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This page is a how-to write up on cleaning the throttle body on a 1997 chevrolet camaro 3.8L V6. (110k miles)
When you clean your throttle body, and remove all the crap you will see is in mine, will imporve the cars idle and overall good of the car.

It's not the easiet thing to do, but with a little patience you can do this to.

Things you will need:
Parts-
*Throttle body base gasket- I bought mine at NAPA auto parts for $2.69.
*Carb Cleaner (aerosol can) - I bought this at NAPA auto also for $3.39.
*Several shop towels- Had them prior to this. Wal mart sells bags of shop towels if you dont have any.
*WD-40 (aerosol can)- Any retail store.

Tools-
10MM Wrench/socket ( both? )
8MM Wrench/socket
Flat head screw driver(S)
Torx Bits ( special tool may be required )
Pliers.
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Ok, first step I did was Removed my airfilter, airbox, tubing and all the works.. just for a little extra work space.
You can use a screw driver to undo the bracket that holds together your air box piping, and remove that.
Now the air box portion that is mounted on top of the radiator bracket is help in by two pressure tabs. You can use a screw driver or bent needle nose pliers.. Careful, i broke one of the tabs when i pulled it out. After thats is free, the accordian style tubing between that and the throttle body just simply pulls off.
Heres some pictures of the removal in order in which they were done.

Next, after you have some extra area to work in... I removed all the clips/plugs that are plugged into the throttle body, and removed the clips that were connected to the intake manifold that was wrapped around the front of the TB.

Now theres one more small bracket held onto the side of the throttle body by a 10MM bolt. Remove the bolt, take off the bracket that holds a group of wires, and I like to reinsert the bolts back into the original hole, so it keeps the mess down. This is the 10mm bolt on the passenger side of the throttle body after i reinstalled it.

Next step is to remove the throttle cable bracket that is connected to the TB, and top of the intake manifold.
This is held on by (2) 8MM bolts, one on the driverside of the TB, and one on top of the intake manifold, these bolts, and the bracket you are removing is painted black.

Now that the throttle linkage bracket is removed, the TB is only held on by (3) 10MM screws and will come off the base after they are removed.
Below is a picture of two, of the three screws that need to be removed, the third was hidden, and you cannot see it very well you just need to feel around with your fingers and it is located under the throttle linkage.

**NOTE**
Two of the 3 screws are male ends sticking out of the intake manifold, and are held on by nuts on the outside of the TB.
the third, is the opposite, a bolt, inserted into the intake manifold... Youll see.

**OTHER NOTE**
When you start to loosen the 3 screws, you will have antifreeze start to leak out as its untightened.. I didnt realize this and it leaked onto my serpentine belt and pulleys, so you should be ready for it, and cover it with a shop towel.
** Notice, if the car has been run recently, and the temperature is hot, the coolant is under pressure and will be shot out when TB is removed.
Please wait for car to completley cool down, or remove the radiator cap to release pressure.
Whatever you do, its best to wait until engine is cool, removing the radiator cap under pressure can be dangerous as well.

Once the TB is off you will have to remove the old gasket, for me it came off about 80% 1 peice, and the rest came off in little peices.. for the peices that dont come off, you can use a gasket scraper if you have one, or a flat head screw driver, and use fine sand paper to remove the rest.
Heres pictures.

Old gasket on intake manifold

OLD GASKET VS. NEW GASKET

As i finish removing the rest of the gasket with fine sand paper

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**NOTE**

This is the MAF (mass air flow) screen.
Notice how dirty it is.

This is located on the front side of the Throttle body and is held in by a metal ring that goes around the outside of it and locks into place.

Removing the MAF Screen

And here's the insde of the Throttle body, after the MAF screen.

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Ok from here, i took my can of carb cleaner, and sprayed it on a rag, and wiped a portion of the inside of my intake manifold clean. I cleaned about as much as i could, as far back as my hand would go, which isnt far, and WOW. IT WAS DIRTY.

Ok, now that you have the throttle body ready. you will need to take off the two black sensors, one on top of the TB, and one on the passenger side, they are held in by (2) screws each (Torx bits- T25).. Remove these for the simple reason that the carb cleaner can damage the sensor.

Removing......

Now that those are removed, your ready to clean the TB.
I used a clean shop towel, and sprayed the inside of the TB generously.. wiping clean after.
I also used Q-Tips which help get hard to reach, or small areas.

Make sure to move the throttle plate and clean both sides of that also.

BEFORE
AFTER

OTHERSIDE.

Now that both sides of the TB are clean, I generously sprayed the MAF screen, and that came clean also.

Now it's finsihed... Just reinstall the MAF screen, & the two sensors on the TB.

Install the new gasket on the intake manifold.. and reinstall the TB to the the intake manifold.
Make sure you reconnect all the parts you previously took off.
And plug in everything you unplugged.

Done.. Good luck!
It really made a differance, my car idle's so smooth.
When i first started it, it seemed to be running a little rich cause of all the spray, but it straightened out.. I was surpised it made such a differance..
My car has almost 110k miles on it so it was quite dirty.

I can be reached on Aol Instant Messenger at StrtRacer9803
Thanks for viewing my page!
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PAGE 2 - PICTURES
PAGE 3 - PICTURES (some photoshop)
PAGE 4 - HOW-TO (manual fan switch)
PAGE 5 - HOW-TO (factory fog like replacement)
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