'98 Montero 3.5 Vacuum Line Question

[shaneakm31]

I have a '98 Montero 3.5 with 230k+ miles on her. The other day, I was driving home and it stalled at a light, The idle air control motor is fine and has under 500 miles on it. I did have a fairly visible intake manifold leak between the upper and mid intake manifold plenum. I've never personally done plugs and wires so it seemed like a good time to tear it apart. The water pump and timing belt were done 20k ago by my good friend who I bought the truck from so I didn't find it necessary. Everything went back together very smoothly. I'm having questions about vacuum lines - refer to the picture attached. The service manual doesn't call out this line being located here but thats how it was before I pulled it apart. It looks odd to me. Is this correct? Could I see some pictures of other people's vacuum line set up?
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[nwoods]

That's interesting. I have a 2002 3rd Gen with the 3.5L. I had a 1998 previous to that, and the engines were nearly identical, with the only notable differences that I could see being in the front plate that mounted the accessories, and some variations in the intake assembly. The top end and block were identical, or so I thought. But my intake casting doesn't even have a port where your vacuum line is shown.

Here are photos of my 2002 3.5. I definitely did not have a vacuum line where yours appears to be.

There are more images here for you to look through if you want: https://nwoods.smugmug.com/Vehicles/Montero/3rd-Monty-Restoration/

This one from the back side of the IAC solenoid might be helpful:

 

[nwoods]

Okay, I went back a bit further in time, and yes, my 1998 3.5 had that same vacuum line fitting on the intake plenum.


I also found a video that shows it quite clearly (video of the engine running kind of rough, I think it was missing on one of the cylinders at the time - a perpetual problem that I never solved):

For Sale - nwoods

Montero for Sale

nwoods.smugmug.com

 

[shaneakm31]

Very cool. Maybe someone cut mine back to get rid of a crack. it looks like yours had a small split. It's still odd its not on the under the hood digram or in any book.'

 

[Salonika]

What is it for?

 

[shaneakm31]

What is it for?

On my truck it go's to the Vacuum control valve and has a white tracer mark.