Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Discussion and technical advice for 84-89 AW10 & AW11 MR2. 3A-LU, 4A-GE, 4A-GZE.

Moderators: IMOC Moderators, IMOC Committee Members

Post Reply
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

The infamous Ecotek valve :wink: Can anyone please tell me if they have succesfuly installed it on their MK1?

The reason I ask is that I've actually bought one and installed with e-mail guidance from one of the main guys at Ecotek and I can't get the flammin thing to work :( No matter what I try. Infact I doubt if I've been advised to correct pipe to install it in #-o

I've been running a thread on the Ecotek forum page on the link below with regards to the MK1. Can anyone please have a look at what I've said and been told by Ecotek on this thread and let me know your opinions as I'm at a loss? [-o<

http://www.ecotekforum.com/phpBB/forum/ ... php?t=1079

Thanks guys! :)
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

Had a quick read and ROFL! The hose he's told you to attach it to is the PCV which vents gas from the cam covers to just before the throttle plate, there's an even longer tube in the manifold for this.

If you remove the pipe and run the engine you'll see that the valve will be permanently closed due to the high air flow through the PCV. I can't see how it could create any more turbulance in a tube with as many corners as Monaco.

I believe the correct place for the Ecotek is on the brake booster hose, as close to the manifold as possible, one of my mates has one and says it's great, but you'd have to pay me to fit one! I can't see how it benefits the running of an engine.

I'd get back to him and ask him to pay for a new PCV hose! :lol:
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Yeah, I thought it would be best being fitted to the brake booster hose, but to be honnest, I can't find it :oops: Don't suppose you or your mate could point me in the right direction? :wink:

The guy from Ecotek has just responded to my message, can you please have a look at what he's said and let me know what you think? Cheers!

http://www.ecotekforum.com/phpBB/forum/ ... php?t=1079
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

On your last picture http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6623 ... ted6qi.jpg it's the hose that goes off the pisture in the bottom right hand corner. It should attach to the manifold on the furtherest inlet runner from the throttle body.

Both my Mk1s have had a significant airflow from the cam covers, in a healthy engine it will have only a small quantity of oil mist in it. At the moment I have a hose running to a catch can, breather filter and no return to the throttle body.

Might be worth asking him, if he's ever worked on a 4AGE.

Chris

Edit: done a bit of reading, I think he's sorta right about the piston rings, but I don't think that's the whole story. The whole valve train, especially the exhaust, will leak some air into the cam covers.
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Yeah, I think I really need to be looking at the brake servo pipe to install this widget in really. There's sod all vacuum in the pipe it's in at the moment - so I'm now left with the task of some how patching that pipe back up again. Not chuffed :?

When i get home I'll try posting a new picture indicating what I belive to be the brake servo pipe from your description. If you could give me the nod from that photo if I've got the right pipe that would be really helpfull :)

With regards to the piston rings do you think this is something that I'll need to get looked at?

With regards to the hose I've got it installed in at the moment, are you saying that you've got that pipe disconnected from the phelium chamber and just running to a catch can? Why's this then? Does the car run better like this by not putting second hand air back in the to system?
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

Jimbo_Jet wrote:With regards to the hose I've got it installed in at the moment, are you saying that you've got that pipe disconnected from the phelium chamber and just running to a catch can? Why's this then? Does the car run better like this by not putting second hand air back in the the system?


Yup, don't know if it runs better/worse, the theory behind it is 1) hotter air = less dense so I'm removing a heat source and 2) oil mist lowers the octane rating of the fuel. I'm just removing detremental additions to the inlet charge.

Re. piston rings, if the car isn't smoking don't worry about it.

The PCV can be replaced with a piece of silicon hose, I've got some kicking about if you want. Might have the original PCV from my engine. :lol:
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Ahhhhhhh I like the theory! :wink: In the blow back air from the crankcase is there likely to be any unburnt petrol in the air? And so by sending it round for a second run you have another chance of getting your money's worth out of it?

With regards to the piston rings, I do get the odd puff of white smoke from my exhaust when I pull on the throttle cable 8-[ It's never visible from inside the cabin, but if you're standing over the engine bay pulling at the throttle cable while watching the exhaust (like I've been doing a lot of lately) when you open up the throttle it can let out a foot long puff of white wispy smoke like stuff. Should I be concerned about this? 8-[
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

There probably will be some unburnt petrol but with everything else there IMO it's not worth keeping. :lol:

Do the white puffs appear just after starting or are they there once tha car's fully warmed up?
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Limeymk1 wrote:Do the white puffs appear just after starting or are they there once tha car's fully warmed up?



