That is a good question, but look where certain things happen to cars, that don't happen in other parts of the country. Rust, corrosion, etc, all vary to the areas. Lots of it is man made. Some use the wrong antifreeze's, or no antifreeze, which is a real no no. The metal is unprotected. No antifreeze, immediate rusting or corrosion starts. No chemical protection. Also every degree an engine runs over 250 or so, shortens engine life and related components.

In AZ, heat is so rampant, they go through radiators more so than a lot of other areas. I'm sure parts of NM, NV and Texas has this very problem also. Also a lot of wind blown sand into the cooling fins, like a sand blast machine. Wet areas mess with electronics, and the list goes on. A lot of it isn't the vehicles fault as much as weather conditions. Then the temps start rising, and the heat raises hell with engine parts and brings up the transmissions temps. All in all, the whole cooling and oiling and drive systems becomes damaged to some extent.

 

Good morning AK!- hope you have a good day, be careful and dont over do it!
BTW- ive read bits about it, but what is Fords reasoning behind a heated pcv valve?- my old 94 explorer didnt have one, nor any of my ancients lol- just a curious bear!

 

Good Morning guys. Hope all is well

Bear: From my Ford tech book. A heated PCV valve is used at extremely low temperatures. It protects the pcv valve from freezing and increasing internal crankcase pressure. The high pressure can squeeze out the oil through crankshaft seals and gaskets. This causes oil to leak from different areas.

 

It also VERY much keeps the IAC from freezing up. Without them around here, your screwed as far as that goes lol.

 

Alrighty then- my '03 with the 5.4 has a pcv valve in both valve covers, but only one is heat wrapped. Is this normal or did someone in the past just not put it back on? Again, the truck runs good! I couldnt ask for a much nicer, older truck. But im just being curious.

 

I'll be honest with you. I am not sure I can answer that. I do believe you are correct, tho, with only one, but it's been so long since I've worked under the hood, until lil Red, that I don't remember. Once I looked at the set up, I'd know, but Hey, this is 2016, and the last 5.4 I worked on tuning was before Red was in 2000. I've worked numerous 4.6's since, but haven't had to do any tune ups or that kind of work in years.

Mostly, I've been doing factory navigation radio installs and wiring in steering wheel controls into Gen 11's, Explorer's and S197 Mustangs, more than anything else on the side. My back allows doing those, but tune ups and crawling into the engine bay, not so much. LOL.

I've got to do one next week. I have a spare navi head and a guy wants it in his Fusion. This is a very simple swap out and install. He has strg wheel controls, so it will only take less than 30 minutes and I get rid of one of my extra radio heads.

Today or tomorrow, I'm going to install my Navigator steering wheel and set up the swc's for my spare Android head. I've put in my Sony for now, but next week, I'll hook up my Android head, and it will have controls working from the steering wheel. I love simplicity. LOL. I've been dragging my feet doing this, because we've had so much theft in Anchorage this summer/fall, that many radio's have been stolen. We all know how easy it is to R&R a radio head in our Gen 10's. I just replaced my house exterior camera with a new model, and now I can see across the street at night, without a problem. My old camera's I/R light burnt out, so it wasn't seeing very well at night. Since I can see now, so I'll go ahead and put it in, maybe this weekend.

 

Break ins and theft are bad here too - the display on my factory radio/cd/cassette dont light up so ive considered putting in a nice pioneer unit- but every thing works on the old one, and if it got stolen, i wouldnt be out too much. So ill bide my time for now.

 

Huh, that's a new one. So someone stuck a PCV valve in the breather port ? Not good, one side needs to be open without a check valve, - by design. Better remove the drivers side IF you want a healthy running engine that breaths properly. The drivers side is the breather, needs to flow into the crank and exit the pass side. The wrapped passenger side is standard from 2000/2001 - 03 and some 04's for Fords cold climate systems. Before going electronic.

Google Image PCV diagrams for the Ford Modular , or for combustion engines in general for a quick peek on how it works.

 

J- thats kinda why i asked- what does the connector into the drivers side valve cover look like?-it looks for all the world like a pcv valve- ill be at work late tonight, so it might be a day or so before i can really check it out-
In my mind i tossed around the idea it might check flow the opposite way-

 

Drivers side is always intake for these truck engines. Intakes clean metered and filtered air from the air intake lower line (5/8 I believe), -



To a plastic stub fitting (with orange cap), -



The line is straight through, nothing in between. Runs from the air intake to the valve cover. Direct clean flow from the air intake.