Noticed this hanging from underneath my truck, while doing the KDP fix. Some kind of connector that's attached to two steel lines running down the inside part of the right frame rail toward the back. The other end, as you can see, seems to have rusted off and fallen off whatever it was attached to.
I don't know what this is, nor the significance of it hanging there.
Can someone identify this piece? Thanks.

 

it looks like it may be the connector for the 4x4 light switch on the cad unit.

 

Thanks you might be right, I have no idea. Still getting familiar with the intricacies of this truck (my first Dodge Cummins).
I know I had the truck in 4H this past weekend and there was no indicator on the dash or elsewhere saying I was in 4x4, so perhaps it's because this is disconnected...
Anyway, no big deal if that's what it is, I suppose.

 

Close, but it's actually the vacuum lines for the front axle disconnect. They plug into two nipples on the vacuum diaphragm. Looks like there's some gunk in there that needs to be cleaned out first.

 

Thanks! So looks like they popped out of the vacuum diaphragm some time ago (based on accumulation of gunk) and the PO (or his garage) never noticed. The metal lines to which the connector and flex hose is connected seem to be going to the rear of the truck though... ??

What's the impact on the truck's operation of this being disconnected? (as I said, this truck is still very new to me so I don't have enough experience about what it should or shouldn't do).

 

Your 4X4 will not engage, more correctly the front axle wont engage.

 

hmmm, maybe I WASN'T in 4x4 H on the weekend!
I'll clean up the connector, find the place to plug it in and see how it goes... Obviously, the PO didn't use 4x4 much (if at all) - a senior gentleman who only used the truck to tow a 5th wheel halfway across the country twice a year...

Thanks for clarifying!

 

Not sure where you are in Ontario... but I'm in Sudbury and I can tell you from experience that it's not "gunk" in the vacuum connector holes... that is more than likely the rusted out remains of the nipples that the connector is supposed to slide onto!

You will probably need a new vacuum actuator if you want to have a 4x4 again.

There is an outfit that sells a manual version of that whole assembly (you pull a cable in the cab to engage the front axle)... that's the way I'm going next time I have trouble with that unit. The added bonus is 2wd LO!

Dave

 

Posilock....... When I have problems with mine that is what I will change it to as well, unless I do the lockout conversion first.