Oil leak issue?

2002 Z24 5-spd manual 8th VIN digit "T. Recently the engine is getting covered in oil and dripping, in about 5-20 miles. No burning smell or smoke from under the hood. Loses oil fairly quickly. Oil issue started suddenly. I have traced the leak to what I believe is the air/oil separator. There is a hose that comes from the timing chain cover, dips down the front of the motor, under the intake manifold, and feels floppy where it appears to connect with a metal component that is bolted to the front of the block, hard to see. (?). (However, the hose itself is rock hard.) A second rubber hose comes from the top of that component into the bottom of the air box at the throttle body intake. What is this metal component called, and what is the likely cause of my oil leak from that component? I suspect clogging; however the motor was just recently rebuilt by someone else. Motor has almost no sludge inside. Engine performance has gone downhill at idle.
It looks to me that "component" is accessible once I remove the throttle body. Anything else I should know before I dig in?