Mission Complete!
I was finally able to keep my P0171 & P0174 Trouble Codes away after replacing the Air Oil Separator! (Smoke testing revealed no leaks after replacing the Boots, hose clamps, and reattaching the Vaccum hose below!) The AOS took about 4 hours to replace. It was difficult to reach the spring clamp, with the special tool from below, so i had my fiance hold it from above while i aligned it below. But even harder to remove was the lower plastic "Pinch and pull" type plastic hose attachment that is on the lower side of the AOS. (facing the passenger side air vent) I tried for 90 minutes or so from all different angles above and below, and could not get a good enough grip to release it. Eventually i found that the best angle was to climb over the engine from the drivers side, and stick my hand in behind the AOS, pulling it towards me,which allowed me to get my fingers in there and unclip it. i also put a new O ring on that connection, while i had it open. Putting it all back together was only about a 30 minute job. the removal was the tricky part. The intake was full of oil, so i cleaned it again, and the TB while in there. She really purrs now! Good luck!
Now on to the next project. Replacing the CV Boots that i noticed were torn when underneath the car.
