• Cleaning the Throttle Body

    The throttle body is a pretty simple component but after years of service the internal passages can become clogged/dirty & the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) begins to fail. For these reasons I recommend cleaning the throttle body and replacing the TPS on any van with 150k or more miles. Here's my method of disassembling, cleaning, and adjustment.

    This is a throttle body I pulled from a parts van. It will take a couple days soaking in Chem-Dip, so I can drive my van while this is being worked on, then I can swap it out with the one on my daily driver when it's ready.



    Chem-Dip is a pretty harsh cleaning chemical. So harsh that it will eat rubber & plastic parts. Before soaking the throttle body in this it must be disassembled. Toyota didn't intend for these throttle bodies to be easily disassembled, but I have worked out a way to get the job done. The 1st challenge is the screws holding the butterfly to the throttle shaft. After installation Toyota crushed the threaded ends of these screws against the side of the shaft. To make matters worse, they used an unusual screw size (M3.5 X 0.6). So unless you plan on drilling & re-tapping the throttle shaft (to accept a more common screw size), you will need to save & re-use these.



    Use a Dremel with a metal cutting fiberglass/abrasive wheel to carefully grind the crushed portion of the screws off. Don't stop until they are flush with the shaft. It will save you time later to also make an identifying scratch in the butterfly so you can orient it the same way when it's time to go back together.



    While you have your Dremel out grind some slots to allow removal of the idle adjust screw cover.



    Now it's time to remove the TPS........just two screws and it pulls straight off the shaft.



    Next remove the nut, the cable guide, throttle return spring, and other associated parts from the throttle shaft. Take a picture or make notes so you can put this back the same way later.



    Now the 3.5mm screws can be removed from the shaft & the butterfly can be removed. Note: These screws are a bit "soft" so be sure to use a high quality #2 Phillips screwdriver bit & make sure the tip is in good condition. Bear down hard on the screws when you rotate. You will only get one shot at this & these screw heads strip out easy. Sometimes the crushed threads extend up in the shaft area a bit so occasionally these screws are hard to remove. Remember when I said "you'll only get one shot at this"?...........well I might have lied just a little . That was to get your attention so you'd try your best! . Sometimes even when you do everything right the heads still strip . When this happens use your Dremel to make the Phillips heads into slot tips. Remember, you will still want to re-use these & this is your last shot..........unless you drill and tap for new screws........so be careful and do a good job. After the screws are out remove the butterfly.



    Now the throttle shaft can be removed.



    Take a slot tip screwdriver and gently pry out the throttle shaft seals.



    These typically pop right out.



    When it comes to your idle adjust screw, get a slot tip screwdriver and while counting revolutions, turn it clock-wise until it bottoms out. Record the number of turns for future reference and then remove it. Sometimes the rubber o-ring will make it difficult to remove. If you have one, an expanding tip slot tip screw driver works well for extracting the idle screw. If you don't have that then it can be "blown out" by using compressed air through the exit port. If you use the compressed air method cup your hand under the screw so you don't lose it. Once removed, carefully remove the rubber o-ring from the idle screw and save for later. The other parts on the throttle body are pretty self explanatory. If you don't already have some, go to your local parts store and get yourself a gallon of Chem-Dip. Remember this stuff is nasty so read the directions and avoid skin contact. Load all the metal parts into the basket (included inside the gallon container) and lower into the can. Put the cover back on the can and forget about it for a couple of days. Hint: Chem-Dip will eat almost anything, but it will work better if you remove excess dirt before dipping. Also, I recommend scraping/cleaning all old gasket material prior to soaking. Soaking won't always remove gasket material so it's better to get it off before hand. Another thing to consider is how long you may want to keep/use your Chem-dip. The more junk it eats-up the less effective it becomes. The can I'm using now is one I've had for over 10 years. It's getting weak, but it still does the job.



