HIC Valve (??)

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:35 pm

Somebody educate me about the HIC valve, which comes up into the air cleaner housing. After I got home tonight, I noticed oil leaking on the carport from the right front corner of my engine bay, raised the hood, and there's oil coming out of the air intake on the filter housing atop the carb. I pull the cover off, and there is oil standing in the front part of the housing and pretty much everything in there is oily. Do I just need to replace this valve ?? or is this a sign of something more serious ?? ( I sure hope not !! )

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:50 pm

I would not think the HIC valve would be involved, as its connections are to the HAI diaphragm/flap and the carburetor via vacuum tubes.
It would more likely be the vent tube from the cam cover, as it outputs air (and fumes, etc.) to the air cleaner.
It would seem that more than fumes are being passed to the cleaner for ? reason. The wonderful FSM is mum on the diagnosis, but maybe the PCV valve is clogged/inoperative, allowing "air cleaner suction" through the vent tube as well as its normal blowing.
The HIC valve may need cleaning and checking if it is oily, though.
Tom M.

xirdneh · Post by **xirdneh** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:25 am

MootsMan wrote: Somebody educate me about the HIC valve, which comes up into the air cleaner housing. After I got home tonight, I noticed oil leaking on the carport from the right front corner of my engine bay, raised the hood, and there's oil coming out of the air intake on the filter housing atop the carb. I pull the cover off, and there is oil standing in the front part of the housing and pretty much everything in there is oily. Do I just need to replace this valve ?? or is this a sign of something more serious ?? ( I sure hope not !! )

too much oil in crankcase will burp oil from valve cover to air cleaner housing.

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:30 pm

or continuous redline driving :rolleyes:

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 10:39 pm

Thanks for the replies, guys. I think it must have been due to an overfilled crankcase. Before I headed into Nashville yesterday, I put oil in, without checking the dipstick to see if I had put in the correct amount. When I checked it last night, after discovering all the oil in the breather, there was nothing showing on the dipstick, so tonight I was careful to get the correct amount in . I picked up the intake tube or hose or whatever it's called, along with the flexible metal hose that carries heated air up to the breather, at the junkyard today, and installed those. I also put in a new air filter. Hopefully, this will fix it. The bearing on my alternator is making quite a bit of noise, will try to get that corrected in the next couple of days. Tom, that HIC valve is $65 from Toyota. Toyota Motor Corp. LOVES those valves like that one and the TVSV ( which is $120 from Toyota). I did buy a new PCV valve and grommet , which was actually cheaper than NAPA was.

My trip to Pull-A-Part was worth the $1 admission today....I found an old rusted and beat-up tool box in a car, and walked away with a handful of wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers.

Sometimes I walk out of there with more stuff like that than I do auto parts

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:48 pm

Mike -
Your dealer must have a lower overhead than here in STL

- my HIC was $68 two months ago.
Oddly, however, my TVSV listed for $108, and when I mentioned that the Seattle Toyota dealer had it for $78 online, the parts guy here at Fusz gave it to me for $90, which was OK, considering the postage would have been $8 from Seattle.
A tip to all on the PCV valve grommet - it is a perfect replacement for the grommets on the aircleaner-to-cam-cover hold-down tabs.
Tom M.

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:12 pm

Well, I checked the breather today, and there was more oil in there. Not nearly so much as there before, but it's still something that I don't think should be happening. Any ideas on what could be wrong ?? I checked oil before I took the car out today, and it was dead on in the middle of the correct level on the dipstick. Should I change the PCV valve ?? I have not put the new one in yet. The current one in the car is from NAPA, and was installed back in July. Could something be messed up under the valve cover that's causing this ?

takza · Post by **takza** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:38 am

Well, the air source for the PCV comes from inside the air cleaner...goes into the top of the engine...and is pulled into the intake after going thru the PCV valve.

Sounds like the hose to the intake is leaking or ???

This should cause it to run poorly or not at all.

OR...you have the hoses on backwards????

Lateer · Post by **Lateer** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:35 pm

A buggered PCV valve will do this.

As the vaccum builds in the manifold from driving, it'll pull oil up and fill the rocker cover. Then it'll flood out and enter the air cleaner.

Used to happen every time I drove the Tercel before I replaced the PCV valve.
Now, it's fine.

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:34 am

I replaced the PCV valve yesterday. Anyway, I STILL have oil coming into my air breather assy. And I have noticed some smoke when I accelerate hard out on the freeway. Engine is pinging a bit going up hills, possibly because plugs are getting fouled a big, and although not running bad, it's not running extremely good, either. Looks like gas mileage has gone down noticably, too. I'm going to replace the HIC valve with one I got at the junkyard. Anybody have any other suggestions ??

GTSSportCoupe · Post by **GTSSportCoupe** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:38 am

MootsMan wrote: I replaced the PCV valve yesterday. Anyway, I STILL have oil coming into my air breather assy. And I have noticed some smoke when I accelerate hard out on the freeway. Engine is pinging a bit going up hills, possibly because plugs are getting fouled a big, and although not running bad, it's not running extremely good, either. Looks like gas mileage has gone down noticably, too. I'm going to replace the HIC valve with one I got at the junkyard. Anybody have any other suggestions ??

Maybe the baffeling etc. inside your valve cover is all gummed up causing some strange issues? You could grab a new valve cover from the wreckers and throw that on too.

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:48 am

Yeah, I did think about that, too. I just finished replacing the HIC valve. I'm about to head into Nashville, will be about a 100mile round trip, so this will be another good test for it ! There's no other place for the oil to be coming from other than the hose that comes from the valve cover. I have to fill the gas tank on the way in, will run some SeaFoam through to help clean up the plugs. I'll post again after the trip and let you know if there are any changes.