I just replaced the PCV valve on my 94 Camry. Should the grommet be hard? It seemed like hard plastic rather than rubber. I wonder if it needs to be replaced.
Is it a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder? 4
How many miles on the vehicle? 170,000 miles
Diagnosis by phone: No, the grommet is rubber and should be somewhat pliable. This is typical in that the grommet gets cooked and ends up hard. I would recommend replacing it, but would also give a caution when replacing it that you get the whole thing out. Sometimes the grommet is so hard that it breaks into several pieces and can fall into the engine. One wouldn’t typically believe that a loose piece of small plastic would be an issue in the churning mechanism of an engine, but it could lodge itself in an oil passage, or in a valve spring. Just keep track of all the pieces if it disintegrates and you’ll be fine.
On the flipside IF you decide not to replace it and it isn’t sealing well you may get a slight issue with your idle. There is also a possibility that the suction created by high rpm acceleration would introduce dirt into the valve train. Depening on your driving conditions (dirt roads, highways, rainy conditions, dry) there could be other contaminants that would be introduced. YMMV. If you don’t replace it now, the grommet will only get harder and more brittle and more likely to disintegrate.
The saving grace here is that it’s a 4-cylinder and to remove and replace the valve cover should only take about an hour or so even for a novice. Just keep track of where all the wires and hoses go. Draw diagrams, tape and mark hoses and wires if you need to.