stormtrooped

I was swapping to a stock intake form a parts XJ I picked up because my 94 country has a ghetto k&n on it. I broke a plastic cone like piece on top of the valve cover and cannot get it out. the tube from that runs to the side of the airbox and thats it. what is it and should i worry about replacing it? maf sensor?

DortDizzle

Both hoses coming out of you valve cover are for venting your crank. One is the back is a PCV (Positive Crankcase Vent) elbow, goes to you intake, and the one you broke is another portion of this system. If you don't hook it back up it will not immediately hurt anything other than your venting into the atmosphere which is not the greatest for the environment, and depending on how much piston blow by you have it might leak a little oil (or a lot).

stormtrooped

good to see a michigan guy. im up in houghton at michigan tech.

thanks for the response. so, with 124k on it do i buy the $15 part or leave it and not worry about it? as is, there is essentially a hole in the valve cover where it broke off and that kinda scares me. any idea on a part number or what part to search? how the heck do you get it out?

DortDizzle

I went to tech too graduated in '08, small world.
You can pull the whole rubber grommet out of you don't have anything left of the plastic to pull on. just slide a screwdriver under it any pry, being careful not to bend anything (valve cover), or drop plastic into the valves. This will likely destroy the grommet too, because it is so vulcanized at your mileage. I would agree that if it is broken that bad you should replace it to keep debris out of the valves.

I have a 2000 XJ parts catalog but the numbers should be the same:

2946 079; GROMMET, Crankcase Vent
5303 0991; FITTING, Crankcase Vent Tube

I picked the fittings up at Autozone, but the grommets I got from a napa hub store. Autozone didn't even carry the grommets.

stormtrooped

im assuming you were a wheeler then?

yeah.. about that whole plasic thing. i believe a small small small piece might have fallen in when it cracked. is it worth/necessary to pull the valve cover to check? could i just fabricate a tube that inserted in to the hole and run it to the airbox and throw a hose clamp on it? mind you this vehicle gets driven to work and back and will become a toy come summer time. picked it up for basically scrap value.

jimmy21669

http://www.teamcherokee.com/Emissions/index.html

Fourth item down....

DortDizzle

Actually no. I was too much of a broke *** in college to afford a Jeep, and I never really went to any of the meetings even though I should have.

If plastic did fall in there that is rough. Last thing you want of for that little piece to get stuck in a lifter or some oil orifice. Most jeeps leak oil from the back of the valve cover, so it is a good opportunity to replace the gasket, paint the cover for that custom look, and clean all the gunk from under the cover. If you have the $$ and the time, and a place it wouldn't be a bad idea, but if plastic makes its way into some part of you head is could cause some serious problems.

There are a lot of threads on here about how to remove the cover and replace the gasket, so check it out. pull the elbow and grommet and see if there is any unaccounted for pieces.

stormtrooped

they're pretty "clicky" anyway, i talk to a few of them but they're a pretty tight crew. either you're in or out.

currently working out of the lot 21 parking lot with only a toolbox full of stuff. hmm decisions decisions. ill get the grommet out tomorrow and see if i can find the piece that dropped and hopefully be able to grab it with a pair of needle nose. thanks for all the input, go huskies.

jimmy-thanks for the link!

buckshot500

I would try to get that piece out of the valve cover. No telling what it might lodge itself under.

Long Needle nose pliers, or even hemostats might help. The broken part should be easy to find at the junkyard.

stormtrooped

i could see the piece sitting right there so i resorted to "sucking" the piece out with a tube. no, it didn't taste good but saved me having to pull the valve cover with little tools and time. going to order new elbows and grommets.

trust96xj

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f310/...ite-up-733669/