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Here's how to super-easily remove old 22re PCV grommets.
Since I've found so many answers to my Yota repair questions with this forum coming up in searches, I figured I would contribute something that will save people a huge amount of frustration and unnecessary extra work. My 1992 Toyota Pickup with a 22RE has close to 320,000 miles. The PCV valve has never once been removed, even for inspection. The rubber grommet holding it in place was about as solid as they can get for being in there for nearly 30 years. I decided to replace the PCV valve, as the 22RE is now past the 300,000 mile break-in period for these engines.
When doing my research, I was worried by so many posts of people pulling the valve cover, spraying it with lubricants, busting their knuckles, hitting their heads, using giant pry bars, hitting it with their bare fists.... Seemed like a brutal job to get done without filling the valve cover with shreds of rubber grommet and blood.
After warming up the engine, I cleaned the PCV valve and grommet area with cleaning wipes. I then pulled the PCV valve out with pliers. For the grommet, I started with some pliers and soon realized the grommet wasn't coming out in one piece after ripping a chunk off. So, I grabbed a small pocket knife and just cut one half of the grommet. You have to make sure to angle the knife to get the underside of the valve cover to fully cut the grommet. It took me a couple of tries to figure out where to cut and how much. I then slid the pocket knife down between the grommet and metal right next to the cut, thus pushing one end of the cut grommet inward. After some wiggling while pulling upward, I popped the grommet out without dropping a single piece into the valve cover. It literally took more effort to write about cutting the grommet out, than it did to actually get it out. It took less than 30 seconds and barely more effort than eating a tiny bowl of ice cream. No heat guns, hammers, nuclear warheads, or anything.
The funny thing is, though, that the old PCV valve was still in good shape and working fine doing an air pressure test on both ends. Still rattled like new.
I appreciate the effort to this post. However! If you can get something between the valve cover and grommet yours probably isn't as cooked as mine is after just 26 years.
You should, "should" be able to insert a pen knife (pictured above) into the PCV valves position and drive it outwards to cut a slit in the underside of the grommet. Rotate and repeat then you can pull it out in two pieces.
I'm tempted to try to snap a picture of my engine hanging off the cherry picker from the PCV valve.
I appreciate the effort to this post. However! If you can get something between the valve cover and grommet yours probably isn't as cooked as mine is after just 26 years.
You should, "should" be able to insert a pen knife (pictured above) into the PCV valves position and drive it outwards to cut a slit in the underside of the grommet. Rotate and repeat then you can pull it out in two pieces.
I'm tempted to try to snap a picture of my engine hanging off the cherry picker from the PCV valve.
Since there is a fat dimple at the bottom of the grommet, it might be difficult to pull it out in two pieces without peeling an end inwards before releasing. If you end up needing to hack it up too much, the baffle under the grommet is easy to access with some long needle nose pliers for picking up any bits.
08-19-2020, 02:29 PM
