I'm in the process of replacing the PCV valve on our 2008 EX-L and it broke off during the attempted removal. What's the best way to get the rest out?
Broke off PCV valve during removal
MichiganOutlaw
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Well, this just happened to me on my 2010 EX-L! Used a thin flat-tipped screw driver to pry the stuck plastic top away from the head, and only the top half of the PCV came out. Decided to put the top half back in until tomorrow. I read on a Honda Pilot message board of someone using a 7/16-14 tap to wiggle out the broken lower end.
I bought a new PCV valve for my 2010, but have not installed it yet. Reading this thread has me a little nervous/scared about removing the old one. Any additional tips would be appreciated. Sounds like twisting it is the way to go. Also, does the ignition coil pack wire harness bracket thing that runs across the valve cover have to be removed in order to provide enough clearance to slide the PCV valve out, or can it be removed without removing this part? If the harness thing does have to be removed, how are the clips released?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Mine just snapped off because it was so brittle. I have a 2005 Ody with 230K miles and it has never been changed. It kept breaking because it was very brittle and the small end is stuck so I had remove the front valve cover, which is the easier of the two. FYI, it is not clear path to the far end of the valve to punch it out from the inside. There is a thin plate on the inside of the valve cover that hides the PCV valve, which is held on by about a dozen allen head screws. Tomorrow, I need to buy a 4.5 mm (I believe) allen wrench to remove this plate to see if I can get at the PCV valve from the inside. Does this sound like the proper procedure?
Tonight I also joined the "PCV-valve-broke-in-half" club. I'll never understand why Honda uses a plastic PCV valve inside an aluminum engine! 
While trying to pry the PCV valve out of the engine with a screwdriver, the top half popped off leaving the remaining valve inside the engine. I ended up threading a 4-inch deck screw inside the PCV valve housing (as others have also suggested) to give me enough leverage. I attached locking pliers to the neck of the screw and then carefully used a pry bar against the engine to pry out the remaining PCV valve housing. Whew! I've never felt so relieved. My fear was that the screw would break off inside the broken PCV valve (now wouldn't that be something!).
Here's a picture showing exactly how I used the deck screw. I'm sure others will need to do the same when their "plastic" PCV valve breaks off inside the engine.
![Image]()
While trying to pry the PCV valve out of the engine with a screwdriver, the top half popped off leaving the remaining valve inside the engine. I ended up threading a 4-inch deck screw inside the PCV valve housing (as others have also suggested) to give me enough leverage. I attached locking pliers to the neck of the screw and then carefully used a pry bar against the engine to pry out the remaining PCV valve housing. Whew! I've never felt so relieved. My fear was that the screw would break off inside the broken PCV valve (now wouldn't that be something!).
Here's a picture showing exactly how I used the deck screw. I'm sure others will need to do the same when their "plastic" PCV valve breaks off inside the engine.
I'm not sure the exact thread pitch, etc. The thread pitch is large which probably helps them bite into the PCV valve housing. These were just some deck screws that I had out in the garage. Here's a picture:
The lesson here is to change the PCV valve frequently so this problem doesn't recur. It's a cheap $20 part. When the O-Rings on the PCV valve become old and rigid, it makes it very difficult to remove the valve without breakage. Our Honda Odyssey has 118k miles and I'm suspecting this is the very first time that the PCV valve has been changed.
I just rubbed some engine oil on the O-Rings before installation so they wouldn't go in dry.
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Ok, well add me to the list of victims for this issue!! My van is a 2013 with about 98K miles, and I was changing the valve as preventative maintenance. Wish I never touched it! The worst part was trying to keep it from my wife so I didn't get an earful!!
I want to thank purc1234 about the deck screw idea! That worked for me as well. I think that's the only thing that would've worked besides perhaps taking off the valve cover which I really didn't want to get into. So I used a 4 inch deck screw, and even used a small screw driver to screw it in good to the tip of the valve that was stuck in there. I then took some needle nose pliers to wiggle and pull out the broken out piece. I was surprised how hard it was to still get out! It turned the o-ring was damaged which I think made it that much harder. It was probably damaged from the flathead screwdriver I had used to try to get it out.
Thank God I was able to get it out with the screw! Can't imagine what a mechanic would've charged to get it out.
In the end, I was able to remove the majority of the old valve, but I don't think I got all of it. I also used a shop vac which was helpful.
But after this nightmare, here are my hard lessons learned:
1. Best way in my mind to remove this would be first to completely remove the bolt, then rotate the valve back and forth to loosen it. DONT JUST PRY ON THE FLANGE WITH A FLATHEAD SCREWDRIVER, IT WILL BREAK.
2. I wouldn't recommend changing this part unless you are having an issue. It is a pain to change it. Imo, it's a terrible design to have this brittle plastic part inside the engine very likely to break upon removal. Plus it's a bit of a pain to get to.
3. Removing the wire harness bracket via 2 bolts greatly helps your access.
I just really hope having the small remaining pieces left in there don't cause issues. From the sound of the other comments on here, it doesn't look like it will be an issue. Thank you so much for this forum! A real lifesaver.
