That's an image of the Early Fuel Evaporation (EFE) actuator. The EFE actuator is a vacuum operated exhaust heat riser that forces hot exhaust through a passage in the floor of the intake manifold to heat the intake charge when the engine is cold, improving fuel atomization. The 'steel line' is actually a solid rod that attaches to a butterfly valve mounted between the outlet of the right exhaust manifold and the inlet of the headpipe. Assuming the butterfly valve is not seized in a (partially) closed position and can rotate freely, on a stock or nearly stock engine, removing the EFE may cause cold drivability issues, especially in freezing temperatures. However, on a moderately modified engine EFE will detract from engine power and becomes impractical.
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