I've read on several posts that we should be cleaning the throttle body 1 or 2 times a year. Yet I cannot find any instructions on how to do so. I've also read to use a throttle bottle cleaner only to protect some type of film or gasket. Any help would be great!!

2002 Explorer
4.6 V8
4x4
98,500miles

 

Yes, this is a little known secret in the industry. A dirty TB valve will cause the engine to gradually run worse, eventually getting the unsuspecting owner into the repair shop, which will find something expensive to "fix", when 20 cents of carb cleaner will fix it completely.
Some engines require you to shut off the engine to do this, cause they won't idle with the big hose off. Remove the big air inlet hose going to the TB. You'll see the valve inside the TB. Push the throttle cable and you'll see you can access the back side. Liberally spray all sides and the edge and clean with your finger. Some engines have an IAC port hole in there but I guess I don't have that. I lay a thick rag over the serp belt so dripping cleaner won't get on it. Happy motoring!

 

Not carb cleaner. Carb cleaner can damage plastic and rubber parts, and will strip away the protective coating. There is throttle body cleaner available about the same price at all parts stores, it has different solvents in it which are safe to use in throttle bodies.

 

You have to remove the throttle body completely to clean it properly. I used carb, choke and throttle body cleaner that was safe for o2 sensors and cats from Napa (Macs 8700) but still had to scrape a little. Used brake cleaner to finish it off.

There is plastic and rubber seals on or in a lot of carburetors, the chance of carb cleaner damaging them is slim.

TB before cleaning
Front
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...183108&width=0

Back
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...183110&width=0

 

Thanks for the pics. Any tips on removing the throttle body? Novice here!!

 

Pull the intake tube off along with the plastic cover.(If equipped) Remove the linkage which is a spring loaded ball you can just pull it off. Unbolt the throttle position sensor (TPS) Now you can remove the fuel line. On the 95' I took the TB off of the fuel line connector had a little plastic clip that pulled straight out of the side of the fitting that locked the fitting on the barb of the TB fuel fitting. Depending on year the connector MAY be different.(Depending on connector you may need a fuel line tool) Remove the screws that hold on the throttle body and it will come off. There wasn't a gasket between the TB and the plastic intake manifold on the ones I've removed, but there may be a gasket on others.

 

Why remove the TB? The back of the plate can be cleaned with your finger, unless I'm missing something. My method takes all of 15 minutes.

 

The only way to clean it 100% is to remove the TB. In the pictures I posted I had to scrape the crud off with a steel scraper to remove it. There is no way you were going to rub off that crud with your finger.

Heres a pic of the pile of crud I scraped off the back of the TB.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...183109&width=0

 

The answer to that is to include a simple cleaning twice a year in your PM routine.

 

Well the car isn't mine. When you got 5 vehicles to take car, boats and other equipment to take care of......... 2 times a year is excessive to clean the TB, unless you put on 70k miles a year. EGR also dirtys up the TB at a faster rate.

The OP has over 90k miles on his and the TB probably wasn't ever cleaned. To do it right he has to pull the TB off for cleaning.

 

Two times a year to pull off the friggin hose and spray the plate is excessive, eh? Are you a Ford Truck ENTHUSIAST?

 

Not enough carbon will form in 6 months on the plates to warrent a cleaning twice a year, unless your driving a LOT of miles in a year. Its not a fact that its too much trouble, its just not needed. If it makes you feel better go ahead and do it twice a year.

 

In fact, if you drove enough miles to warrant it, the extended operation at higher temperatures would actually prevent many of the deposits, so even if you put a lot of miles on the vehicle, you should still only need to clean it once per year. If it fouls more than that, you have a major problem with either the EGR or PCV systems.

 

Went up to Napa this morning picked up some throttle body cleaner. I was able to clean the throttle body without removing it from the vehicle. Build-up was not bad and the cleaner worked great. Thanks for the info guys.