Can anyone identify the rubber connector between these 2 vacuum lines? Is it some sort of control valve? If so, can you explain how it's supposed to work?

 

It is just the connector, nothing mysterious inside.

 

Thanks willowbilly3. Do you know its purpose?
- Be a dead-end plug for both of those lines?
- Be an open ended plug for both of those lines?
- Connect those lines together?

I'm trying to determine if it's broken and if so what the part is so I can replace it. Right now I have vacuum on the right hand line and it's leaking (?) through to the small hole on the opposite side of the rubber piece. I have no vacuum on the left hand line.

 

I guess just cleaner than having the 2 lines plugged on the TVS and possibly to keep the 2 hoses oriented on the same ports every time.

 

I took the rubber piece out of the engine and now I'm thinking its some sort of connector that is supposed to be plugged into something.
In fact, I think it might be for plugging lines into a 2 port vacuum control valve. The channels go straight through the rubber so there's no way it was meant to be a plug.

I'm starting to think putting the vacuum lines back to stock is not in the cards for me. The current setup looks nothing like the vacuum diagram I can find for the 400 or the 351M. I don't have any vacuum control valves at all coming out by the thermostat. I don't have a smog pump. I don't have the fuel tank evap system. I don't have a charcoal canister. I don't have the AIR bypass valve and I don't have the OEM air cleaner (which I think encompasses a lot of the parts of the vacuum diagram).

I guess it might be time to just do the EGR delete with a new spacer plate since what I have now looks like a hacked up mess from the PO.