Hello,

I attempted the FITV, IACV, and throttle body cleaning job, but was unable to get the IACV off. Who is involved in this conspiracy? I have read so many posts and write-ups on this job and NO ONE that I have found has commented on the difficulty of getting the 12 mm bolts off of the back of the IACV.

I am a pretty strong guy, and spent over an hour trying to get the top bolt off while in that tiny little space. The only issues I have read other people having were getting the two coolant lines off, which of course I didn't even get to.

WHAT is the secret formula to get these bolts off, other than a sledge hammer?

The FITV tightening has dramatically improved things for my car. Why is this job referred to as "cleaning" the FITV? All that is involved is tightening it.

 

The bolts are pretty tight, but I found a closed end wrench to be adequate. You can link a larger closed end (perhaps 14mm) into open end of 12mm wrench to gain an additional 5-6 inches of leverage. You might also be able to strike the 12mm wrench end w/ a hammer to get additional break out torque. A 1/4" ratchet w/ a small cheater pipe may be another option.

A breaker bar will not fit in the space available.

good luck

 

I did it. I took a small hammer and, with the little swinging space available, tapped at the bolt for a bit and that did the trick.

Pretty dirty!

I reset the ECU and the idle doesn't seem to have changed. The FITV tightening made a significant difference, however.