pcv / flame trap cleaning confusion

[pauldoubleyou]

Ive read over the forums a little about the pcv and some about the flame trap. Now i have an oil leak and a little smoke out of the dipstick.. and im guessing its down to a blocked breather under the inlet.

Now, i thought i would be able to just remove all the beather pipework and give it a damned good clean out. Is there anything i have to replace, ie oseals or gaskets?

Thanks. i have searched, but theres that much conflicting in iformation about it.

[Rufe]

Here at FRF we supply full kits to do a complete breathing system overhaul.

The PCV 'kits' we put together include a new oil trap, all new breather pipes and hoses, all the hose clamps and an inlet manifold gasket.

Price varies depending on the engine and the model year, and we tailor each kit to a specific car, but expect to pay around £70 to £80 all in, delivered, for most 5 cylinder engines up to 1999. Later cars (ME7, 99 on) have the heated PCV pipe which on its own works out around £100, many people leave this out and opt to clean it though due to its high price, the rest of the 'kit' works out around £50 or so in this case.

If you are interested in a no obligation quote please call us on either of our direct line numbers in my banner below, quoting discount code 'C3' when calling so we can offer our best prices! We will ask for your registration number so we can identify the correct parts for your engine.

Simon

[mneagle]

From all the articles I've read most people just replace the system. It runs around 100 US. I'm pretty thrifty but I've bought one as I'm pushing some oil out my dipstick and oil filler cap.
This is a good link with pictures on what it takes to get to that "black box" under the intake. Make sure you clean out the PTC valve too as it can be just as much of a problem.
http://lakesidedp.com/uploadpics/pcv/

What would come in the "kit"
http://www.ipdusa.com/products/4985/...her-system-kit

[ewanc0]

I used that guide too. Was brilliant

[pauldoubleyou]

Why cant i just clean it? I understand it might need new hoses but just replacing it seems like a waste of money.

[IanGEC]

Hi Paul,

The pipes you can clean, probably with carb cleaner and a couple of pipe cleaning brushes - home brewers or from you local hardware/diy store however.... the actual trap is a sealed unit and you would need to split/break it to get at the insides to clean it... and yes I have changed one on my v70, including replacing the pipes (except the expensive one) and it can get entertaining not to mention the need for ultra flexible wrists to get at a couple of the bolts.... so personally I would go with the replacement.

[T240]

To add to the replies, I'll say that a lot of people find that when they get the manifold off the oil trap is often split anyway - hence lots of oil and gunk slowly spewing over the engine, etc.

It's NOT a waste of money. considering the cost of new items, it's not worth cleaning the old bits - besides, the pipes very often deteriorate beyond redemption, just like the trap itself. To clean them thoroughly would probably cost you as much in cleaner as replacement anyway!
Anyhow, it's actually likely to save your engine from self-destructing (they eventually blow the back oil seal out - not cheap to replace); also, you've probably noticed a disgusting smell that bowls you over after driving for a little while - that's the pcv showing you it's clogged.

Read the guides, pre-assemble as much of the replacement kit as possible - the pipes mainly - and the only other thing I would say is that you don't necessarily have to remove the throttle from the spool - which may save you a few minutes fiddling.
Also, make sure you clean the inside of the throttle body and the inlet manifold very thoroughly, or you're defeating the object.

BTW, while you have the manifold off, check the condition of the ally thermostat housing - the bit that bolts up to the engine. They often begin to crack with age and or neglect; and it's a much easier job to replace them with the manifold off.

Cheers,

T

[Andy Northface]

Just to add to the above,when I did my PCV most of the pipes just broke when I started to dismantle them.I too am thrifty but,I also hate stripping things down and not having all the parts to hand and I cannot be without my car.If you order from RUFE you will have everything to change your system. Except maybe a 12" length of 4mm diameter pipe rubber pipe.

[pauldoubleyou]

Its funny how clear it all becomes once you get in the engine bay.

I went out today with the intention of cleaning the PTC valve and associated vacuum hoses to see if this sorted the oil leaking, and the small amount of smoke out of the dipstick.

I fell foul to the fragie hoses - even though i did my best i broke the larger hose from the PCV to the PTC into about 13 bits. So i just went on and proceeded in removing the inlet.

Im going to phone Rufe as above tomorrow and order up a kit and some injector oseals to get it all sorted. Ive got a turbo oil return kit in the glovebox ready to go so hopefully ill do the two.

I have uncovered a leak from what looks like the autobox cooler pipework too, so thats something else to put on the list.

I also read that people had problems with the two 12mm bolts that were under the inlet - im not sure how they had problems as i got them right off by putting my hands under the inlet and using a normal 12mm ring spanner. No need for combinations of sockets, extensions and UJs.

And after all that, i still didnt get round to cleaning the PTC as i got sick by the time is was all stripped down.

One question - the small vacuum pipe that connects to the left hand side of the inlet (as you look at the engine bay from the front of the car) does this go along with the longest hose to the PTC valve area? I forgot to trace it before removing it.

[Andy Northface]

Originally Posted by pauldoubleyou

I also read that people had problems with the two 12mm bolts that were under the inlet - im not sure how they had problems as i got them right off by putting my hands under the inlet and using a normal 12mm ring spanner. No need for combinations of sockets, extensions and UJs..

Yeah,some people struggle with those,some don't.I did,but every job I do is an adventure! I replaced my battery this week and was amazed I didn't lose any spanners or set my car on fire!

Ps, when you start to do the PCV,as you say it does become clear,You have cleaned the two holes on the engine block as wel lhaven't you? They are the ones that the oil trap is fixed to.These were nearly totally blocked on mine.