[Vicinity]

Taking the air cleaner out to reach the spark plugs, I notice that these two connections are loose. What are these, and are they often so loose? You can see the hosing in pic 1 is in poor condition. Is this something I can pick up at a parts store?

 

[Wile E. Coyote Jr.]

Passenger side is a PCV and the driver side I think is just a breather.

Both are readily available at parts stores and if you get a nice dude he might just give you a small piece of hose. Bring it in to match up the size but I wanna say its a 5/8 hose.

 

[theterminator93]

Correct, the passenger side is the PCV valve that constantly draws gases and any blow-by from the crankcase in for combustion. The driver's side is a vent to allow filtered, metered air back into the crankcase to displace that which is drawn into the engine via the PCV valve.

 

[Vicinity]

Passenger side is a PCV and the driver side I think is just a breather.

Both are readily available at parts stores and if you get a nice dude he might just give you a small piece of hose. Bring it in to match up the size but I wanna say its a 5/8 hose.

5/8 seems right, thanks for the tip! Seems snug. I was going to clamp it down just in case, but I probably shouldnt be clamping plastic. For others, here is a related thread I found:

'96 4.6 DS Valve Cover 90 degree Emissions fitting

Can someone please inform me where I can buy a replacement for this '96 4.6 DS valve cover 90 degree emissions fitting - see photo link below. I have repaired mine several times, but it needs a replacement. I would be interested in buying a good used one that is not cracked at the 90 degree...

www.tccoa.com