum tree on the intake manifold. The port for the brake booster is on the center of the tree.

After some careful examination of the 87's vac system, if you run an 88+ manifold or otherwise delete the EGR system, the tank serves no purpose. In fact it isn't even preset on either of my 88's.

The silver cylinder under your drop light (that isn't the part in question is it?) is your A/C accumulator/drier.

 

[freedom5]

Ok, the air box is not from an 87. It's from an 88.

The two plastic nips below it are the ports for the vac tank, and as I said before, the air box mounts to the vac tank. Those lines would have gone to the vacuum tree on the intake manifold. The port for the brake booster is on the center of the tree.

After some careful examination of the 87's vac system, if you run an 88+ manifold or otherwise delete the EGR system, the tank serves no purpose. In fact it isn't even preset on either of my 88's.

The silver cylinder under your drop light (that isn't the part in question is it?) is your A/C accumulator/drier.

Thanks. Ford must have started producing the tanks early as my 87 was assembled in Canada in August 1986. Youv'e answered my question (as usual). The accumulator is not part of the question. I was in the AC/Htg business for 17 yrs and converted the system to 134A in 1995 so I am familiar with that part of the system.

freedom5