91LS400LEX

Ugh. I didnt let it run this evening when I left work.... I thought I would just start it, throw it in gear and get out of there, because its embarrasing... it looks like the engine is blown up when first started. Anyway, that was a mistake... I started out on the road and it was trying to stall... it was bucking and it was like it had no power. It finally cleared out and went, but obviously that was not a good thing to do.

Och

iTrader: (3)

You might want to run something like seafoam through the intake chamber a couple times, it will clean up all that buildup from the oil.

Also, if you you have R&S Strauss stores, they offer a service called "Run-Rite", where they run a cleaning solution through your oil, gas, and intake chamber. The oil and gas ones are a waste of time, but the one that they run through the intake chamber works like a charm. I took throttly body from the car that just had that service performed, and the intake chamber looked clean enough to eat out of.

91LS400LEX

Thanks. Is that seafoam the stuff you pour in the gas tank? I have been wanting to take it and have the throttle body cleaned anyway because I have that slight "jerking" between 40-50 mph on light acceleration when the car goes from uphill to down. Also a slight hesitation on take off. Its probably gummed up anyway.

We dont have a R&S Strauss here. I have never even heard of it.

So, now that I at least have that hose disconnected from the front of the throttle body, there is now no fluid being sucked into the engine?

It had never tried to stall out on my like that before... it was like I had no power and I had depressed the pedal over 1/2 way down... I really couldnt even hear the engine. Then again, I had never just started it and took off like that before.... I normally let it run for a couple of minutes then take off... no issues.

After that it was fine. On the part of my drive home that is a 4-lane highway, from a stop, I got on it a little harder than normal and it really rocketed from 30-65 quickly (I most always really baby this car), but I wanted to get the RPMS higher than usual to help get some of that crap out of there.

Now, I am very soon going to get to bypassing that valve. In fact, I am not even going to drive it again until I get that fixed. I assume first thing is to remove the under engine cover... then get the car on ramps? After that, is the valve easy to spot and gain access to, or is the alternator below it make it a PITN to get to?

Thanks again.

after that... all it will need are new motor mounts and valve cover gaskets. What joy! Two of the more difficult things on these cars do. Motor mounts are shot to heck... vibration when driving and at idle... also every once in awhile I will get puffs of smoke from under the hood from oil leaking on the manifolds.

91LS400LEX

haha... I had left the other line hooked up, then it started sucking fluid in through that.

Also confused... If it takes 3 hours to replace the "IVC" valve, why is it supposed to be so much easier to block it? Guess I will find out tomorrow.

I have not even got the car on ramps yet to get under there to see how hard it is to remove the valve.

I also know I should clean the screens, but every site I find says something different.

Here is where I am at now...






nasty thing.... ( I have never owned a car that leaked power steering, but if I did, this one would still take the cake!)


my old Pontiac in the background there is almost 38 years old and dont leak anything.

here is the bypass hose...


going to fix that broken area tomorrow with a tube and JB weld.

Also, the dang mosquitoes are so bad, you cant stand being outside!

Och

iTrader: (3)

The reason most people block this valve off instead of replacing it, is because it is utterly useless, costs $100, and will start leaking again sooner or later. Once you block it off, the problem is solved for good.

Max Power

about running that hose from the TB to the intake, I found the car was revving high a bit and I could hear a vacuum leak sound coming from all the air rushing through that line.

So what I did is I installed a restrictor and now it's perfect. No more vacuum sound and the idle is just right now.

91LS400LEX

Thanks!

UPDATE / photos...

