How -To: Anti-shudder broken nipple fix

One of the joys of cleaning the EGR or intake on these lovely engines is R&R the EGR valve from the car. As the plastic which composes the anti-shudder actuator pot ages, it becomes brittle. The intense pulling on the EGR hose can easily snap off the nipple (which is very well shrouded) on the anti-shudder pot that the hose connects to. The nipple snaps off flush in the shroud of the valve, like this:


leaving the broken nipple stuck in the hose, like this:
/images/graemlins/mad.gif


This renderes the pot, and therefore the anti-shudder valve unusable. Evidently, this is not available separately, so the option is live with it to buy an entirely new EGR valve. Until now.

Last Friday, this happened to me. As we arrived at the time to reinstall this onto the intake manifold, I found a fix that worked for me, so here it is for all of you. As you can see above, the resultant hole in both ends of the broken nipple is very small. The anti-shuder valve doesn't see vacuum very often or for very long, but does need a supply. What would fit in there to reestablish the vacuum connection?


I took a piece of this high strength plastic rigid tubing, cutting it at an angle so that the passage at the bottom of the passage would not be blocked off. This tubing fits tightly into the broken nipple ID. I used a piece about 5/8" long, inserting the open end of the slash cut towards the vacuum passage in the pot.



Then, flaring the opening in the broken nipple in the tubing with a drill bit, I pushed the hose onto the new red tubing, re-establishing the vacuum connection. It was a press fit, and I used no glue or other fastening device. Anti-shudder works fine, and since there is no stress on the connection, I expect it to continue to do so.

Now, what is this special red tubing? It is the straw from a can of WD-40!





By the way, many thanks to runonbeer for the Photographer and Director credits!

Alas, I can't ever find a WD-40 plastic straw! I try not to but I always lose them!

What I did per Ripster's advice (if memory serves me right) was to slobber a bunch of JB Weld epoxy in there around reassemble nozzle. It's held for 90k miles.

It really doesn't like to get twisted.

Similar problem, but when I tried to take my anti-shudder valve off this weekend when I cleaned my intake, I couldn't get the hose off, so I decided to take the valve actuation rod off of the EGR valve and set the anti-shudder valve off to the side. Now I wish I had tried to remove the vaccum line instead because I ended up breaking my linkage rod!! /images/graemlins/eek.gif So after "welding" it back together with a soldering iron, doing a little research into the valve, Why the heck can't you get just that part? Mine is holding for now, but to be honest I don't trust it, Does any one know of a replacement source for this valve?

BTW, my car runs a lot nicer after de-junking the intake system /images/graemlins/cool.gif Going to run some Vag-Com checks tonight on the way home and see if the intake being full of junk was the cause of my slowly dieing MAF....I hope so...but that is waht warratnies are for if it is dead any way. Somebody has got to know where to get that little valve....Help!!

Not that it helps anyone that's already broken their nipple (is it just me or does that sound painful /images/graemlins/frown.gif)but:
To prevent breakage when removing the anti-shudder valve, first go to your favourite auto parts store & purchase the appropriate size of vaccuum line splice.
Cut the vaccuum line several inches from the A.S. valve & insert splice.
Now you have a connection point that doesn't tweak your nipple /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good idea about the vaccum line, BTW my MAF is a little better but still bad, to the dealer it goes on the 24th...Should run real nice with a new MAF.

this technique needs validation by Janet Jackson

[ QUOTE ]
this technique needs validation by Janet Jackson

[/ QUOTE ]
if I coulda found a star washer to put around it - it woulda been there!

I snapped the actuater arm (half-way up the arm) of the anti-shudder valve whilst prying it off to do the cleaningof my EGR last summer. I splinted it with small metal rods on either side and then used cable ties to hold it all together. Works great do this day!

Can't tell you how many people did the same thing! Brace_dude_tx did a really nice fix of this arm, too. I think that if I ever have to remove it, I will just cut through the end of the arm neatly to remove it without breaking, then JB Weld it back together.

There is another post on here about fixing the valve, I was thinking of making a new acuator rod out of aluminum...here would be another neat thing for Stanco Machine to make...a billet anti-shudder valve. Bling Bling!

nice work mgwerks.

