DIY: OEM VX PCV and Info

[TomO]

Make sure to check the vacuum/PCV hose going into the black box on the back side of the engine block to see if your PCV valve is located there. If you are able to to remove it, clean it, and still have it work, then you may use it again or if you can obtain a replacement OEM style to use. If you can only get the 90* "normal style" then use this guide to "gut" your OEM straight PCV valve and install the 90* unit up on the intake manifold runners for ease of maintenance/cleaning/replacement in the future.

This is a DIY that is meant for the VX crowd that doesn't have the OEM PCV "Elbow" and want theirs to be like the stock one again. Honda doesn't sell the OEM one anymore.

A little background:
The visible PCV elbow up in the intake manifold is no more than an emissions elbow with no internals inside it 9from the factory). Most of the previous owners of the VX have had theirs replaced and since the VX is such an odd car, the replacement part is actually a normal PCV. The usual test to see if a PCV is good is to remove it from the car and give it a shake. If it makes a clicking noise, it's still good. If it makes no noise, it's bad. Since the OEM one has no internals, it makes no noise and the mechanic/person will replace it.

On to the DIY:

Things you need:

• PCV (I'm using the "blue" aftermarket replacement one from Fram)
• Sharp utility knife or hacksaw
• About ten minutes of time

So you have your PCV


You'll want to secure your PCV and start cutting just above the tip. If you look inside the small hole on the PCV you'll see the plastic tip is about an 1/8th of an inch thick. Cut right where you see the saw placed in the picture you'll cut just above that thick part and things will work out great.


Once you've cut off the tip, it should look like this


Now gently turn the PCV so the black part is pointing down and the plunger and first spring will slide out like so


There is one more spring to get out of the PCV, it is the small one in the picture. You should be able to tap the PCV a few times with the black end pointing down and the small spring should pop out.


The PCV should now be free of all internals


Now you can clean off any strands and debris from the modified PCV.

Install the modified PCV back into the car and enjoy the sense of accomplishment.

Theory:
I believe the reason that Honda set up the PCV system on the VX like this was to run a higher vacuum on the lower end of the motor. This helps to combat pumping loses in lower RPMs.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them here.

keywords:
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Here's a diagram of the hoses you may find in your car:

[backsidesnap]

that is an interesting post. i have had my vx for about three months and want to go thru the things that I can do myself to, this sounds like somethiing I could do but I have no idea where it is or how exactly to do it. Where is it? I cant find a diagram of where it should be!

[TomO]

It is on the runners of the intake manifold between #3 and #4 (counting the nearest to distributor as #1)

[budomove]

Anyone know why they didn't put an empty pcv valve on the insight, or if there is any reason why I shouldn't empty the one on my insight?

Thanks guys!

Frank

[Ryland]

I've bought the correct parts from the Honda dealership and talked to the service people at the dealership and there is no PCV valve, I've also owned two civic VX's and talked to other VX owners and there is no PCV valve, it is all empty tubing, I've installed a PCV valve on my VX as well to see if it changed anything and it ran poorly at low RPM.
The one area I have had trouble with the stock set up is that after 15 years the rubber grommet on the breather box, under the intake manifold, that grommet dries out and needs to be replaced, it takes someone with very small arms to get in there, it's easy to tell if that grommet is bad because at idle your engine speed will bounce.