koda2000
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- September 2, 2011
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For those f you who may be following my "New Toy" thread...
I figured I'd replace my PCV valve today (now that my engine is clean enough to see it). I got the rubber elbow off of it easily and the valve would wiggle and turn, but I couldn't get it to come out. Struggled with it for 15 mins and then decided there had to be a better way.
I went and rummaged through my tool box and came across my old tie-rod pickle fork, which I can't recall the last time I actually used for it's intended purpose. Hmmm, looked to be just what I needed. Stuck it on the back side of the PCV valve, pushed and it popped right out. Then, instead of struggling to remove the cooling hoses from the metal pipe from the driver's side (can't imagine why it has a coolant line wrapped around it) I wondered if I could pull the hoses back from the passenger side to get room to work on it. I first had to pull the plastic PCV pipe back through from the passenger side (easy) and then I carefully worked the 2 cooling hoses with the valve back through (easy). Now I had several feet of loose coolant hoses and the PCV valve where I could work on it, which was a good thing, because the cooling hoses were stuck on there pretty well. Plus, as the hoses could be held higher than the radiator, I didn't have to deal with any coolant leaking.
My valve had to have been the original OE valve at 184k, as it was full of sludge. Makes me wonder how much sludge is inside the motor (think I need to flush this engine before putting in good oil. I already changed it once using cheap oil as a flush, but it needs something stronger). No wonder it lost oil pressure at idle after my first test drive. I stuck my finger in the PCV hole in the valve cover and... eeeewwwwww... Nasty! Poor old truck, so neglected for so long. This project has turned into more of a restoration, but I'm getting there.
I figured I'd replace my PCV valve today (now that my engine is clean enough to see it). I got the rubber elbow off of it easily and the valve would wiggle and turn, but I couldn't get it to come out. Struggled with it for 15 mins and then decided there had to be a better way.
I went and rummaged through my tool box and came across my old tie-rod pickle fork, which I can't recall the last time I actually used for it's intended purpose. Hmmm, looked to be just what I needed. Stuck it on the back side of the PCV valve, pushed and it popped right out. Then, instead of struggling to remove the cooling hoses from the metal pipe from the driver's side (can't imagine why it has a coolant line wrapped around it) I wondered if I could pull the hoses back from the passenger side to get room to work on it. I first had to pull the plastic PCV pipe back through from the passenger side (easy) and then I carefully worked the 2 cooling hoses with the valve back through (easy). Now I had several feet of loose coolant hoses and the PCV valve where I could work on it, which was a good thing, because the cooling hoses were stuck on there pretty well. Plus, as the hoses could be held higher than the radiator, I didn't have to deal with any coolant leaking.
My valve had to have been the original OE valve at 184k, as it was full of sludge. Makes me wonder how much sludge is inside the motor (think I need to flush this engine before putting in good oil. I already changed it once using cheap oil as a flush, but it needs something stronger). No wonder it lost oil pressure at idle after my first test drive. I stuck my finger in the PCV hole in the valve cover and... eeeewwwwww... Nasty! Poor old truck, so neglected for so long. This project has turned into more of a restoration, but I'm getting there.