Congtoid
TYF Newbie
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2023
- Posts
- 22
- Reaction score
- 33
Good evening,
I accomplished what I thought was an impossible task
. I have NO formal mechanic experience so this was quite the challenge for me. Sure, I've done basic maintenance all by myself, (spark plug change, tire rotation, MIT & catch can installation) but that does not come close to what I dealt with these past few days. Ultimately, my exposure to this project was challenging yet rewarding.
Let's start off with the equipment used:
Air Compressor- https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal...horizontal-shopauto-air-compressor-64294.html
Media Blaster- https://www.harborfreight.com/50-lb-portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-59483.html
25 lbs. of Walnut Shells- https://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html
Blaster Wand-https://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-with-extensions-5-piece-63574.html
Moisture filter- https://www.harborfreight.com/disposable-inline-moisture-filter-63951.html
Rubber Hose- https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-x-8-ft-15-ft-rubber-air-hose-remnant-60356.html
Female Coupler- https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-female-steel-automotive-coupler-63552.html
Male Coupler- https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-female-steel-automotive-plug-63560.html
Shop Vac- 10 Gallon Shop Vac
Shop Vac Filter- https://www.harborfreight.com/power...vacuum-dust-collection-bags-2-pack-59464.html
Shop Vac Adapter- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5Y5X4T3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Pick Set- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM7RLFF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Intake Manifold- Part #12639087
Intake Manifold Gaskets- Part #12626354
Throttle Body- Part # 12678312
Throttle Body Gaskets- Part #12632900
I had to buy majority of these things since I did not own anything (besides a shop vac) listed above, luckily, my tax return had just hit my bank account.
On the first day (Tuesday), I only removed things. I disconnected the negative battery terminal, disconnected the MAF sensor, removed the MIT and its hoses, removed the purge solenoid off of the manifold along with the MAP sensor to use on the new TB, and lastly the catch can lines. Not really much to disconnect, but this is where it gets good. Once you have all the connections out of the way, you need to unscrew 18 bolts in total- 4 screws on the throttle body, 4 screws that hold the cover on the manifold, and 10 bolts that hold the manifold to the block. The first four are EASY, they are right in front of you. The next ones are a bit tricky as they are now out of plain sight. I followed this video-
. Shout out to this guy and his channel, he has many maintenance walkthrough videos on YT which can come in handy at times like these. Naturally, I struggled and wrestled with the damn manifold for about 20 minutes until it came undone. They were right, those clips on the back of the cover are a hassle to take off. Once the manifold and cover came off, I climbed on top of the radiator / grille and inspected how the valves looked. They were caked with carbon. What did I expect out of a vehicle with 100K+ miles? Even though they were covered in carbon, they did not look as bad as VWs or BMWs with 20k-30k miles less. Once I knew what I was going to deal with, I set up the equipment for the next steps and called it a day.
The second day (Wednesday), I began by turning the engine over so that I can see the valve closing then I scraped the carbon off the walls with the pick set. Not much came off the walls, but once I reached the bottom- or the seat of the valve- there was a hefty amount. I began scraping softer towards the bottom as I didn't want to bend or accidentally open a valve with all the crud lying at the bottom. Each port was a little different, some took more work than others. Something I forgot to mention, remove a couple of spark plugs to make turning the crankshaft easier. I had come down with a cold or something in that nature so I turned in early. I only got to work on 3-4 cylinders that day and after each cylinder was completed, I manually rotated the crank to open and close the valves.
The third day (Thursday), was the same as Wednesday. I was slow to get to work on this since I felt worse than the day prior. Man, does this project put a strain on your back. I was hunched over in the engine bay for hours upon days and I just couldn't wait to go inside, shower, eat a hot plate of food, and turn my brain off for the next 12 hours. But finally, what I thought would never end, did. All the scraping and blasting came to a halt, as it was now time to assemble the vehicle again. But I left that for the following day.
On the last day (Friday), I started off by cleaning up all the walnut shell remnants that lied around the engine, belts, etc. Then I placed the 9 gaskets- 8 that belong on the bottom of the manifold where it meets the port and 1 that belongs on the TB- and began putting the pieces back together. First, since I knew the manifold cover came off after the manifold, I mounted the cover onto the manifold then put the manifold on the block so it can be installed as one piece- not as easy as it sounds. I completely forgot about disconnecting the coil packs to be able to reach the manifold bolts. I was using 3 3" extensions and a u-joint, I lasted about 1 hour trying to figure out how to do it until I remembered the video I linked on top. I was extremely pissed at this point, since I was stagnant and lost a good amount of time and I was still sick and not done with the project. Once all the bolts were snug, I torqued them down to 44 lb in on the first run then 89 lb in on the final pass. Once the hard part was done, I continued to install everything else such as, the TB (bolts torqued to 89 lb in), all the sensors/connections, intake tube, and battery terminal. Man, was I happy to have finished.
I was concerned about turning the vehicle on as I read on other forums that it would sound/run like crap until it gets everything out of its system. Surely enough, it sounded like shit. I tried not to worry but the noises just kept going and going. I took it for a soft drive around the neighborhood, never exceeding 2250-2500 rpms. I parked and checked to see if the noise was still there and it was. But it sounded odd, like a squeaking. I opened the hood and put head near the engine and it sounded like what was the belt. I decided to take it for another drive, this time reaching higher speeds (70-75 mph). Once I reached a parking lot, I got off, and checked for the noise again and it was still present. I decided to drive back home and think about what it could be until I researched if walnut blasting could cause a belt to go bad and lo and behold, someone else had eh same issue after blasting. I guess I wasn't too careful, and I didn't think this would happen. Anyway, I already ordered a replacement belt- 12626076.
