1987 22RE (4Runner) PCV valve grommet replacement should be pretty easy, but be forewarned if this is a first time replacement, there might be minor hiccups. No worries, though.

When I tried to remove mine, the "rubber" grommet's top skirt started to break apart. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't extract the PCV valve.

To ensure no pieces of this rubber-turned-pottery grommet fell onto the valve train, I removed the valve cover housing. Turns out, this was unnecessary, but a good time to inspect my timing chain and tensioner, and to clean the cover.

If you intend to replace your grommet (Doorman #42057, $5.50 on Amazon), here's a formula that'll work:
- Remove the hose that leads to the intake.
- With a mini-pry bar, or large pliers, break off the top skirt of the grommet. Mine cracked apart easily.
- Now the PCV valve should push into the valve cover, with the barrel and underside of the grommet still attached.
- Using a small flat-blade screwdriver, get between the PCV valve and the grommet, breaking the barrel.
- Extract the PCV valve
- With long-nose pliers, remove the remaining pieces of the grommet. There's a plate just underneath the opening, so the risk of losing pieces onto the cam is pretty low.

Now just push in the new grommet, and then the PCV valve, and then reconnect the hose. All, of course, after testing the valve by ensuring that air only flows one direction through it. Mine was fine.

Success. One more oil leak eliminated.

 

Good job!

 

I'm glad to find this. I've felt really stupid not being able to pull my PCV. Is there no way to pull it without destroying the grommet? When you push it in, is it hard to get to with the shield inside the rocker arm cover?

I pulled my rocker arm cover and gave it a shake. The PCV rattles. I sprayed cleaner into it, too, and blew it out.

Having some really rough idle problems but that's for another thread. Want to make sure it's not the PCV.

Thanks.

 

If your grommet is still rubber-like, then you have a shot at getting it out. If it's turned to pottery like mine, then you'll want to replace it anyway because it won't seal well and no amount of coaxing could get mine out. $5 for a new piece of rubber to eliminate an oil leak is a good trade in my book.

When you break the top skirt and push in the valve & grommet (barrel + lower section - top_skirt), it won't fall inside -- it'll just rest on the interior plate.

When the grommet is fresh, you can definitely extract the PCV valve. With a 2x2 wood block and a Vaughan SuperBar, you can coax that valve out from a stubborn grommet. Or just grab it with vise grips around the larger diameter portion.

My PCV valve did not rattle. That seems like a bad thing.

 

Thanks. Tried the wood block method, vise grips; nothing. I think you're right about replacing the grommet. May as well do that and the PCV. I'm surprised that your PCV doesn't rattle, I thought they're supposed to but I might be thinking of a different engine.

Thanks for the help!