[ QUOTE ]
VelvetFoot: What I did per Ripster's advice (if memory serves me right) was to slobber a bunch of JB Weld epoxy in there around reassemble nozzle. It's held for 90k miles.


[/ QUOTE ]

I made the same suggestion, exept I used the word "slather" in place of "slobber"
that's just me and my elegant diction /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

bump...

I thought this was brilliant, it at least deserves to be seen by some unwitting "intake cleaners"

I had to do this today, and the straw method works a lot better then the super glue method (which doesn work )

I found it helpful to file down the external diamater of the straw to make it fit in the busted nipple.

One thing I did notice is that now the ASV takes a moment to close instead of snapping shut like it used to. I might have colapsed the straw some when I cut the ends off... This weekend I'll fart with it more.

-J

I slenderised the end of the ASV lever where the vacuum actuator attaches with a dremel tool and a grinding stone. It still retains the rod just fine, but can be nudged off the end of the lever for egr cleaning without risk of breakage. Works for me anyway.

i just took mine off, my engine runs better without it

Some other repair ideas:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showflat.php?C...&PHPSESSID=

not to be nit-pickey but the thread linked above is full of creative suggestions for fixing the accuator arm. The only reference made in that thread to repairing a broken nipple is to this thread.

Someone else did it by taking the vacuum line off at the diaphragm and ended up breaking the nipple. He had a good fix for it. He used a straw from a WD40 can or somthing like that to join the two pieces of the nipple back together. It acted like a sleeve to reinforce the joint.

Click to expand...

I had to re-fix mine today. I had never gotten a very good seal, but this solution has sealed things up nicely, and prevents the hose from pulling out:



After reseating the straw into the dashpot and nipple, I filled the 'chamber' that the nipple is in with silicone sealent. It now holds vaccuum. I'll put it back on the car tomorow... I predict it will work well.

-J

Wow, After reading some of these quick fixes I feel like I really went overboard.

I don't have the pictures for it but I took a slightly different approach with a WD40 straw.

I used the straw and a piece of old silicone aquarium tubing as parts of a mold. I crammed the broken off nipple into the tubing leaving just enough to mate with the stub on the body of the antishudder actuator. I then crammed the straw inside the nipple inside the tubing. That done I added a couple of toothpicks full of plastic epoxy into the space now remaining between the tubing and the straw. I used the straw to line up the parts of the nipple and mashed the whole thing together. Once the epoxy had set I cut off the tubing with a razor blade and drilled out the red straw.

Viola, a perfectly repaired nipple. (Granted it's probably overkill)

15K miles and still going strong.

Another broken anti shudder valve fix:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=149433

http://www.fototime.com/53BE4F895C1CDD9/standard.jpg

I used the spray tube for a brake part cleaner can & a gob of super glue Gel . Still working 14 years on .

At my recent visit to my guru he demonstrated the purpose of the little slit in the shroud. He used a razor knife to slit the hose within the shroud and around the nipple, then it pulled gently off. The razor knife then trimmed off the slit portion of the hose for reinstallation.

Doug Huffman said:

At my recent visit to my guru he demonstrated the purpose of the little slit in the shroud. He used a razor knife to slit the hose within the shroud and around the nipple, then it pulled gently off. The razor knife then trimmed off the slit portion of the hose for re installation.

Click to expand...

I found the safest way to take the valve loose is to cut the hose upstream of the fitting . And use a piece of plastic hose/line to reattach the line at the cut point when done .

Thank God for the internet! (and Al Gore?)
I broke off the nipple too and this fix worked. (the wd-40 straw)

1000 thank-yous

will try this tomorrow!

mgwerks said:

leaving the broken nipple stuck in the hose, like this:
/images/graemlins/mad.gif

This renderes the pot, and therefore the anti-shudder valve unusable. Evidently, this is not available separately, so the option is live with it to buy an entirely new EGR valve. Until now.

!

Click to expand...

Ok so this is what I'm looking at in my 03 tdi. I ordered a new EGR valve, and plan to clean the intake manifold and replace the EGR. Do I need to replace the vaccum hose pictured or will the new EGR valve present the fix?