VVT Solenoid removal

Can anyone advise me as to how I remove the VVT solenoid ? I've a terrible history of just going for something without actually knowing and making a complete balls of it....

I may as well just give you an example :embarrassed:.... Simple job, changing the oil in my first (only) automatic jammer, Soarer - Changed filter, fine, went to drain the sump, job done. Filled her up again and drove off happy as Larry, after a few minutes gearbox started feeling very strange, wasn't shifting properly at all. I stopped.

I then realised that I had a brain the size of a goldfish.... I drained my gearbox oil and put an extra ~5l of oil into my engine, so she was driving around with ~9l of engine oil and no gearbox oil ! :embarrassed::embarrassed:

Long story short I have no learned that no matter how simple the job, it's best to know exactly what to do before going for it. I've done a few searches and can't find any guide as such as to how to take the solenoid off. Maybe someone here can advise ?

It's not my picture but this is the part I need to get off :wink:

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/s...iggins/vvt.jpg

No worries if noone can help,
Thanks.

is the solenoid broke & you want to replace it? or do u jus want to disconnect it??

You shouldnt need to remove it? But if you do, just unplug it, and get a 27mm spanner and loosen the solenoid.. Why would you want to do this? it goes into an oil gallery, so you need it there, even if you arent using vvt.

dermot hit the nail on the head,so if ur jus replacin it cause uv dodgey solenoid thats wat u do..if you jus wanna stop it from workin disconnect the wiring or even jus 1 out of the 2 that goes into solenoid n that shud do the job

Also I forgot to say, there is different solenoids between s14s and s14a's.. I dont know if it matters if you use the wrong one, just anytime I compare them, 1 is about 10mm longer and has a different end on it, so if you are replacing it try use the same one (Incase it matters)

Thanks for the replies lads, I sould have worded the question better so sorry about that haha...

I just wanted to disconnect it to see if it would stop the VTC rattle, it's safe to say that it did not work. In fact, it made it around 17billion times worse :huh: I presumed disconnecting it would essentially disconnect the VVT - Stopping the rattle ?

I'll have a search around the site but if anyone wants to give me a hand with understanding how the VVT rattle comes about I'd really appreciate it. From what I have read so far I know that getting a new sprocket in will sort the job out immediately. I've just read of so many people replacing it only to find it coming back again the following year - I also believe that I can essentially disconnect the VVT altogether, upgrade my camshafts to say HKS cams with vernier pulleys to keep the power and not ever have to worry about the rattle coming back ?

It's not even that bad, it's only there on start up or when out of gear. It completely disappears once I lift the clutch, it's just wrecking my head and want to get it fixed one way or another.

I could be totally off the mark with any of the above but if someone wants to try and explain different options that are available I'd REALLY appreciate it.

u could swap the vvt hub with a sprocket from the intake cam on a black top 180 engine.. you will need both the sprocket and bolt , because its a longer bolt that holds on the vvt hub to the cam..

u will loose the vvt , but its a cheap way out of it . u would get one from a blowin 180 engine of someone for notin like... ;)

Have fought with myself over this for a while now, as I have the same problem in my road car, as i'm running standard enough power, I dont really just wanna get rid of the torque it produces. I tried a secondhand one a few weeks ago, was delighted with it and the other day it just started knocking again :(

The only other thing is they can be got in America new for around $300 so if you are over there or know someone over there you could sneak one back into the country and that would prob fix it for rest of the engines life.

Also a company in England is developing a replacement but as yet I dont think they have managed it.

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Originally Posted by DRIFTER

u could swap the vvt hub with a sprocket from the intake cam on a black top 180 engine.. you will need both the sprocket and bolt , because its a longer bolt that holds on the vvt hub to the cam..

u will loose the vvt , but its a cheap way out of it . u would get one from a blowin 180 engine of someone for notin like... ;)

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Thanks for the info, I might look into that one :wink:

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Originally Posted by hoopsbhoy

Have fought with myself over this for a while now, as I have the same problem in my road car, as i'm running standard enough power, I dont really just wanna get rid of the torque it produces. I tried a secondhand one a few weeks ago, was delighted with it and the other day it just started knocking again :(

The only other thing is they can be got in America new for around $300 so if you are over there or know someone over there you could sneak one back into the country and that would prob fix it for rest of the engines life.

Also a company in England is developing a replacement but as yet I dont think they have managed it.

