What is this part???

Hi there if you go to http://leckemby.net/windstar/windstar01.html and look at the 14th picture there it says EGR ports exposed. IF you look at this picture and look to the very left side of this picture you will see a oval shaped piece with 2 bars coming out of it. On this oval piece their is 1 bar that is hooked to the top of the oval piece and 1 bar connected at the bottom of this oval piece. It is very hard to explain this piece, but on my 1999 windstar these 2 bars were disconnected from that oval piece. I am pretty sure no one knows what these pieces I am talking about are but its worth trying to figure out what this part does. The oval piece is to the left middle of the picture.

I dont know how to post my own picture on this website, since I am only able to post pictures from URLs. This oval piece is connected to a solenoid I believe, but I dont know. If you look at the 3.8liter engine and look to the right of the serpentine belt you will see the bars. If I were to take a geuss I think they deal with the electronic choke, if this van has one.

Since these bars are disconnected on my van I hope I can continue to drive it until I fix this problem.

Looking at the pictures.....and by your description, I think you are talking about the Intake Manifold Runner Control (IMRC) linkage. The linkage that connect the IMRC solonoid to the IMRC shaft.....that has the IMRC "butterflies" connected to it.
I would expect you to be getting codes for a failure of the IMRC system, specifically, IMRC stuck open.
There would be a code for the front IMRC bank and another for the rear IMRC bank.
I have seen the solonoids listed on rockauto as "choke pull off"......but the IMRC system is not a choke....but is much more like the 2nd 2 barrels of a 4 barrel carborator. At a certain RPM, the 2 extra barrels opened up to give you a boost in power. On the windstar, the IMRC butterflies open at about 2900 to 3000 RPM. On my '96, they are vaccum actuated. They are open with the engine OFF, and close when the engine is started. The PCM sends a signal to the IMRC vaccum control solonoid when the RPMs get to about 2900 RPM.
I have seen discussion on this board about the linkage......best thing that I can think of is to see if you can get them from FORD.
There has also been discussion about the nylon clips going bad.....so I would expect that you would need to order those as well.
Hopefully you can get the linkage and clips without having to order the complete lower intake manifold.

Holy moly OMG that is the right part thank you very much

I need those plastic or nylon pieces now that hold in the linkage pieces, but these 2 butterfly's have been disconnected for some time now and no check engine light came on and the van doesn't idle rough or feel like there is power lacking I guess I will have to check for a difference one I fix it.

Thanks again

DtFord,
I don't think I would bother. I think the "runners" design on this engine is absolutely ludicrous ... has no benefit.

The next time the little bushings fail on mine, I intend to mechanically disconnect everything, block the runners open ... and let the actuator keep telling the PCM "everything is OK".

Wait a moment......I'll bet that you get no codes because the actuators are moving correctly. Each actuator has the part that moves the linkage, and a part that senses the position of the actuator. Without the linkage connected, the actuator moves correctly, and the sensor sees the actuator as being in the correct position......
The springs in the runner hold them open.....only thing that I can think of is that you "might" improve fuel economy SOME by having them work correctly. They are normally closed....and only open during very hard acceleration.

ww,
You are dead on about the actuator and internal sensors. This is true for the single electric actuator on '99+ models.

The '99+ runners are not spring loaded ... and will just flop about if the linkages are not in place.

I personally think if you leave them open ... nothing will be noticed at any rpm.

I went ahead and installed those plastic IMRC bushings and can't see any difference. I just want to know if I rev the engine and look at the IMRC actuator should it make those butterflies open and close? I got my friend to rev the engine while I was looking at the IMRC and I don't see the actuator moving the butterflies open or closed? Is this normal or should I see them moving?

I got a check engine light a couple days ago and got P1518 code IMRC stuck open. Checked under the hood and sure enough the front bank linkage had fallen off. I hooked it up and the light went off immediately. It looks like I lost the bushing that holds the linkage to the butterfly. Can these be bought separately or will I have to rig it? Thanks.

Yes, you can buy those plastic bushings seperately, but they will be $8-10 each. They are called the IMRC bushings but I don't remember the part number.

$8-10 each? I think I'll rig it.
Thanks for the response.

My '99 Windstar posted the P1518 code over the weekend. I had a chance to look at it today. After researching the code on the web, I went out to the garage to look at the IMRC linkages. Sure enough, the rear linkage was flopping loose, due to a missing plastic bushing. Of course, I called Ford first. They wanted $6+ for ONE plastic 5-cent part. Went to Orielley Auto Parts and got five five-cent parts for $6+!!!!

Thanks for the help on this one!!

That's good info ... do you know the O'Rielly's part number?

O'Reilly item number 47099. Found on what I call their "misc. stuff" aisle. Good thing it had 5 in the package..... after losing two of them by dropping them, I finally hit the hole with #3 !!! The bushing is exactly like the original one. Fits correctly, and hopefully last a long time. I started the van, but still have the check engine light. When I can get to it, I'll pull the battery cable off for a few minutes, then see if the code is still there after I reconnect it and start the engine again.