Errrm, not sure, I'll do a test tonight and see what happens. I know it def happens when the engine is cold. If it's chucking out some smoke when it's hot what does this mean? I've never noticed it doing it on idle, just when the throttle cables pulled, like at around 6000 revs.
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

Doesn't sound like a problem to me, a bit of wispy white stuff is usually just condensation being cleared from the system. If it gets thick it's usually a sign of head gasket failure but I it doubt very much in your case.

Blue smoke = oil
White smoke = water/coolant
Black smoke = overfueling

Tends to be the case.
j0nathan
Posts: 2646
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 2:21 pm
Location: Lancashire

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by j0nathan »

Jimbo_Jet wrote:Ahhhhhhh I like the theory! :wink: In the blow back air from the crankcase is there likely to be any unburnt petrol in the air? And so by sending it round for a second run you have another chance of getting your money's worth out of it?
[



Don't take all of this as gospel but this is based on a bit of research I have been doing into this as of late:
There will be a small amount of unburnt fuel but reading my Haynes manual indicates that the primary reason for the PCV hose is to do with emissions reduction. This means that some inert gases will also be present which by their very nature don't burn particularly well, as well as a bit of oil to lower the octane rating (fractionally). The net result from a performance point of view would probably be a net loss.

If you're trying to be ecologically sound then keep it in place otherwise routeing the blow-by gases to a catch can with a breather (as mentioned in this thread) and blocking the PCV inlet on the TVIS to prevent leakage may well improve performance slightly. It is possible to put a crank crase breather filter in place directly where the PCV hose is but this is a bad idea since you will find blow-by gases venting oil through the breather and into your engine bay.

Once I've solved my rust problems I will be doing this unless someone comes up with a sound reason for keeping the PCV hose in its current position.

Also, if you are trying to be ecologically sound then why did you buy an MR2 MK1??? :twisted:
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Also, if you are trying to be ecologically sound then why did you buy an MR2 MK1??? :twisted:


:lol: Yeah too right. Being ecologically sound is not really on the agenda for my MR2. If I can improve the fuel consumption then that's great but I'm more concerned with performance. Diverting the PVC hose away from the Pheilum Chamber sounds an interesting idea to me. I too have the Haynes manual and when I looked it up the same thing crossed my mind also. :wink:
MegatronUK

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by MegatronUK »

I sell snake oil if you want some of that aswell....

:roll:
Jimbo_Jet
Posts: 554
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:57 pm

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by Jimbo_Jet »

Well I've just tried to see if I could unblock the point at which the PCV hose links back to the Plenum Chamber. It's the valve/connection point that I've marked on this picture with a pink circle.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6623 ... ted6qi.jpg

I've cleaned it out with a clean rag and a screw driver to poke it down into the hole and yes I got a fair bit of oil out, but, no gunk.

What I have found is that if you insert a screwdriver, for example, into the opening it'll only travel in about 1 inch before you hit a solid metal wall at the end of the valve/connection point. That's odd I thought, how does the air flow through this junction?

So I tried poking around in it with a straightened paperclip to see if I could find an air passage. (Bear in mind I'm doing this blind as I can't get my head at an angle good enough to see down it) ;)

What I found was that at the bottom of the connection/valve point there's plate running across the valve a 90 degrees blocking it off completley. But by poking around with the paper clip, I found that in the middle of that plate there is a small hole JUST big enough to slide the paper clip through. Its about 3mm across MAX. Does this sound normal to anyone in the know?

Anyway, after a good cleaning out I start the engine and let it warm up. I then put my finger over the connection point to the plenum chamber from the PCV hose annnnnnnnd........nothing. :cry: No suction no nothing! Not even when the engine's screaming its nuts off at 6000 revs.

Can anyone please, please do me a huge favour? Can someone please dissconect their PCV hose where it connects to the Plenum Chamber (where I've marked a pink circle on the pic) and see if they have any vacuum presnt at all at this point? Please! [-o<
User avatar
LimeyMk1
IMOC Committee
Posts: 11200
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:28 am
Location: Gosport

Re: Ecotek Valve! Has anyone installed one?

Post by LimeyMk1 »

There won't be, the only way you're going to get negative pressure at that point is to leave the PCV off and then block off the throttle body so that it's the only air source. :lol: If you think of the relative resistance of the air filter compared to the PCV it's pretty clear which way the air will flow even at really high RPM.

I wasn't aware of the blocking plate, but it kind of makes sense as you don't want big lumps of muck in your inlet. The 90 degree turn goes on to the throttle body where it joins on the filter side of the throttle plate.
Post Reply

Return to “MR2 MK1 1984-1989 NA & SC”