New PCV Valve - nice side effect

[apenland01]

Back story - I recently switched to doing my own oil changes and using Valvoline Max Life blend 5w-20. Previously, I always used conventional oil at Jiffy Lube and had a very slow oil leak, like nickel size in a week.

After my first oil change, I noticed the leak was about nickel size every day. I figured just new oil cleaning sludge around seals, etc and I would give it a couple of oil changes to adjust.

I changed the oil twice, about 2500 miles apart to "flush" the engine since I don't want to actually flush it. The first oil change was quite dirty considering it had only been 3 weeks. The oil leak was now about quarter size every day.

I read up on some tips for oil leaks that recommended changing PCV valve, since this can lead to oil leaks if it is plugged. My PCV valve is the original factory valve and I now have 174,500 miles on it.

I got the Motorcraft PCV valve at the Ford dealer here and put it on today. I don't know if the oil leak will slow down immediately, but the idle has smoothed out nicely. The old valve didn't make any noise when I shook it, but the new one rattled every time you touched it.

Before, the idle wasn't bad, but it had a rhythmic pulsing when idling. Not bad, but annoying and you could feel and hear the difference. Now it is idling pegged at about 600 rpm and smooth. I wasn't expecting this, so very nice side effect for a simple valve to replace.

I actually changed it in less time than it took to pop the hood. Should have replaced it sooner, like 74,600 miles ago.......

 

[drdoom]

Good post, excellent info.

 

[drdoom]

Apen I need your help, on a 2005 V8 is the PCV supposed to be hollow? After reading your thread I pulled mine and it's just a hollow tube...

 

[apenland01]

I'm not sure what it's supposed to be, but the old factory black plastic one I removed was a hollow tube. The old one didn't rattle, but the new blue one was also hollow and it rattled like it had a BB rolling around inside of it. The new one from the Ford dealer was part number EV269.

At first when I saw it was hollow, I thought maybe something broke and fell in the valve cover, but I checked and looked around with a flashlight and saw nothing.

It runs great now, but the oil leak is still there. I think it's a little slower, so I'm just going to give it a few more oil changes and keep an eye on it.

 

[drdoom]

Thanks for the quick reply. I am going to the parts house and have them pull one for me. I wonder if the valve got moved to the intake tube.

 

[drdoom]

The valve was not in stock here, but the pictures they showed me clearly are not just an open tube, a valve and retainer apparatus is visible on the valve cover side of the part.

 

[apenland01]

[/IMG]

THESE PICTURES ARE SHOWING INCORRECT INSTALL. THE DRIVERS SIDE IS JUST A HOLLOW VENT TUBE AND THERE IS NO REASON TO REMOVE IT FROM THE VALVE COVER. FOR A 4.6L V8, THE ACTUAL PCV VALVE IS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE UNDER THE AIR INTAKE TUBE.

Well I had to drag my coffee outside this morning and take pics.....

There is definitely something in there now, but I can't tell what it is and I'm not taking it off since it breaks the teeth on the valve. the old one was hollow because I looked through it and nothing but a hole in the valve cover.

I honestly can't remember what the new one looked like before, but I could have sworn it was hollow too. Anyway, this is what it looks like installed now.

 

[drdoom]

Thanks that the same they showed me at the parts house. Thanks for putting up the pics too, very solid.

 

[drdoom]

Just to confirm, the original PCV valve when I removed it was nothing more than a hollow tube. Perhaps the valve assembly came loose and is probably in the cam cover, or got vacuumed up into pipe. I should check that. You can make out visually a recesed groove inside that likely held the guts in. Motorcraft # EV-269

 

[drdoom]

Well a while back when I was cleaning the throttle body, I discovered that I did not replace my PCV valve correctly. Apparently what I did was put a new valve in the driver's side which I believe is just supposed to be a hose connector (see my above posts where I noted the part I removed was just a hollow tube), and the actual PCV valve is in the passenger side valve cover. I was unaware that the valve was hidden under the intake hose, and assumed it was the connector I saw on the driver's side. Of course I discarded the connector. I am ordering another PCV valve, and will correct my mistake somehow.

 

[apenland01]

Well a while back when I was cleaning the throttle body, I discovered that I did not replace my PCV valve correctly. Apparently what I did was put a new valve in the driver's side which I believe is just supposed to be a hose connector (see my above posts where I noted the part I removed was just a hollow tube), and the actual PCV valve is in the passenger side valve cover. I was unaware that the valve was hidden under the intake hose, and assumed it was the connector I saw on the driver's side. Of course I discarded the connector. I am ordering another PCV valve, and will correct my mistake somehow.

Crazy, I ordered my new "vent tube" from Ford this morning. $19 and it is a hollow black tube, just as I saw when I removed it. I did not replace my PCV, I replaced the black hollow "vent tube". I've been running on double PCV's, one stock, and the new one I put on the wrong side. I never noticed my actual PCV was on the passenger side. They are exactly the same size and design, so I assumed I replaced the right part....

What made me check was reading a newer post on here where someone replaced their PCV and it was on the PASSENGER SIDE.......I researched it and sure enough it is only a hollow vent tube on drivers side. I don't know the effect, but mine will be here tomorrow. I could not find a new "vent tube" anywhere other than my local Ford dealer. It has the same connector and nubbies, so I decided to replace with a new part, rather than go pull one from the scrap yard.

I'm having an odd misfire on on cylinders 4/8, so maybe this has something to do with it. Who knows, but I realized this weekend reading the posts. I was just going to pull this post up and update it when I saw you just pulled it up.....

 

[apenland01]

Black hollow vent tube on driver side is part number 4L2Z-6762-AA.

Cost was $18.70 plus tax. I also ordered a new PCV for the PASSENGER SIDE.........

 

[drdoom]

Apenland it sounds as though we both did the same thing. Today I looked it up in the Ford shop manual to be sure, and the PCV valve is indeed on the passenger side of an '05 V8.

 

[apenland01]

I have edited my previous post with the pictures to say the pictures are showing the incorrect install. I've been driving on double PCV's for over a year now, so I'm not sure what harm could be done. The PCV valve still allows air flow OUT, although it may not allow air to flow IN. Not sure why it would matter, but that's my thought on it.

 

[drdoom]

Yes I have been doing the same. I have noticed no negative effects. Like yourself, I do plan to correct it. Best wishes.
Doc

 

[apenland01]

On second thought, my EGR code P0401 started about a month after I did this. Maybe this could have made a difference on air flow to the intake, which would explain the P0401 EGR air flow code. I replaced the EGR a few months ago after cleaning the old one didn't work and haven't had any problems, so it could have just been coincidence.

 

[Joe in NY]

I'd say coincidence for EGR.

Dual PCV though, what you did was stop allowing air into the crankcase. So you then put your crank case under vacuum. This just means you will pull more carbon into your intake, slightly encourage the rings to bypass a tid bit more, but really help stop oil leaks.. If it is under vacuum air will want to come in through those weeping holes and stop the oil from going out. I don't know why cars aren't like this to begin with..

 

[apenland01]

Here is the new "vent tube" I got from Ford today. I'll install the new PCV valve and vent tube in the morning when the engine is cool. I doubt anything will be different, but it will be back to true stock with new stuff.....