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Air Regulator Maintenance

eXc

By eXc,
in Tutorials / DIY / FAQ

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eXc Mentor

eXc

Posted
Posted (edited)

Please bare with me until I get the formatting correct. I need to learn how to do 'tabs' in forum code.

Pics are hosted on my site and on here incase one goes down.

Cleaning/Fixing An Air Regulator

Disclaimer

You do everything at your own risk. This is meant as a guide only, you will need to adapt it to your car if it is different. I am not a mechanic, I did this for the first time with very little help, and just worked it out as I went. I hope this will make it easier for others. I have bad grammar and I probably don’t know the correct names for parts, so you’ll just have to deal.

Purpose

The purpose of this tutorial is to show any inexperienced person how to remove and clean/fix the Air Regulator, on a R32 GTST. However all the RB engines should be very similar, you should be able to adapt this tutorial to your RB.

How does it work?

It uses an electrically heated bimetallic strip to rotate a disc that opens a hole that allows air to bypass the throttle body to increase idle speed while the engine is warming up

Why Clean it?

When I bought my car, it wouldn’t idle correctly. It stayed at 1500-2200 the whole time, cold or warm. I managed to correctly adjust the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) which made the revs come down from 2000 to 1500. Obviously this is to high (aim for around 700 RPM while idling with the Air Conditioner off.

I am sure there are other reasons to clean/fix the Air Regulator, I will update this tutorial when I learn of other reasons.

What Is The Main Problem With Them?

There is a pin that holds the disc in place, if that pin falls out, or the spring attached to the disc comes off, the Air Regulator doesn’t work correctly.

My Car Idles Fine, Should I Clean The Air Regulator?

Good question. Personally I say if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Others however have said that it is a good idea to include cleaning the Air Regulator in your general maintenance.

How Hard Is It To Do?

It’s pretty easy. Anyone that has basic knowledge of cars and tools should be able to perform these tasks. I managed to do it, and I am not a mechanic and this is the first car I have really worked on apart from oil/coolant.

What Will I Need?

1) Tools

a. Ratchet and sockets, they will vary depending on your hose clamps/bolts.

b. Screw drivers, once again it depends on your setup. I would recommend that you have them magnetized, it makes life easier getting those bolts out from down the engine bay. You can magnetize them by rubbing them on a strong magnet!

2) Gasket

a. You will most likely break the gasket. So depending on your style, you may want a new gasket, or maybe you will make your own on use ‘gasket goop’

3) Brake Cleaner or at least WD-40

The Procedure

Keep in mind I don’t know the technical terms for some (most) of the things! Pictures should help you identify what I am talking about.

Removing The Regulator

1) Locate the Air Regulator.

See PIC1

2) Have a look, and work out if you can get to it as is. I couldn’t; so I chose to remove the following, you can skip ahead if you think you can get to it without removing them.

a. Remove the pipe attached to the throttle body.

i. Undo the clamps (2) at each end of the pipe

ii. Undo the bolts (2) that hold the pipe in

iii. Undo the bolts (2) that hold the metal lines to the pipe.

iv. Move the pipe to the side - Remove the BOV (Blow Off Valve) if it makes life easier…I didn’t bother.

b. Unplug the 2 small hoses near the throttle body (The ones that are attached to the metal lines in point iii)

PIC2/3/4

3) Unplug the hose running from the Air Regulator, to the T Piece that goes back to the AAC. You can unplug it at whatever end is easiest (I did it at the T piece)

4) Unplug the power cable going to the Air Regulator (it’s directly under the throttle body, and is a blue plug)

5) Undo the hose that runs from the Air Regulator to the bottom of the throttle body.

6) Undo the bolts (2) that mount the Air Regulator to the engine.

PIC5

7) Remove the Air Regulator from the engine bay.

Cleaning The Air Regulator

Note: Remember if you do this, you will need a new gasket, or a way of making your own.

1) The Air Regulator has 4 Phillips head screws that hold it together. Remove them. Be VERY careful not to strip the heads. Mine were in really tight, and went close to stripping them. DO NOT use a cheap screwdriver; use a ‘brand name’ one. Or if you have an impact screwdriver, you are set!

PIC6

2) Pull the 2 pieces apart, they will be stuck together pretty well by the gasket. Keep in mind that it has probably never been serviced.

3) Have a look at what it looks like inside. Does it look like the attached picture? If not, we need to fix it! If it is fine, then we will just clean it.

PIC7

4) Be careful you don’t lose the spring. Detach the spring.

5) Pull the pin in the centre out, and the disc will come out as well.

6) Spray it all with brake cleaner or WD-40, probably need to wipe it as well to get rid of all the crap. Wait for it to dry (brake cleaner dries quick)

7) Re-assemble like it is in the picture. Make sure the pin is in properly.

a. Some people I have talked to have decided the pin won’t stay in and have invented their own way of making the pin stay in. I didn’t need to do that. Maybe you should just buy another one if you need to do this and don’t know how.

8) Do everything above in reverse to get it all back together.

9) Start your car and see if it has made a difference. You may now need to adjust your idle in other ways to compensate what you have fixed.

10) Go drive!

I'd appreciate comments/criticism so I can get this tutorial as accurate as possible.

Cheers

Chris

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Edited by eXc
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https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/69151-air-regulator-maintenance/
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eXc Mentor

eXc

Posted
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Posted
Where did you get the new gasket from?

I need to do this to my car as its started to stay on cold start idle all the time now also

I didn't. The old gasket was 80% still in tact (yes, should have been replaced) however I had no money (well that's not true, but I couldn't afford a loaf of bread...) so I used 'gasket goop' on the 20% that didn't have gasket instead cause I had it laying around. I figure worst case is it will just blow the gasket and car run bad/not at all, then I will hopefully have the money for a new gasket when/if that happens.

You can also make your own from cocopops packet, I did this for my BOV, but it was a difficult job to make one for the Air Regulator, as the BOV one was my first and it was very easy.

I would imagine you could get the gasket from Nissan at a price...You can get gasket goop from supercheap/repco etc I am sorry I don't know the official name, but the sales people should know. I bought high temp stuff, as I used it for the exhuast on my 2stroke bike to stop the oil spitting out all over the place. It didn't fail before I sold it, which was a year later. So it's good stuff. It even said that oil breaks it down, but it lasted atleast a year, which is good enough for me!

eXc Mentor

eXc

Posted
  • Author
Posted
ISo when you pulled your regulator off was the spring loose and not attached?

Well, I kinda didn't notice, it sorta fell apart on me. So...but I would assume it was either the spring was off, or the pin fell out, or both. Made it harder for me to put back together, cause I didn't know what it was supposed to look like! Which is why I made the tutorial.

Give me some feedback guys, is the tutorial ok?

  • 5 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
TimmyC Collaborator

TimmyC

Posted
Posted

haha i had a go at doing this today but couldn't undo the bolts that connect the regulator to the engine, one was really tight and after giving everything ive got i think i stripped it ??

well it doesnt look like a screwdriver will be undoing any more anyway... any ideas how to get it off ??

  • 4 weeks later...
INASNT Grand Master

INASNT

Posted
Posted

Has anyone done this on the rb25? The air regulator is near the top of the oil filter and u need a 3 way adjustable hand to get any sort of tool in there to undo the screws. I pulled 1 of the vacuum hose off and sprayed wd40 in there and used a small screw driver and could feel the flap opening and closing but it seems the spring is loose.

I will have to try using a hoist to get to it so i can undo the screws :crazy:

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