    Okay, so a couple days have passed, now it's time to get back to it. Use a pair of pliers or a wire hanger to hook the basket and pull out of the Chem-Dip. Have another container of an appropriate size ready to set the basket in. I use Mineral spirits to dilute and remove the residual Chem dip. After the parts are covered with mineral spirits I agitate the basket to rinse. Now parts can be removed one at a time and a parts cleaning brush is used, then compressed air to blow dry.......Be sure to use eye protection!



    Could these be the same parts I had before? Okay, the TPS is new, but everything else is original!



    The old shaft seals will usually push right in with just thumb pressure. I'm using a synthetic lubricant with PTFE to lubricate the throttle shaft seals & bores.



    After installing the throttle shaft & aligning the butterfly, I clean the burrs off the shaft screws threads & apply some semi-permanent Lock-Tite.



    Screws are installed but left loose. Before final tightening allow butterfly to self center by closing throttle all the way & then tapping on it & the shaft. The periphery of the butterfly is precision machined at an angle to match the inside of the throttle body, so Make sure it's oriented correctly! Without the throttle stop assembled, while closed it should make an air-tight seal. Hold it up to the light to verify it's centered & intimate with the throttle body bore. Once you're satisfied tighten the screws.



    O-ring is installed on idle screw and lube applied.



    Idle screw is installed & bottomed out. Next we back it out the number of turns previously recorded.



    Throttle shaft built up with return spring, cable guide & associated parts. Nut is installed and tightened.



    New throttle position sensor is installed & other misc pieces of throttle body are put back like before.



    And here's the end result .



    Now that the throttle body is reassembled the only thing left to do is adjust the TPS & install it on your van. Here is a video on how to do this (click on the image below to view video).



    Before you install check the condition of the throttle body coolant hoses. If soft or deteriorated now is a good time to replace. I suppose a bulk 5/16" or 8mm hose could be used here, but the bends are rather tight and you may end up with a crimped hose. Last time I needed these they were still available through Toyota. They are part #16267-73010 & 16264-73021. You'll also want a new throttle body gasket & that one is Toyota part ##22271-73011 & sells for ~$5. Tim
    This article was originally published in forum thread: The Throttle Body Thread started by timsrv View original post
    Comments 150 Comments
    1. timsrv's Avatar
      timsrv -
      We touched on that in posts 49 & 50. If you figure something out please share with the rest of us. Tim
    1. MyToy's Avatar
      MyToy -
      Hey Tim could he not just bypass this if he is not in super cold climate?

      Just a thought.

      MT
    1. timsrv's Avatar
      timsrv -
      Oh yeah, good point.....(I see he's in Hawaii). The coolant flowing through the throttle body is just to prevent freeze-ups in cold climates. If it never freezes where you are you could simply bypass the throttle body (bypass the bypass ) and not worry about it. Tim

      Edit: Read further before attempting this (no longer recommended), user "MyToy" tried it and had freeze-up issues @ 94° F!
    1. beetleswamp's Avatar
      beetleswamp -
      What has two thumbs and loves you guys for being so awesome?

      This dude. This dude right here.
    1. beetleswamp's Avatar
      beetleswamp -
      Ok about ready to put this sucker back in but realized that the gasket 22271-73011 is discontinued and not in stock anywhere that I can find. Any recommendations?
    1. MyToy's Avatar
      MyToy -
      Is that the one between the throttle body and the manifold?

      mt
    1. beetleswamp's Avatar
      beetleswamp -
      Thanks. I guess I am feeling a little bit special this week. Hopefully my lost searching skills will turn up shortly.
    1. MyToy's Avatar
      MyToy -
      As for bypassing the water inlet probably was not a good idea. I bypassed them on mine just so see if they would effect my crazy idle issue going up by 300 rpm after the engine is on for more that 15 min. If you adjust idle down to 700 at that time she has a hard time to keep running within those first 10 to 15 minutes. You have to majorly feather the gas pedal.

