Cleaning oil out of resonator?

[Rattlin_Steele]

Gen4, 5SFE. Searched the forums on the subject and couldn't really find any answers. Anyone have any experience cleaning out one of these things?

I removed the air filter box and then removed (as a unit) the remaining air intake tubes and the resonator running between the air filter box and the throttle body. Glanced inside tubes, it looked pretty clean, and set the unit aside without giving much thought to its orientation. Later noticed a small puddle of oil had seeped out on to the floor.

Now I'm wanting to clean out the resonator, but have no idea what's inside. The resonator appears to be sealed plastic and not made to be disassembled. I'm tempted to just flush it out with something, but wanted to ask if anyone had any insight into cleaning it or if I might possible damage it.

Thanks!

[93celicaconv]

I don't know if I would be as worried about how to clean out the resonator as I would be about how the oil got there in the first place. Typically, oil getting into something like that is not a good sign of engine health.

[RichieRichJP]

Too much oil put into the engine maybe. You need to check your oil levels. That's not a good sign

[Rattlin_Steele]

Thanks for the tips. From what I've read on here, oil in the resonator can happen by overfilling and also from a faulty PCV valve. There was an overfill incident with this car once in the past, that was remedied pretty quickly, so that may have been where it came from.

Right now, I'm doing a motor swap and just want to clean out the resonator as part of the process of starting fresh so to speak.

[Rattlin_Steele]

To followup in case someone searches this later...

After peering inside as best I could with small mirror and flashlight, I decided there probably wasn't much in there but plastic. So I rinsed it out with degreaser several times and then water. Blew it out with compressor and let dry for several days. Now that it's back in use, no problems to report.

[73sport]

How it got there:
Its normal. Crankcase gases are present and every time you turn the engine off it settles somewhere. Prolly the first time anyone ever looked in that hole and noticed. I doubt it s result of over filling the engine, but overfilling the engine can place the crank in the direct path of the oil and make lots of mist like fumes which will be lingering in the PVC areas, intake, intake pleneum and resonators. . . .

As engines get more blowby past the engine rings it increases.

I rate it as normal. . .

[93celicaconv]

I've worked on many Toyota 4A-FE & 5S-FE engines in the past, and in taking off the intake air hose assemblies, I've never found oil anywhere in that piping, including the resonator. Not sure I would say that is "normal". I guess if you say engines with too much blowby can cause this, that would make sense, but such engines operating with excessive blowby I wouldn't consider as normal.

[73sport]

^^
IMO; if the open crankcase vacuum line from the valve cover connects to a point ahead of the Throttle body you will find oil in places like the resonator and the air tube connecting the filter to the throttle body.

Owners are more likely to find solids on the engines with little inspection are care given i.e. not taken apart for any reason therefor it does collect over time.

The weekend warrier who takes it apart and cleans it every 10,000 miles, well it will be gone.