Big Intake Problem

[mauidiver15]

So I hate to admit this in public, but it seems I found out today that I didn't have an air filter in the old Navajo. And if worst comes to worst, it may have been filterless for about 18 months. So, I took apart the whole filter box and tubes, and they are dirty. Looking into the throttle body, it is dirty too. Question is, what should I do about this? If I should clean the TB, how do I do that?

Thanks for the help

 

[ipozestu]

Bummer man. It's kind of funny though. Any way the first thing I would do is buy a K&N panel filter for your air box. Duh right. Clean your air box, intake tube, MAF. The TB is easy to clean. I'd take it off and spray the hell out of it with TB cleaner. Do the same with your IAC. You might want to do a seafoam soak as well. The damage is already done here. All you can do is clean things up a bit and don't let it happen again. Good Luck.
Jeff

 

[Alec]

I would also take off the upper intake manifold and clean that, as well as cleaning the IAC or getting a new one.

 

[mauidiver15]

So looking up the IAC on the site, I saw that Ford's IAC was not very good for some reason. Is this true? If so, where should I pick up a new IAC?

Also, anything I should know about taking apart and putting back together the upper intake manifold? Never done that before, don't want to mess up.

Thank you for all of your help guys.

 

[mauidiver15]

Also, where can I get seafoam? Thanks

 

[murdach]

seafoam

I got my Sea Foam at O'Reilly auto parts.

 

[mauidiver15]

ok, so taking off the trottle body, I cleaned that, but I noticed there was a gasket on there that connects it to the manifold... Should I replace this?

Thanks

 

[Alec]

If the stock one looks fine you can re-use it.

 

[mauidiver15]

Now for a couple of big questions...

Alec, you said I should clean the upper intake manifold... no idea where to start on that one, I can look inside and see that it is wet and has a little gunk on the walls....

Also, where is the IAC? and how do I clean it?

Thanks for the help on this project guys!

 

[murdach]

Always replace any paper like gasket or old
o-rings with new ones. They get hard and
brittle after a few years. And that will cause it
to run like arse..

 

[X~FACTOR]

Originally posted by mauidiver15
I found out today that I didn't have an air filter in the old Navajo. ...it may have been filterless for about 18 months.

Your getting lots of good advises here... can I ask you something? What,... why,... how can you go 18 months and not know or check? How did it happen? Did you get to check your other filters yet?

 

[Alec]

The upper intake manifold is just held on with bolts to the lower intake manifold. You're gonna want to get a new gasket for that junction.

Please search for info on the IAC, plenty of info on where it is, how to clean it, etc.

Was the oil not changed for 18 months also? If so, you may have larger problems than the dusty intake tract.

 

[mauidiver15]

I have been changing my own oil ever since auto shop in high school last year.....

Well, never spent much time looking at the air filter, shop teacher never reminded me of that...

I do remember seeing that the screws were loose on the air box one day in shop, so I tightened them... so I think I can thank someone for pilfering it, and then my own stupidity for never checking....

Yeah, I know its bad...

 

[mauidiver15]

ok, so on the upper intake...

Just bolt off and use cleaner and water? Anything else to do down there? What clean will work best for this? Thanks

 

[Alec]

That piece is fairly easy to clean, use anything to clean it as long as it's dry before you put it back on. If your upper intake is plastic, don't use anything that could damage the plastic.

 

[mauidiver15]

Ok, so far I have thouroughly cleaned the filter box, the MAF and its housing, the air pipes leading to the throttle body, the TB itself and the IAC valve (which took all of 65 cutips, yes 65...).

Next step is the upper intake manifold... I'm a little intimidated by it though... lots of connections on it and to it.

I also have a new K&N on the way, so no more repeats.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Keep tips coming in...

 

[mauidiver15]

Right now, I don't know what to do...

If I take apart the upper intake manifold, it looks like I will have to move around a lot of other stuff and when it comes to putting it back together, I'll probably screw that up... I've never worked with gaskets or anything like that before. I just don't know where to start, never opened up an engine that far before.

I've done some searches, but I haven't found anything describing how to remove the upper intake and put it back together - Does someone wanna give me a little description, or a link to a site or other thread that covers this? That would be a big help.

 

[Alec]

If you don't want to mess with taking it off, then just run some seafoam.

 

[Rhett]

The upper intake manifold on my truck is metal, not plastic...91 Navajo is probably the same..

If you do remove the upper intake manifold, it's still not easy to clean it since it has the holes and so forth. And the gunk is tough to remove, even with a good degreaser. It will take some scrubbing. You could have it blasted though, for a small fee...

 

[mauidiver15]

Yup, the intake is metal, and I can scrub, I am just afraid of taking it off and not putting it back together...