I can't really tell if there is a performance gain since I don't want to drive it with a busted belt. We'll see how this vehicle turns out after a custom tune.
Here is the video I put together, enjoy.
Thanks.
I accomplished what I thought was an impossible task
. I have NO formal mechanic experience so this was quite the challenge for me. Sure, I've done basic maintenance all by myself, (spark plug change, tire rotation, MIT & catch can installation) but that does not come close to what I dealt with these past few days. Ultimately, my exposure to this project was challenging yet rewarding. Let's start off with the equipment used:
Air Compressor- https://www.harborfreight.com/8-gal...horizontal-shopauto-air-compressor-64294.html
Media Blaster- https://www.harborfreight.com/50-lb-portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-59483.html
25 lbs. of Walnut Shells- https://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html
Blaster Wand-https://www.harborfreight.com/air-blow-gun-with-extensions-5-piece-63574.html
Moisture filter- https://www.harborfreight.com/disposable-inline-moisture-filter-63951.html
Rubber Hose- https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-x-8-ft-15-ft-rubber-air-hose-remnant-60356.html
Female Coupler- https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-female-steel-automotive-coupler-63552.html
Male Coupler- https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-female-steel-automotive-plug-63560.html
Shop Vac- 10 Gallon Shop Vac
Shop Vac Filter- https://www.harborfreight.com/power...vacuum-dust-collection-bags-2-pack-59464.html
Shop Vac Adapter- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5Y5X4T3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Pick Set- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM7RLFF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Intake Manifold- Part #12639087
Intake Manifold Gaskets- Part #12626354
Throttle Body- Part # 12678312
Throttle Body Gaskets- Part #12632900
I had to buy majority of these things since I did not own anything (besides a shop vac) listed above, luckily, my tax return had just hit my bank account.
On the first day (Tuesday), I only removed things. I disconnected the negative battery terminal, disconnected the MAF sensor, removed the MIT and its hoses, removed the purge solenoid off of the manifold along with the MAP sensor to use on the new TB, and lastly the catch can lines. Not really much to disconnect, but this is where it gets good. Once you have all the connections out of the way, you need to unscrew 18 bolts in total- 4 screws on the throttle body, 4 screws that hold the cover on the manifold, and 10 bolts that hold the manifold to the block. The first four are EASY, they are right in front of you. The next ones are a bit tricky as they are now out of plain sight. I followed this video-
The second day (Wednesday), I began by turning the engine over so that I can see the valve closing then I scraped the carbon off the walls with the pick set. Not much came off the walls, but once I reached the bottom- or the seat of the valve- there was a hefty amount. I began scraping softer towards the bottom as I didn't want to bend or accidentally open a valve with all the crud lying at the bottom. Each port was a little different, some took more work than others. Something I forgot to mention, remove a couple of spark plugs to make turning the crankshaft easier. I had come down with a cold or something in that nature so I turned in early. I only got to work on 3-4 cylinders that day and after each cylinder was completed, I manually rotated the crank to open and close the valves.
The third day (Thursday), was the same as Wednesday. I was slow to get to work on this since I felt worse than the day prior. Man, does this project put a strain on your back. I was hunched over in the engine bay for hours upon days and I just couldn't wait to go inside, shower, eat a hot plate of food, and turn my brain off for the next 12 hours. But finally, what I thought would never end, did. All the scraping and blasting came to a halt, as it was now time to assemble the vehicle again. But I left that for the following day.
On the last day (Friday), I started off by cleaning up all the walnut shell remnants that lied around the engine, belts, etc. Then I placed the 9 gaskets- 8 that belong on the bottom of the manifold where it meets the port and 1 that belongs on the TB- and began putting the pieces back together. First, since I knew the manifold cover came off after the manifold, I mounted the cover onto the manifold then put the manifold on the block so it can be installed as one piece- not as easy as it sounds. I completely forgot about disconnecting the coil packs to be able to reach the manifold bolts. I was using 3 3" extensions and a u-joint, I lasted about 1 hour trying to figure out how to do it until I remembered the video I linked on top. I was extremely pissed at this point, since I was stagnant and lost a good amount of time and I was still sick and not done with the project. Once all the bolts were snug, I torqued them down to 44 lb in on the first run then 89 lb in on the final pass. Once the hard part was done, I continued to install everything else such as, the TB (bolts torqued to 89 lb in), all the sensors/connections, intake tube, and battery terminal. Man, was I happy to have finished.
I was concerned about turning the vehicle on as I read on other forums that it would sound/run like crap until it gets everything out of its system. Surely enough, it sounded like shit. I tried not to worry but the noises just kept going and going. I took it for a soft drive around the neighborhood, never exceeding 2250-2500 rpms. I parked and checked to see if the noise was still there and it was. But it sounded odd, like a squeaking. I opened the hood and put head near the engine and it sounded like what was the belt. I decided to take it for another drive, this time reaching higher speeds (70-75 mph). Once I reached a parking lot, I got off, and checked for the noise again and it was still present. I decided to drive back home and think about what it could be until I researched if walnut blasting could cause a belt to go bad and lo and behold, someone else had eh same issue after blasting. I guess I wasn't too careful, and I didn't think this would happen. Anyway, I already ordered a replacement belt- 12626076.
I can't really tell if there is a performance gain since I don't want to drive it with a busted belt. We'll see how this vehicle turns out after a custom tune.
Here is the video I put together, enjoy.
Thanks.
