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Replaced mine and sure enough the grommet tore and fell into the valve cover. It took a while to fish out and sure worried the hell out of me that I wouldn't be able to get it out. The grommet was hard and brittle. My car is an '02 with 162k miles and I don't think the valve has ever been replaced. It wasn't clogged shut though since it still rattled when I shook it.
Replaced mine and sure enough the grommet tore and fell into the valve cover. It took a while to fish out and sure worried the hell out of me that I wouldn't be able to get it out. The grommet was hard and brittle. My car is an '02 with 162k miles and I don't think the valve has ever been replaced. It wasn't clogged shut though since it still rattled when I shook it.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. 01 - 03 owners should be very careful when replacing this valve. If you could not fish that out you would have to remove the valve cover.
Internet is full of info and I was curious as to when the PCV was mostly working...
Short Version:
Positive crankcase ventilation involves recycling these gases through a valve (called, appropriately, the PCV valve) to the intake manifold, where they're pumped back into the cylinders for another shot at combustion. It isn't always desirable to have these gases in the cylinders because they tend to be mostly air and can make the gas-air mixture in the cylinders a little too lean -- that is, too low on gasoline -- for effective combustion.
This information shows that the PCV valve is mostly used at lower speeds and not at the higher speeds.
I've also heard that the lack of a working PCV valve could build up pressure underneath the valve cover gasket and cause premature valve cover gasket failure.
As I know my mom's 01 with 160k on it as valve covers that are now seeping I need to get over there and check the PCV valve to see if it's working.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. 01 - 03 owners should be very careful when replacing this valve. If you could not fish that out you would have to remove the valve cover.
Actually u dont have to remove the valve cover if u lose part of the grommet.
If it's like the 400... it falls onto a little shelf built into the valve cover and then with some needle nose pliers you pull it out. It'll break but then you just make sure you fish out all the pieces.
If it's like the 400... it falls onto a little shelf built into the valve cover and then with some needle nose pliers you pull it out. It'll break but then you just make sure you fish out all the pieces.
That's the problem. A standard needlenose pliers isn't as effective as you'd expect, since the access hole is so small and there's little room for your hands to manipulate the pliers due to obstructions. On top of that it's dark down in there and difficult to get good light in the hole, and whatever falls in can work it's way to off to the sides and be tough to get to. Then when you do get the pliers on it and pull on it it breaks and the rest falls back down in the hole. It's a real exercise in testing one's patience and ability to be cool under pressure! The best instrument to use would be something with a hook end on it instead of pliers.
I hope it doesn't cause any issues because part of mine is still down in there. I heard that there's a screen to keep debris from going into the engine. I wonder if anyone can speak to how dangerous it is to have part of a grommet in there.
I hope it doesn't cause any issues because part of mine is still down in there. I heard that there's a screen to keep debris from going into the engine. I wonder if anyone can speak to how dangerous it is to have part of a grommet in there.
put it this way, i wouldn't think of even turning the engine over, let alone running it, with any debris of any kind under those valve covers, on a little shelf or not. Sure you can gamble that the volume of oil flow would not be such that it would sweep the particles away and to somewhere damaging. But thats not a smart bet. too easy to get the valve cover off and fix it properly.
Instead of needlenose or hook-like tool, could you use a vacuum cleaner? Usually they have the skinny straight wand-like crevice tool. You might be able to use that to suck out whatever pieces of grommets fell? Worse came to worse, you could 'rig' something up to the vacuum cleaner with some duct tape and a plastic straw, etc? Just thinking outside the box. Doesn't usually happen. My head is usually IN the box, or thinking OF the box.
Just thought I would share another fruitful experience. PCV or positive crankcase ventilation valve recirculates hot gases back into the intake during idle or slow driving. You can see after 11 years the carbon builds up and starts to either block up the system or prevent valve from functioning properly. OEM is only $9.
I purchased a new PCV and was wondering if the boot/hose just pulls right off the PCV? Do you have to unclip anything? I just do not want to pull on the boot/hose and snap something. Thanks...
I purchased a new PCV and was wondering if the boot/hose just pulls right off the PCV? Do you have to unclip anything? I just do not want to pull on the boot/hose and snap something. Thanks...
The hose that goes from the valve to where it connects above the throttle body has a small spring clamp on each side. Then the hose just pulls off the nipple. There is also a boot that goes around the pcv valve itself.
