Pipe of Agony O-Ring and Securing Ring Prep?

[rundmc]

Fortunately the brass ring on my vehicle does stay in place with a tight fit upon test fitting it, so I will use grease on the o-ring and secure it in place before attempting other solutions.

I think Dave is correct that the previous owner must have tried to reinstall the ring while the mixture unit was still on the intake, and used gasket glue to solve the problem - but that just created a mess, which might also explain some of my vehicle's hunting issues from before.

[David T]

Just about any grease will work, just don't go overboard and use too much, it will just make a mess. One "trick" to getting the pipe in is to guide it in while pushing the air sensor plate down and watching it enter the mixture unit. Helps to try twisting the pipe a little too as you slide it in. You really do need that brass ring (or some kind of washer) to hold the "O" ring in place. If the ring is missing it is probably laying way down in the valley somewhere if it is not jingling and sliding around loosely on the brass tube. When the last person took that tube out they didn't realize the ring fell in.
David Teitelbaum

[sean]

One "trick" to getting the pipe in is to guide it in while pushing the air sensor plate down and watching it enter the mixture unit.

This is good advice. Ill drop a shop light back behind the mixture unit so when I push the pressure plate down you can really see the light come in as well as the pipe.

[Joe Kuchan]

I don't agree that "any" grease will work. That ring is upstream from the lambda probe, so it would be best to avoid silicone-based grease.

[David T]

Yes, I should have cautioned against any use of silicone around the motor. The grease should be petroleum based. Just as long as it is not something which will attack Buna rubber. You can also use sensor safe silicone gasket maker, just a LITTLE BIT.
David Teitelbaum

[nullset]

I just pulled my manifold, and I don't seem to have the brass ring. Is there a good workaround I can use?

--buddy

[David T]

Get a brass washer that is larger than you need. File the OD so that it fits tightly and then file the ID just a bit larger than the tube that fits through. Install the "O" ring and then tap in the washer you made to hold the "O" ring in place. Or you can do it with a piece of nylon or whatever you have handy and can make fit. Steel is just harder to file. You can use a piece of aluminum too. Maybe you can find a piece of copper tubing that fits close and you can make fit.
David Teitelbaum

I just pulled my manifold, and I don't seem to have the brass ring. Is there a good workaround I can use?

--buddy

[Bitsyncmaster]

I just pulled my manifold, and I don't seem to have the brass ring. Is there a good workaround I can use?

--buddy

Did you look closely in the mixture unit? There should also be an O-ring in the hole or on you pipe. You may find it down in the valley.

[nullset]

Did you look closely in the mixture unit? There should also be an O-ring in the hole or on you pipe. You may find it down in the valley.

I think they're long gone. I am pretty sure I have the O-ring, but I don't have the brass washer. If it's in the valley, it's way in the bottom, and I'd have to remove everything to get to it.

This could very well explain my crazy idle issues.

Is there some kind of sealant I could use over the O ring to hold it in place safely?

Right now the mixture unit is out of the car, so I'm flexible as to what I need to do to it.

--buddy

[nullset]

Is the O-ring orange colored and slightly larger than the hole? If so, I've got two of them. Like I said though, they're slightly bigger than the hole in the mixture unit. Is that normal? Should I force them in and find some way to retain them?

--buddy