# Finding! and changing the PCV Valve on a 98 Frontier 2.4L 4 cylinder (KA24DE engine)



## 98Frontier4WD (Jan 12, 2015)

So where is that PCV Valve on a 1998 2.4L frontier with a KA4DE engine (may apply up to model year 2004 if you have the 4 cylinder 2.4L model).

Well, I was replacing the PVC valve on my 1998 4WD Frontier (as part of another long troubleshooting for which there is another tread) and discovered that the valve is in a difficult and unlikely position, so I thought I’d pass along the knowledge since I got a lot of good advice from this forum. 

So if you are in for changing a simple PCV valve on a ’98 Frontier (probably applies to other model years with the KA24DE 2.4 4cylibder engine – I think they go up to 2004?) then it’s not a trivial task !

I was under the impression that PCV valves are typically on top of the engine, somewhere between the valve cover and the air filter enclosure. But, NO, not on these 2.4L engines. Actually, the shop manual I have does not show where this PVC valve is. It just has some generic diagram of the PCV system operation! And gives you a generic sketch with a finger testing the operation!

In any case,

The PCV Valve is actually on the passenger side, low down the engine, a couple of inches behind! the oil filter.

Here is a photo (yes that thing at 2 o’clock from the oil filter seat that is attached to that black plastic box is the PCV valve!):


If I had to redo this, I’d just resign to removing:

a)	The front passenger wheel 
b)	The front passenger wheel well mud flap (you know, that flexible plastic thing that always gets ripped when you have oil filter changed at a hasty shop)
c)	The bottom metal protector shield from under the front of the truck
d)	The oil filter (so do it when you need to change the oil anyway)
e)	The alternator (you don’t need to completely remove it, just remove its two bolts and either let it hang by the wires, or, if you want to be more careful suspend it with a piece of common wire

You may be able to get by removing less, but as I said, I’d just relax and resign to methodically removing all the above if I had to do it over again. As it was I removed these things one by one, cursing all the way at the difficulty of changing such a trivial part. 

If you don’t remove all the above you just won’t have enough space to reach the PVC, remove its hose clamp, pull it out of its rubber grommet, insert the new one and slide the rubber hose and clamp over it. Unless you have some fancy tools, like skinny long pliers that can get in there. Even with all those things removed, I had to use a generic but small pair of pliers to pull back the rubber hose clamp. I tried with lineman’s pliers and they were too big.

As usual when removing the wheels, be safe, I put two jackstands plus an old railroad tie that can stop the fall if something were to go wrong – like an 8.3 earthquake while I’m working on the car (I live in San Jose CA, after all). 

I found that this was a good time to replace the belts (alternator belt, AC belt and Power steering belt). If you are going to go down there and get dirty, might as well change the belts if they are close to due. I had changed mine last in 2008 and I found that they start squeaking after 3-4 years. Does this happen to other Frontier owners?

And here I started pulling back the clamp (not a trivial move in the narrow space you have left to work):


The old and new PCV Valves:


The new PCV valve is in:


Hose and clamp back on:


As you can see, once oil filter and alternator are put back, that PCV valve is pretty much inaccessible:



Well, FYI, seems like the PVC valve I took out was bad at 155k miles – so it was a good thing I changed it. I’ll have to open it and see what is wrong with it, but it does not click when I shake it back and forth (is it supposed to? The generic one I bought from Autozone does click – … now don’t tell me it shouldn’t and I have to do this all over again with an OEM part…


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## 1stormseekr (Apr 18, 2016)

they should click when you shake them. Thanks for the pics and r&r. Just picked up a 2000 model and was wondering where it was.


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## Ed Mc (Aug 31, 2006)

I must have a set of "fancy tools"! 

I bought a couple of long-nosed needle-nose pliers (1 straight, 1 angled) years ago at one of those traveling tool shows. They were dirt cheap and they have earned their weight in gold over the years with the things I've been able to do, using them!

Looks to me like once the oil filter is out of the way, the straight-jaw pliers would pull the PCV valve right out of the grommet, and the angled-jaw pliers would easily remove the clamp. Shouldn't have to pull the alternator by doing this.

Thanks for the pics and writeup. I've had a new PCV valve kicking around for a while, just haven't put it in. Time to schedule that task at the next oil change!

Cheers...........ed

p.s. I don't usually pull the pssr side tire/wheel when doing an oil change, but it'll sure make it easier to get at!


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## Wallystruck (Mar 23, 2019)

Learned there are 2 poss.PCV valves.3/8 and 5/8. I was repeadly trying to be sold 3/8. I didn't know I needed the larger unroll i pulled older.auto zone only sells 3/8. The bore holes are remarkably different. Don't know what would happen if utilized wrong one. Ended up going with OEM from nissian. Any know what would happen IF I would have installed smaller vacuum hole when it required the larger. Haven't found anything.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

I had a '91 240SX with the KA24DE and yes the PCV is under the intake manifold. What a terrible design; the Nissan engineers must have been smoking those funny weeds on that one.

I was able to replace the PCV by:
- First jacking the front of the car as high as possible.
- Remove the bottom splash shield.
- Remove the oil filter.
- Use a couple of long-nosed needle-nose pliers, 1 straight, 1 angled.


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