Factory intake hose replacement.
 

Hello, I have a 1990 Dakota sport and the plastic feeder hose that connects to the air breather has cracked resulting in a messy idle. I look for a used replacement for 2 years, found a slightly newer dakota sport v6 with one that will fit, but now, as I was going to attach it I noticed it does not have an opening for what appears to be the ecu. My question is, does the ecu need to be connected to the air intake? Can I cap it off and run my new plastic hose? And why was it done in the first place?
thanks,

The plastic feeder hose that connects to the air breather won't cause a messy idle; it ducts the cooler air from in front of the fender in, yes, but you should still have a good idle.

You can try running the ECU with it off; that was there to force cooling. You may notice the humpback on the slightly newer sport V6's ECU; that avoided using the air intake as a cool air source.

RwP

Thank you very much.

Let me now ask what you mean by a "messy idle".

RwP

For sure. Initially when it cracked it would idle high, 1300rpm or so. After I heat taped the cracks it went back down to 700 or so.

That's probably more you juggling the bad vacuum lines. I've had to replace all of mine on my 1988; try running the vacuum lines and fixing all of them.

RwP

Alright I will take a close look at them. Thank you again

Is the air ducted over the ECU just for cooling? Or is the ECU also measuring airflow past it??? (Was always curious about that......)

There's no inlet air temp sensor there, no.

I've always presumed it was for a venturi effect cooling; as the motor sucks air, it'll suck some out of the ECU causing it to intake around it (due to the vents to the back).

I dunno; could just be some Veep at ChryslerCorp had a relative with a helladeal on the Ts they use *grins*

RwP