95 Yoda 4runner

My 95 4runner 3.0 V6 goes thru a lot of oil, about a quart every 800-1000 miles. So i did some research and figured i'd replace the PCV valve. I located it and to no suprise this $9 part is the biggest PITA to get to. I tried removing the vacuum and cold start fuel lines to get access and couldn't get the thing out. I was using 12" bent tipped pliers but this thing was wedged in there pretty good. So i decided to remove the EGR and it's connecting pipes that go to the intake chamber and the exhaust manifold. The intake chamber pipe comes off smoothely but the bottom pipe to the exhaust manifold breaks off inside the 1" nut. Crap!! Must have been the original egr valve? So i say a few expletive words, grab another cold beer and get back into it. I get some needle nose vise grips and wiggle, yank and pull till i get that dang PCV out and it pops out finally. Then i try to get the grommet off the valve cover, oh awesome, it's so old and hardened that it breaks apart when i tried to grab it with my needle nose pliers and falls into my valve cover. Could this really be happening to me?!!! Such bad luck just trying to replace this dang pesky valve that is routine maintainence and such a headache. So now i ordered the gaskets necessary to remove the intake chamber and passenger side valve cover (must use approved FIPG in addition) just to fish out this fricken broken grommet. I have it almost all pulled apart except a few more valve cover bolts (it was getting dark last night so i stopped) and i'll be able to start cleaning everything and getting it back together. I found A LOT of oil in my intake manifold, intake chamber and throttle body. This is horrible. I'm suprised my plugs are not fouled.

I'm going to start cleaning everything tonight to get ready to reassemble and i'm going to do the PCV modification where you drill out the PCV that goes in the valve cover, run a hose out several inches to the new PCV valve and another hose to the intake chamber making it easier to remove and replace in the future. Then very soon i will take the time and make me a catch can so my engine does have to eat all my expensive oil (mobile 1 syn).

I hope everyone can see what happened with me and find an easier way to deal with this pesky challenge that the lame toyota engineers designed for us to live with. Good thing i love my 4runner and won't part with it even with Obama's cash for clunkers going on, your not getting mine!!

Matt16

Use a blow torch to soften up the rock... err, rubber grommet.

XDEADGOATX

I need to change mine also...hoping it wont amount to that much work....just found out where its located...looks like a pain in the butt. Im not so eager to start after reading this....wish me luck! Thanks, ILL BE MOVING BACK TO SAN DIEGO IN THREE WEEKS...PRAYING ITLL MAKE IT.

MudHippy

Damn! Why didn't I think of that! Now I know how I'm going to do it, when I do. It needs done ASAP on mine.