Urgent PCV advice please

[Stu B]

Yikes! Sorry to hear it’s turned into a pain of a job, sounds like you’re nearly there though.



Quick photo from when I did mine, gasket should look like this (but new), all one piece. Five separates will be exhaust manifold gaskets as above, keep those in the toolbox for future use

[Bigfella666]

Cheers Stu image really helpful, fortunately mine looks identical !

Was gonna do another couple of hours last night but just did not have the will after a difficult day at work.

Been a true pain up the arse and once again pain caused by a complete lack of thought in the Volvo design process. This is not a highly skilled or technical job and could take a fraction of the time I have spent so far.

Did the job in London as I feared I would need spares and Steve at Braydons delivers in person when he is able. Thus far I have needed no spares and should have done the job in Suffolk with help from the legend that is PnUtt !

[Stu B]

No worries, I’ll check if I have any more photos this eve, didn’t take many though as I did the PCV just after a clutch change and had taken loads of photos of that marathon task. PCV didn’t seem too bad to change after several weekends wrestling with the gearbox and subframe etc.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure (!) of doing the PCV job, the bracket in the centre of my pic with one elongated hole is the one which a 12mm headed bolt goes up through to secure the underside of the manifold. With everything in place it’s very hard to get to, some access it from underneath with a socket with a series of extensions and flexible joints. I used a ratchet headed flexible ring spanner from above but lost plenty of kunckle skin.

Good news for BigFella - putting it all back together is much easier, any more questions just shout and I’ll help if I can

[Bigfella666]

Cheers Stu

I am at the stage where I ran out of steam, manifold cover yet to go back on. After 14 hours it struck me that as another wonderful design point I would have to get the manifold, the nightmare vertical 12mm bolt and the dipstick holder all in perfect alignment with no trolley jack ( dopey son did not deliver as he thought using a 1.25 to lift the front end would be a good idea - I do not agree with him ) and a distinct lack of inspiration.

May have been a good call. As a result of your Mike Alder pic I might try and find some heavy guage pipe cleaners to give the ports an extra 10 minute poke each on the basis if it is only the end of my cable tie providing a clear run into the sump it is going to clog up again fairly quickly, back to square one scenario

If there is anything you can tell me re helping with the alignment this would of course be much appreciated - it may of course be blindingly obvious when inspiration is restored !

[amazondean]

I did my PCV the other week. Not a job for the armchair mechanic!!!

Make sure you keep the bracket that is bolted to the engine block loose, so that it makes it easier to locate the thread on the underside of the manifold.

Regarding the crank case pressure. My car was breathing very heavy, when I took out the old pipes and box it too looked pretty good. Thought I was wasting my time, but once finished there was little or no pressure. The glove test proved it.

It will be worth the pain. Good luck

[CNGBiFuel]

Volvo Parts & Service Bullsh*t
There’s tell of many instances where Volvo blatantly misdirect owners with parts & service information.
If you've read, and then, ahem... actually accept and understood why it’s reasonable they would, it’s left to the hypocrites amongst us to have any issue with it.

I am in the midst of writing a thread on the PCV and others. Don't for chrissakes put yet more lack lustre Volvo service parts on there. Of course it clogs! It's why it clogged in the first! Do it properly with £20 of Big-bore hosing

I covered it briefly in the FAQ.

[Bigfella666]

Ams

Advice much appreciated re lower bolt bracket

I think I am just frustrated that silly things have close to doubled the time taken thus far. However this will pale into insignificance if the last sentence of your post proves correct!

I am also frustrated that with 172k on the clock and only doing 5k a year I shall never get the opportunity to put the painful lessons of this time round into practice again !

[Bigfella666]

CNG how are you my insane friend ?

A few Indys I have spoken to in the past disagree with the approach you have been banging on about for some time now, but for the sake of good order which part of the system do you suggest should be replaced with larger bore ?

As someone with no experience I remain neutral but look forward to seeing your PCV thread in due course

[Bigfella666]

And if you want to know how blatant Volvo really are, try dealing with them when your Mota came with only one key and THEY have destroyed the transponder code.

The excuses and failure to accept the slightest responsibility is nothing short of breathtaking - and equally disappointing

[Bigfella666]

Well chaps

Finally finished the PCV this weekend, total time spent a mere 20 hours !

As anticipated in the light of the condition of the oil trap and pipes I still have positive crankcase pressure, albeit significantky reduced so that a glove very slowly but does not totally inflate.

Even better I now have the EML on throwing oxygen sensor DTC's, it was too hot today to bother taking too much notice of the FCR but I suspect if is front and rear sensors. Engine running sweet albeit lacking the power I really should be getting from the beast - appears nowhere near as quick as the T5

Not touched during the job, not appeared before, any ideas why they are throwing a code now ?

Ams spot on advice re the vertical and dipstick bolts - with me underneath guiding the boy above threads located and bolts installed in a relative jiffy !