Hm. you’re much better than me. 400k+ miles and still using the original here. I do take it off every now and then to check the click and spray brake/carb cleaner through it.

It has a crush washer, IIRC same size as the oil drain plug. If the tabs of the hose clamp are pointing down, using a 90 degree angle, long needle nose pliers works great to reach it, rather than trying to spin the hose clamp until the tabs are facing up.

 

Thanks. Do you have to replace the crush washer each time you check it?

 

Crush washers are designed to be used just once. I would replace it.

 

So if need to buy crush washers along with the PCV valve? What do you think about it needing to be a genuine Honda part, and not an aftermarket part?

 

I use generic crush washers. I try to find a large (50 +count) pack since it’s also used for oil changes.

 

Are they like lock washers?

 

Not lock washers….just plain aluminum. Non-oem is fine, I bought a pack of 20 for about seven dollars. As noted earlier, these are also used for the oil drain plug.

 

Hi,
Just changed mine at 150K, cheap and easy enough, used HONDA Part!

Crush washers keep you from destroying aluminum threads, easy Folks!

 

Curious what they charged for genuine Honda part? My local dealership wants $60 for the valve.

 

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I no longer trust eBay “genuine” or “OEM” parts. I ordered a genuine Honda gas cap which was packaged with the appropriate sticker on the sealed plastic bag. Well, I failed emissions based on the gas cap integrity! I was furious. The seller would not respond to my messages. When I compared the cap to my old one, the Honda one has the Honda logo on the cap, raised in the plastic. The seals were very different as was the quality of the plastic venting part.

 

I totally agree that they can charge what they want, especially if you’re not having them do the installation. Why did they discount it 30%? I have a Honda dealer in my town, not sure about the next town over. Will investigate. I think the dealers have to be a minimum distance apart.

 

There are about~20 Honda dealers sell parts online, and it seems like quite a few of them they use the same back-end engine, and the websites look eerily similar.

30% off for the PCV valve is the going rate for these dealers that sell online. In my opinion, they sell at a discount because they would rather make a small profit than no profit at all. See my previous post here for URLs and examples:

https://www.elementownersclub.com/posts/1800317/

 

So if need to buy crush washers along with the PCV valve? What do you think about it needing to be a genuine Honda part, and not an aftermarket part?

I use generic crush washers. I try to find a large (50 +count) pack since it’s also used for oil changes.

what size crush washers are appropriate for the PCV valve? And if one ends up removing, checking, cleaning and then replacing the valve, one would require a new crush washer each time it’s replaced back into its location? They should include this washer if it’s this important. I watched a YouTube video on replacing the valve and they talk about making sure you don’t lose the washer with removal. It looks like a regular washer on the video….
Thanks for all your responses and advice. I’ll probably remove old valve and see how bad it is before committing to replacement though I suppose I’ll need new crush washers for each time I replace the valve back into position. If there is a normal washer now, is the crush washer added in addition? Or does it replace the old regular washer?

 

I believe the washer has a 14mm inside diameter, same as the oil drain plug.

If you buy a new PCV from a dealership, you can ask the parts guy to make sure you have a washer for it (convenient - easier and less thinking on your part, but harder on your wallet to buy from the dealership as theyll probably charge you $2 for a $0.10 washer) .

it’s referred to as a crush washer, usually made from aluminum or copper. It basically gets deformed as you tighten the bolt to make a seal. When you take the old one off, you’ll notice it is squished compared to a new one.

 

The part number for the 14mm crush washer is 94109-14000. Its MSRP is 63 cents.

Given how much the OP is being quoted for the PCV valve over MSRP, it would be interesting to see how much they would charge him for the crush washer.

I bought 6 crush washers when I placed the order for the PCV valve. The online dealer sold them for 46 cents each.

 

It's pretty easy to change. I went through the bottom and removed the bumper plastic liner and 15 minute job. Also replace the part with genuine Honda every 50k and no problems. Most aftermarket parts are junk. Unless oem Honda, Delphi and Delco. The Chinese knockoffs are crap. Cleaning it is a temporary problem. FYI the k20 eats oil regularly. My Integra did it. My civic did it. Honda cannot explain the losses

 

K20A2 and Z1 do. There a little looser to rev to 9K.

 

I put in an aftermarket PCV valve when I first got the element more than five years ago, as far as I can tell it seems to still be working fine. I can't remember what brand it was though

 

Thanks!

 

A PVC valve is a metal ball and a light spring. Just cleaning the sludge out of it works fine.

 

just curious…. Do you replace the crush (or regular) washer with each removal and replacement? Or reuse the washer that comes with it and is already present?

 

I just reuse the original washer. The aluminum work hardens a little bit but the PCV is only tightened to 33 ft lb and it isn't holding back a ton of crankcase pressure. If you have a spare washer handy it doesn't hurt to replace it.

The procedure for checking the PCV valve is to lightly pinch the hose between the valve and the intake manifold when the engine is idling and listen for a clicking sound. Removing it and giving it a little shake lets you know if the ball is moving too. And you might as well clean it while it is off.

 

33 ft lb

Is the spec really that high?

 

Thank you

 

Page 11-242 2003-2005 Service Manual 44 Nm, 33 lbf ft.

Just a little more than snug should do it, especially with a hose clamped on it. It's not like it is going to unscrew itself.

 

So tighten with wrench if I have no way to measure torque?

 

You should buy a torque wrench if you don’t have one. (tool count +1 FTW!)

After you buy a torque wrench, you’ll realize that you can’t get it to fit into the area (SMH) … so you won’t be able to use it unless you disassemble more stuff … So, you’ll improvise and hand tighten it with whatever you have, making sure not to overtighten.

 

I don’t know anything about torque wrenches so wouldn’t know where to start… seems there are many sizes and ranges of torque.

 

There are multiple types of torque wrenches, each with different benefits. They are basically tools to prevent you from overtightening or under tightening bolts. There are torque specs for virtually everything. Some bolts need more accuracy than others.

 

I understand that. But why choose 1-4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, etc? I do know sometimes people over tighten nuts as I’ve had a couple vehicles where tire place snapped off but he lug nut or not they go on….

 

Most click style torque wrenches are regarded as not as accurate at the extreme ends of their range. The length of a torque wrench handle is longer for the bigger sizes, and the torque range is different. For example a 1/4” torque wrench is usually in the inch-lbs of torque(maybe maxing out around 15 ft lbs.) , a 3/8” torque wrench may have a range of 5-80 ft lbs. and a 1/2” drive probably has a range of 20-150 ft lbs.

So for a spec of 33 ft lbs, you may choose the 3/8” torque wrench. For a spec of 80 ft lbs, you may choose to go with the 1/2” - 2 potential reasons, the 3/8” may not be as accurate at its highest rated setting and the length of the handle may be too short to allow you to reach 80 ft lbs without really exerting a lot of effort.

 

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