      So I said, what the heck, let me try this. No issue until I got on the highway for a while doing 85 at 32000 RPM. The van came to a stop as if I ran out of gas. I opened the lid and could not find anything wrong. 5 minutes later she started back up. Ran it again and again she dies.
      When I got her home I immediately pulled of the air intake to look into the mix control. There it was ICE!!! The water bypass is to protect the mixture control from freezing in high humidity climates. I should have know, they do this all the time on non fuel injected airplanes. As the air gets sucked in to the assembly it drops in temperature and when mixed with the humidity it freezes.

      So if you do bypass it and she dies you know why. Hawaii may be different. But here in Florida, it is needed.

      MT
    1. timsrv's Avatar
      timsrv -
      Good to know. It freezes here so I've never tried it. What was the ambient temp when yours froze?
    1. MyToy's Avatar
      MyToy -
      Outside temp was 94 Deg with 99% humidity
    1. timsrv's Avatar
      timsrv -
      Quote Originally Posted by MyToy View Post
      Outside temp was 94 Deg with 99% humidity
      Wow! so I think I'll edit my previous post where I said it's okay to do that in warm climates .
    1. Flecker's Avatar
      Flecker -
      Quote Originally Posted by beetleswamp View Post
      Any recommendations for how to deal with rusted coolant tubes? Slide something over and braze it in maybe?

      Attachment 9181
      Cut them off, drill and tap for something like these is what I have done on the 22re's throttle body...

      https://www.amazon.com/Vis-Fitting-S..._df_B07CWS7YHC
    1. Flecker's Avatar
      Flecker -
      Quote Originally Posted by timsrv View Post
      Wow! so I think I'll edit my previous post where I said it's okay to do that in warm climates .

      Must be the humidity or something... I wouldn't ever think with the air flow these litle 4y's get that it would freeze in 90+ degrees...
    1. MyToy's Avatar
      MyToy -
      Very common in aviation. As I mentioned, every aircraft that is not fuel injected (no carburetor or mixture control at all) has carburetor heat. This is part of the instrument panel where in most cases, like Cesena 172's, has a pull level like a choke. When descending you add carburetor heat, pull the dumb lever, before you freeze it. Otherwise it is a bad day
    1. originalkwyjibo's Avatar
      originalkwyjibo -
      Part of the issue is the somewhat remote mounting of the throttle body. Despite the engine compartment heat it is mounted up and away from direct heat. This also why air cooled VWs had heat riser tubes on the intake. The air velocity past the throttle plate creates a considerable temperature drop. Mount the throttle plate away from a direct heat source and you will get icing. The colder the air is to begin with(such as at altitude as Mytoy noted)or the higer the humidity the worse it is. I have a '62 Bug with aftermarket single carb and intake without heat riser tubes and had this happen frequently. Especially if I didn't let it warm up.
    1. phychotron's Avatar
      phychotron -
      What about a spray cleaner that doesn't require disassembly?

      Attachment 9547

      Would this be worth my time if I can't take the time/risk to do this rebuild just yet?
    1. Flecker's Avatar
      Flecker -
      Quote Originally Posted by phychotron View Post
      What about a spray cleaner that doesn't require disassembly?

      Attachment 9547

      Would this be worth my time if I can't take the time/risk to do this rebuild just yet?
      Does it come with a sticker? Everybody knows thats where the real horsepower comes from...

      I use the cleaner when needed... it's better to take the throttle body out and just clean it though.
    1. phychotron's Avatar
      phychotron -
      If it was a one day repair that didn't require grinding and potentially fixing it I'd be more inclined to do it. Right now its getting colder and rainier every day. I was going to give my van a tune up but might skip it because its too cold/humid to resin/fiberglass the center console. Spring/summer repairs.
    1. Zman's Avatar
      Zman -
      I'm a hand at 1st gen toy4x4 trucks having restoed 7 but total newby to the space van. Got a 4x4 5 manual and have a high idle problem. Could this be a bad dash pot and how can I either find one to buy or test the one I've got? Also, you mention just getting rid of it. What's the down side on that?

      I love this forum. It's brought me face to face with feedback circuits and cpu unlike any of my 1st gen truck projects. Thanks for your enthusiastic contributions. I definitely am stoked for the help. Zman Kona PS Merry Christmas!