As the photos show below, I started on it this evening, but it was getting dark. I managed to get the car on the ramps and removed the under engine cover. I was/am amazed at the mess under there. Fluid everywhere and even splattered up in the wheelwell on that side and even has leaked out on the inside of the RF tire, as the photos below show! It may not be visible, but it appears to me that at least from what I can see that the fluid has not been running down on the alternator, as it dont have any visible fluid on it and I think if it was leaking that bad and running down in it, that it would be coming out of the bottom? Maybe now that I am getting this now and plugging that valve, I will be OK. I was having a dim "brake" warning coming on and someone said that was a sign of early alternator failure, but the light went out 4 months ago and had not done that again. I am not sure though if that means there is still not fluid in the alternator, but it looks like there is not. I guess I should take a bag and cover that side of the alternator before removing that valve? How do those hoses come off? Clamps? Well, here are the MESSY photos and I will post more as we progress! Ugh, when I started the car, I had forgot to plug that valve on the intake and the car would hardly even run. I plugged it best I could temporarily and the car sputtered and bucked, but I finally got it on the ramps.

Car is on the dirty part of the driveway where my dad does his stonework, so the mess will be OK.... lol.

This is terrible... look at all of that fluid. I cant believe how quickly this thing started leaking so heavily!


sprayed this down with degreaser.....



even when I got it on the ramps, it was still gushing fluid...

91LS400LEX

I am assuming those two hoses that can be seen above the alternator are what get removed and the plug under them? Should we completely remove those hoses or just let them stay there? Something else hold them in place?




nosey cat....


new fan bracket bearing can be seen....

Och

iTrader: (3)

Dude, you wont be able to access that valve from the underneath.

What you should do is remove your accessory belt, fan and fan clutch, then remove ps pump pulley, then disconnect the high pressure hose, and then you'll be able to take that valve out.

Och

iTrader: (3)

You should also check your TPS. I mean the direct line will let a bit more air than the valve at idle, but not enough for you to really feel it.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Do you mean the two big hoses? Then no, not these two hoses... its the one hose, which is mostly metal, you can kind of see a part of it in this pic. Just unbolt that and the valve is behind it.

I just edited your pic. The red arrow points to the high pressure hose that you need to unbolt to be able to access the valve, and the yellow points on the plastic cover with two hoses that cover the valve. You can remove this plastic cover and the two hose and throw them out, and then just block off the valve.

91LS400LEX

omg.... You have got to be kidding? Others have been telling me all I had to do was remove the lower panel and gain access from underneath. I had no idea about all of that other stuff you mentioned. I am not doing all of that other... I will "limp" it over to a Toyota tech guy I know without any fluid. I cant do all of that. I dont have the tools / know how or really physically able to do this and my dad does not have the time. I had a bad crash in '94 and not able to do alot of twisting/turning. My dad was going to do this and I told him it was simply remove that and plug it. Oh well.

I need to go back to those threads that dont mention all of that other and tell them they are wrong. Oh well... should have known it was too easy to be true. I am through with this car. Done.

Thanks for that info though and that pic.... I didnt even know that had to come off. I thought the valve was what those two smaller hoses were hooked to since that where the fluid was being sucked in from. Oh well... makes me realize I am over this car.

91LS400LEX

This was the thread I was going by... makes it sound so simple....

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/2225133-post23.html

Someone on another Lexus site told me this...

"I suppose you mean the under engine cover or the splash shield. Yes, it needs to come off and then the valve can be reached from the bottom. You will need a 17mm open end wrench. You might need a short (stubby) wrench, a long one might not be able to access it. I used both. It was too tight to break loose with the stubby and I was just barely able to get the long one in there to break it loose and then used the stubby the rest of the way.

When you take the valve out, the fluid will pour out of the hole so be sure to cover your alternator with a piece of plastic and be sure to put a catch bucket underneath.

I have never blocked one before so I do not know if you need some type of special bolt or just one that fits the hole. If the fluid is actually leaking from your valve, then this might fix your problem.

But I recommend putting it back like factory if at all possible".

Max Power

It can be reached from the bottom for sure. We got mine from the bottom.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Theres no way I could remove the valve from the bottom. You pretty much have the sway bar, subframe and the alternator in the way. I tried reaching it, and couldn't do it.

Doing it from the top is a LOT easier.