I want to thank purc1234 about the deck screw idea! That worked for me as well. I think that's the only thing that would've worked besides perhaps taking off the valve cover which I really didn't want to get into. So I used a 4 inch deck screw, and even used a small screw driver to screw it in good to the tip of the valve that was stuck in there. I then took some needle nose pliers to wiggle and pull out the broken out piece. I was surprised how hard it was to still get out! It turned the o-ring was damaged which I think made it that much harder. It was probably damaged from the flathead screwdriver I had used to try to get it out.
Thank God I was able to get it out with the screw! Can't imagine what a mechanic would've charged to get it out.
In the end, I was able to remove the majority of the old valve, but I don't think I got all of it. I also used a shop vac which was helpful.
But after this nightmare, here are my hard lessons learned:
1. Best way in my mind to remove this would be first to completely remove the bolt, then rotate the valve back and forth to loosen it. DONT JUST PRY ON THE FLANGE WITH A FLATHEAD SCREWDRIVER, IT WILL BREAK.
2. I wouldn't recommend changing this part unless you are having an issue. It is a pain to change it. Imo, it's a terrible design to have this brittle plastic part inside the engine very likely to break upon removal. Plus it's a bit of a pain to get to.
3. Removing the wire harness bracket via 2 bolts greatly helps your access.
I just really hope having the small remaining pieces left in there don't cause issues. From the sound of the other comments on here, it doesn't look like it will be an issue. Thank you so much for this forum! A real lifesaver.
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@Erobe05 Welcome to the "PCV-valve-broke-in-half" club!
I certainly understand your frustration when the PCV value broke off in your hand. I'm glad the deck screw trick worked for you. I can't imagine the hassle it would be to remove the valve cover on this engine. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think the best solution going forward is to routinely change this plastic part on a regular schedule. This is mainly to prevent the O-rings from becoming hard and brittle due to heat and age. I believe that's what makes the PCV valve so difficult to remove. When the O-rings are no longer flexible, the PCV value becomes lodged in the engine. It's a very cheap part, so might as well include it with your regular maintenance. If the part hadn't broken, it would take maybe 20-minutes to replace (removing wire harness and PCV bolt).
My plan is to keep changing the PCV value every 40k miles going forward to prevent this issue from happening again. I'm glad you made it to the other side and hopefully your wife doesn't know any better.
I certainly understand your frustration when the PCV value broke off in your hand. I'm glad the deck screw trick worked for you. I can't imagine the hassle it would be to remove the valve cover on this engine. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think the best solution going forward is to routinely change this plastic part on a regular schedule. This is mainly to prevent the O-rings from becoming hard and brittle due to heat and age. I believe that's what makes the PCV valve so difficult to remove. When the O-rings are no longer flexible, the PCV value becomes lodged in the engine. It's a very cheap part, so might as well include it with your regular maintenance. If the part hadn't broken, it would take maybe 20-minutes to replace (removing wire harness and PCV bolt).
My plan is to keep changing the PCV value every 40k miles going forward to prevent this issue from happening again. I'm glad you made it to the other side and hopefully your wife doesn't know any better.
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It happened on my 07, but all that broke was the part on the outside of the valve cover. I took an 8mm tap, and threaded it into the hole in the middle of the PCV valve. It started to turn the body of the PCV valve after I got it threaded in, and I turned it around while pulling back of the tap with pliers. I probably could have removed the tap and threaded a bolt in there, but it was beginning to loosen up, so I just kept doing what I was doing. I was able to get it out with out breaking it up any more and installed the new PCV valve.
Great idea this was! I’m a recent victim of this broken valve on my TL. I found a large enough wood screw to thread in what was remaining of the valve and got it all out! Thanks all for contributing to this!
Yes, the PCV valve is a maintenance item and should be replaced on a routine schedule. As noted, this is a plastic part inside of an aluminum engine. Better to change it every 40k miles to avoid problems. If the PCV valve has never been replaced, I think it would be a great idea to change it with a valve cover gasket replacement. The PCV valve is a $20 part. Might as well.
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12,324 Posts
+1
Its failure by crudding up could make for a difficult diagnosis of engine performance issues. In addition, it could cause excess condensation inside the engine, and also could cause oil leaks.
As noted, replace it as regular maintenance. Some folks try to test and/or clean it, but a new one is not expensive, and quicker too.
Replaced mine today. Did not break off. Came out in one piece. I did wiggle it with hand and use finger nails to pop off. I did not use a screw drive to pop off. That spacer was the part that trouble me the most since I dropped it into the engine bay and I had to fish it out.
Replaced with a after market cheapie for ebay for $6.00. Before everyone jumps on me for using a cheap part.. Please remember the OEM one was the one that broke into the many pieces... I will let you know how this one goes.
17130-RCA-A02 PCV Valve Standard For Acura RDX Honda Odyssey Pilot Ridgeline | eBay
![159604]( "159604")
![159605]( "159605")
Replaced with a after market cheapie for ebay for $6.00. Before everyone jumps on me for using a cheap part.. Please remember the OEM one was the one that broke into the many pieces...
I will let you know how this one goes.17130-RCA-A02 PCV Valve Standard For Acura RDX Honda Odyssey Pilot Ridgeline | eBay
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