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Thats what I'm afraid of, I really dont want to buy a second hand one for a 2 main reasons: 1) I heard it is a pig of a job to do and 2) For all I know, the second hand sprocket could be on it's last legs too :mad:

On another note, I do have an aunt living is San Diago... Wonder if she wants to send me a present haha :wink:

Thanks for the info lads, will look into both.

Has anyone here uprated the cams and entirely removed VVT ?

Is the clutch standard?? Sounds clutch related tbh, possibly the release bearing.

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Originally Posted by juice

Is the clutch standard?? Sounds clutch related tbh, possibly the release bearing.

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?????

id be suprised if it was anything but the sprocket

Clutch is brand new, literally under 1k miles on it :confused: It's not standard, it's uprated but can't remember the exact make/model.

On a clutch note though, it does whine slightly when cold. When I first start her up in the morning it sort of groans the first time I press it. It only happens once and then goes back to being completely normal :wink:

I am almost certain it's the sprocket, however, I really taught disconnecting the solenoid would stop the rattle... However, once it was disconnected the rattle was there even when in gear, driving, idling basically I couldn't stop it no matter what I did haha.. Once I reconnected the solenoid it immediately stopped and was only there when the engine was warm & idling.

It has to be something to do with the oil... Once the oil warms up, it gets thinner and somehow it's not doing its job. When the engine is cold there is no rattle whatsoever. I'm going to change the oil again over the next few days with a decent fully synthetic oil (10w60) and see if that does any better :wink:

Again, thanks for all the replies/advice.

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Originally Posted by boost-addict

I am almost certain it's the sprocket, however, I really taught disconnecting the solenoid would stop the rattle... However, once it was disconnected the rattle was there even when in gear, driving, idling basically I couldn't stop it no matter what I did haha..

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Ya once the sprocket is "working" it shouldnt rattle as the oil pressure is up, disconnecting the solenoid would only make it worse (rattlying wise)

If you remove the vvt all together, you loose power and torque, unless you get management (Power FC, Nistune, or the likes) and map the car without VVT.. But then when you look at all the hassle, fitting a VVT pully is cheaper. Its not a pig of a job for anyone that knows how to do it, I can do them in 20 mins now, thanks to doing 100's of them

Also disconnecting the VVT solenoid will make no difference to a vvt rattle, it is basically disconnected until you put the car in gear and touch the throttle, then the vvt is switched on.

a rattle from the vvt? is the vvt still working? do they stop working?

When they only rattle on idle, and stop rattling when you select a gear and go to move off,they are still working.
But when they get that bad that they are rattling all the time, then they arent working at all

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Originally Posted by Dermot

If you remove the vvt all together, you loose power and torque, unless you get management (Power FC, Nistune, or the likes) and map the car without VVT.. But then when you look at all the hassle, fitting a VVT pully is cheaper. Its not a pig of a job for anyone that knows how to do it, I can do them in 20 mins now, thanks to doing 100's of them

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That's interesting - I'm getting a NIStune ECU/map installed over the next month or so, could I essentially request that the car is mapped without VVT ? Would you say I would loose out in allot of power ?

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Originally Posted by hoopsbhoy

Ya once the sprocket is "working" it shouldnt rattle as the oil pressure is up, disconnecting the solenoid would only make it worse (rattlying wise)

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I didn't know that, it is exactly what happened but I guess I just expected it to be the opposite haha.

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Originally Posted by Dermot

Also disconnecting the VVT solenoid will make no difference to a vvt rattle, it is basically disconnected until you put the car in gear and touch the throttle, then the vvt is switched on.

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Yep, as above, I expected it to be different but what you are saying is exactly right.

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Originally Posted by 20vees

a rattle from the vvt? is the vvt still working? do they stop working?

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VVT still works fine :wink:

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Originally Posted by Dermot

When they only rattle on idle, and stop rattling when you select a gear and go to move off,they are still working.
But when they get that bad that they are rattling all the time, then they arent working at all

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Fingers crossed that doesn't happen, I couldn't bear that noise all the time !!


If I was to change my oil with a much 'heavier' fully synthetic oil would/could that have any positive impact on the rattle ?

Thanks again lads

You can try change the oil, I use 10w60 or 15w50 motorsport oil all the time on sr's.

Yes, you can get your VVT pully removed, and get the car remapped with a nistune, or power FC and you will hardly notice the vvt gone.

But the standard ecu is mapped for it, so if you just remove it on the standard map, you loose all your low down power and torque, top end is still the same.