Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Maintenance PCV Valve change interval

Hi all, I am sitting @ 74K miles and I have never changed my PCV valve, should I do this? I'm doing the fuel filter tomorrow, so I thought it would be a good idea to check up on this.

Supposed to be 100k miles the first time, but it's cheap insurance. Check the condition of the rubber hose to the valve too. Always use the Motorcraft valve, works better.

Ok, good news, and I will do.

As long as the valve is clean and not coming apart, it is not necessary to change it at all. I still have my original at 190,000 miles. I believe in agressive maintenance and if there was any doubt about it's condition it would be replaced. I clean it about every 60,000 miles, usually at the same time I am cleaning the throttle body. (I clean the throttle body much more often though)

The main reason for changing the valves years ago was from them getting sludged up due to the crappy oil of years gone by. Even then they could often be cleaned. It was my practice as a tune up tech to include the PCV valve in the cleaner dip when overhauling a carberator.

One of the main reasons for not replacing it, is that it is easy to end up with one that is not intended for your exact engine and it will either flow too little or too much air and at least slightly mess up proper fuel control.

So I would rather have a clean and properly operating original that a questionable replacement.

That's my $.02.

These guys speak the truth. I changed mine at 72K and it was completely unnecessary. The hose had a little oil sheen on it, but nothing of concern, and the valve worked perfectly. Only installed a new one because I had already bought it.

where is that exactly located in a 98 SVT?

Most people will think this is BS, but the dealer will do it free of charge at I believe 60,000 miles.

You might still be able to get them to do it. Doesn't hurt to ask.

Dealer will replace free at 100k miles.

My 96 model had a page in the "Maintenance Schedule Pamplet", on a free replacement. It noted:
No cost PCV valve Replacement
THE PCV VALVE IS A CRITICAL EMISSION COMPONENT. YOUR DEALER WILL REPLACE THE VALVE AT NO COST AT 60,000 MILES/96,000 KILOMETERS (EXCEPT CANADA AND CALIFORNIA VEHICLES).
I went to the parts dept., showed them the page and told them I would install it myself. They gave me a new one after checking the cars odometer.

I was going to replace mine at about 105K miles. It was a mistake. The original was clean as a whistle and the spring still strong.
In removing the old one, I broke the plastic tube coming from the firewall and fixed it with some epoxy and a pipe coupling.
The replacement, which I took back, did not fit since the hose connections were a little off dimensionally on the tee. The hoses there are real tight, so a slight mis-alignment makes connecting one or more of them impossible.