How do these operate?

 

Where are they located?

 

If they start to give trouble what symptoms would you exspect to experience?

As far as I know:

1.power loss due to rising carter pressure and

2.leaking carter pan joint.

I had my PCV's replaced as a precaution (12 year old car), not a very easy job according to mechanic due the location of these items.

 

cheers

rik

They are just for crankcase ventilation hense (PCV - Positive crankcase ventilation). They are spring operated - there is a valve either side of the plenum near the back.

 

The springs do degrade over time. If the springs are shagged, the valves open with the movement of the car so...the symtoms are hesitations and idle problems (near stalling), ESPECIALLY when breaking to a standstill.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Andy

I've ordered some new PCV valves from Courtesy, but is it normaly the springs that go or would I get the springs aswell with my order? I did mention the springs to the guy I spoke to but he said the only other thing I may need were the little pipes.

 

Anyone know? thanx.

The devices are sealed units, so the springs are inside. It's very important to get new rubber pipes as the old ones will be too hard to re-use. I had to remove mine with a wood chisel !!! Also, make sure the new pipes either have the restrictors fitted or you transfer them over from the old pipes. I didn't on mine and had to take it all off again to put them in place :(

Not a difficult job, just a bit fiddly - should take about 30 mins per side I reckon.

Cheers Andy, nice one :D

I concur with the Rt. Hon. Mr P. - definitely get new PCV hoses, as the old ones will be tough as nails..

 

Mine didn't seem to have restrictors in though - so perhaps they got lost on a previous service or something in Japan.. And the car does seem to run ok - so don't fret if yours was always missing them like mine was...

Thanks, I did go for the pipes at the time as they weren't many $$$$$$. Got my heater matrix from Courtesy for....... wait for it...........

 

wait......

 

.........$92.00 thank-you very much. Plat plugs $50 set of 6. The pcv valves were $15.

 

--then you get some stitch-up tax bill from FED-EX and you get FED-UP!

There seems to be more than one type of restrictor. Mine were like thick brass washers (12mm) with a hole in the middle. One of the Aud guys said his were like a wire mesh, and they also referred to them as flame arrestors !

How hard are they to fit. I heard 30 mis per side metioned earlier is this realistic??

deffo get the pipes. I got mine from Courtesy without the pipes, went to fit them & found the pipes were rock hard!! need to get the pipes now.

 

they look very awkward to get too, I was thinking of removing the upper plenum to do them & replace all seals & gaskets at the same time.

Cripes Paul, don't do it!!

 

I know you're a trained mech. and all that but still.. that's not a pretty job, especially when all you get to change is three gaskets..

 

To get the plenum off, you have to remove (from memory) 8, 8mm water hoses - which are always welded on, and 4 6mm vacuum hoses (also usually welded on)

 

And all you get to replace are the EGR tube gaskets (unlikely to be perished) - oh and those are upside down 10mm bolts that you can only just get a stubby spanner onto (guess who lost three of them down the side of the engine? Best to replace them with hex head bolts IMHO), and the main upper->lower plenum gasket (which was also fine on mine)..

 

If you do do it - junk all of the water lines & bypass them, and reroute the vacuum directly to their destinations rather than using the under plenum gallerys, and then you can junk a whole load of annoying metalwork that's unnecessary.

 

But take it from me, it is a B I T C H to remove - unbolting everything took me a few hours.. getting it off the myriad of hoses took me days - well, many evenings..

 

Far, far easier to do the PCV's in situ, unless you have any other pressing reasons to want to remove the plenum..

 

[edited because at 1am my spelling went to pot.. And I'd only had one Miller, honest guv'nor!]

Paul,

 

 

Just cos you have seen mine in bits, doesn't mean you can do the same!:D

 

 

Roy,

 

I have heard the trick is to rip the PCV hoses off, they like a bit of rough:o Your Honour!

 

LOL

 

Mark

cheers aaron, ok maybe i'll just do them in situ & not worry about the seals etc! just wanted my engine to look like marks!!! :D

Good man Paul... :D

 

If you do go ahead with it - get someone who's already done it to be there.. otherwise you'll spend a good few hours like I did, pulling on the plenum going "what the bl**dy hell is holding this on!?"!