Purge valve hose connection??? HElp!

[fourtyres]

2002 X5 E53 M54 3.0
The hose that comes off the purge valve and goes under the fuel injection rail (I assume) came off when I removed the valve. Looks like it goes pretty far back up under the intake manifold to connect-questions:what does it connect to? Do I have to take off manifold? (am I screwed!?!) attached pics..... Note-the valve fits under the gray/black manifold behind the power steering reservoir
Thanks in advance!

[andrewwynn]

Looks like a job for your new fiber optic inspection camera. Combine with a bent end long nose pliers I'm betting you can attach. Also: a dowel and gorilla tape near the end also will work. Simply wrap the tape CW around tubing and CCW around dowel. When done pushing on turn dowel CCW to unwind tape off the tubing.

[fourtyres]

Very smart-any idea where my target is-I know that's what the camera is for-but general area/device?
Thanks loads!

[oldskewel]

Here's a pic from my 2001 M54B30, when I had to do a quick, partial removal of the intake manifold due to failing coolant pipe o-rings.

You can see that hard plastic pipe pretty much dead center in the pic.

And wow, I even labeled the fuel injectors so you can see where it is. I swear, I often take a lot of pics when I have stuff opened up, and never know what they will end up being useful for. Usually it's stuff that just happens to be in the shot.

[oldskewel]

And a couple more pics, from when I had the manifold out completely while doing the engine work a couple of summers ago.

I *think* that right angle rubber hose from my first pic, that attaches to your plastic pipe, plugs into the intake manifold at the upper plastic barb that comes out of the intake manifold. Shown here in two different photos. For reference, that black-painted steel bracket below the barb fittings is, fits over the stud coming out of the engine block, fastened there with a 16mm hex nut, as I recall.

So just in case you have unbelievably long and flexible arms, you could feel around for that bracket (the only other mounting point for the manifold other than the 11mm nuts up at the manifold ports going into the head), then find that rubber elbow, which should still be on the barb, and simply pop that plastic pipe back in there. Can of corn, as we say. Good luck!

[Effduration]

Here is another shot:

[fourtyres]

Those are awesome pics-what I think i'm seeing is an intake manifold that has to come off-on to search the forum for step by step instructions, thanks very much for the enlightenment!

[oldskewel]

Manifold removal is not a trivial task. Reinstallation is even harder, especially if you aim to do it without creating new problems for yourself. You end up touching almost everything up there, with many chances to break stuff or forget how to reassemble.

So I'd not underestimate the task, and factor that into how hard you try to put the pipe back in place without full disassembly.

When I did my top-end engine work, I took my time, got it all apart, cleaned / tuned up / replaced rubber on everything I came across. No doubt about what to do there.

But then, the new coolant pipes I used had defective o-rings and I had to get back in there just to (first inspect, confirming this problem, and) replace the pipes and o-rings. In that case, I had no desire to take everything apart carefully for cleaning, etc. since I had alread done that. So in the second case, I did a minimally invasive disconnect and partial lift of the manifold.

My first pic above is from that second partial removal. My 2nd and 3rd pic are when I had everything fully removed.

What you decide will probably depend on how much other stuff you want to do "while you're in there."

And of course, if you do decide to do the full or partial removal, "while you're in there ..."

[andrewwynn]

From what I see there’s a pretty good chance he could use the towel trick to attach that you might even be able to just use an iPhone etc. camera sit in the right place to watch what you’re doing.

The other possibility is get a long tube like 12 or 15 inches long that you can work into that rubber elbow but it would come out next to the oil filter housing and maybe on the starboard side of that and then then you could cut the existing tube down and add an elbow right there


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[Effduration]

yeah in this case, I would remove the intake manifold only as a last resort, and I have taken off 7-8 intake manifolds.

I agree there is very little hand room in the area.

How old is your oil filter housing gasket (OFHG)? If it's old maybe you go in for an OFHG replacement and use that access to try and connect your purge valve hose.

If you DO take off the intake manifold you can replace your coolant pipes as noted.