ok everyone here is right, those black and red lines are the front accuator... cant tell if is to the front or the rear,, but that one in pic 2 with the 90* corner is the vent line also to the transfeer case, or trans i cant remember, but that is the vent line, sounds like you have alot of vac probalems with thsi truck, but thats what everything is..

 

having a broken vacuum line will mess with engine performance.
i've heard that you can take the universal windshield washer fluid hose (the one that goes to the wipers themselves) at the parts store and use it to patch vac lines because it is a perfect fit. some sealant on either end of the patch after sliding it on wouldn't hurt.

 

So, I just splice the green tube back together and leave the black vent (the part I'm holding in pic 2) hanging free? It doesn't plug into anything?

 

that is correct, mine is zip tied on the back side of my engine, to the top of the heat shield but thats because i extended mine due to my extreme vehicle abuse of mud, but yea, leave that vent there( black thingy) and just keep it out os water and stuff...

 

yeah if i remember right my green hose ran a few feet and had that same thing. it is a vent and doesnt need to be connected to anything.

 

Easy fix -- thanks! I'm wondering what will happen when I reconnect these. Looks like they were deliberately cut -- not melted or torn. Maybe there's a reason? Or maybe the previous owner had a pissed off girlfriend who knew her way around trucks?

It's beer time now, but I'll splice them back up in the morning and see what happens.

 

To the original poster, please tell me you didn't buy a 4x4 without testing the 4 wheel drive system?!?!?!?!? Or did you know it didn't work?

 

Auction. Could start it and run it through the gears, but no test drive. $1,500 bucks, so not that big of a gamble...

 

for 1,00 bucks, i could put a hell of a 4wd system on there... but one thing i will suggest, dont even worry about the vac lines to the frot axle. put your truck in 4wd, high or low, and try to spin the drivehaft, like have someone in the truck, in drive, holding foot on brake and reach under and see fi it turns, if it does, the 4wd is engaging, but the front axle is not, ( the cad unit is still reading neutral vac so it will keep the fork inside in 2wd) then put it back in 2wd, park, and go inside and buy the posi lock cable, and forget the vac all together, vac sucks and is unreliable...

that is the one you need
http://www.4x4posi-lok.com/app_dodge.html

 

OK, so mystery solved. The white line is the supply vacuum for the t-case from the manifold, the green is a vent (just hangs open near the back of the engine.) The red and black run the front axle.

Patched everything up with some shrink tubing (Radio Shack.) Worked great.

4WD is good to go now!

meanwhitemopar: Thanks for the tip on the posi-lock. I've got some other problems to solve before I have the change to spend on it though...

Thanks to all for the help -- I was just about to tear the disty out and look for something to plug the green vacuum line into!