PCV Valve

Hello all,

92 civic dx 5sp 150K miles...

You've probably noticed by now I have quite a few questions. Thing is I just
bought the car and am trying to sort things out.

I just found the PCV valve on my civic (seems like it's located in the
intake manifold right before the head--correct me if I'm wrong) and removed
it. I didn't test it to see if it works but I saw that half the opening was
filled with something--seemed like carbon deposits of some kind. My question
is, how do I go about cleaning that? Do I have to disassemble the intake
manifold from the head and then clean the whole intake or is there an easier
way?

I'm new to DIY and so far have done basic repairs to my car (oil change,
brake pads, rotor replacement, spark plugs, etc.)

Also, do you think the PCV could be responsible for having a slightly
irratic idle (hardly noticable) and going to low RPMs causing vibration?

Thanks!

John

 

Replace it. Meny well spent. get one from Honda, aftermarket doesn't
work.

 

I will, I just want to clean up the intake manifold before I replace it or
else it will get filled up with crap in no time.

And why do you say the aftermarket one doesn't work?

 

If it gets full of crap, this means that there is
alot of blowby going into the crankcase. Having
a properly functioning PCV valve will allow for good
flow from the crankcase.

Aftermarket anything is not looked upon well here
in the group, I guess everyone has had alot of
experience with aftermarket, after all its
cheaper!
The experience in general is that aftermarket
just doesn't perform as well as OEM, and the
cost is justified.

For instance, a friend of mine bought an aftermarket
PCV valve for a 96 civic, he mentioned that it
didn't even fit into the rubber grommet properly,
ie it didn't facilitate a proper seal, allowing
crankcase gases to escape, thus defeating the
purpose of the PCV valve to begin with....

Food for thought..

t

 

which is merely a fart in the wind, when youre idling next to a F350
crew cab dually with a Banks turbo intercooled powerstroke diesel
piloted by a single young woman on her way to work.

 

lol. point taken, but i stand beside my comment
regarding if you don't go OEM, you might as well
just not bother....

 

I don't agree with you. You seem perfectionist which isn't right for most
things in this world. Anyway, it's better to have something than nothing.
It's a simple plastic valve after all, not ECU or anything that might have
tremendous difference between brands.

I can actually just remove the valve and let it breathe into the air... no
flames! that's why i'm getting the aftermarket one.

I'm planning to clean intake manifold thouroughly and then replace the old
PCV valve.

Thanks!

John

 

Well, thats fine... a perfectionist, huh?

When bad fuel mileage is indicated on this group,
usually one of the first things people mention is
to check for a properly functioning PCV valve.

If you don't care about fuel economy, then good
on ya....

If you don't want to rely on the engineering and
superior design of your honda, why are you
driving one?

t

 

Ok, maybe I worded my reply wronly

What I was trying to say is that the PCV valve is a simple device and I
don't think there is a big difference between OEM and the aftermarket one.
After all, most parts on our Hondas are not produced by Honda. If I was
tuning my car for performance, then yes, I would choose the highest or close
to highest quality components available.

Being a college student doesn't help much either when the dealer quotes you
$15 for the PCV valve that's $3.50 at the store. BUT! I do see your point...

Thanks!

John

 

i'm in college too, I hear ya! My civic still
feels new though (even if its 8 years old with
220000kms on it), so i guess i probably go a
little overboard sometimes... lol Somehow I still
manage to find a way to afford synthetic oil
changes.... I've had it since new too, so that
makes me even more nostalgic... sniff sniff...

But honestly? she's been good to me. And I don't
really baby her, lots of high RPMs.... perhaps
I'll pay for that one day.... lol

t