EGR Removal process, need help.

[Captain Fluffy Nuggies]

Alrighty my fellow members, time for you to whip out your cameras and show me some pictures!

In a month or two here (once this dang cold goes away), i'll be getting my headers and full exhaust adventure lined up to begin. In a nutshell, BBK Ceramic LT's, BBK O/R H-Pipe, and Flowmaster 40's (I like the sound so don't hate). While everything is in the air, I will be installing lowering springs and new shocks and struts, as well as a JLT CAI and deleting the smog pump, lines and all the rest of the garbage I don't need. Now here's where it gets interesting...I am looking for as many pictures as I can get to show me where to look, what to take off and what needs to be done to also remove the EGR. I've heard conflicting stories from both sides that deleting the EGR can be good to clean things up, but also I've heard that you get worse mileage. Can anyone confirm this??? Obviously without a tune, i'll be throwing engine lights left and right for having the smog pump and EGR removed, but that's what having the tuner is for. I have a SCT X4 tuner ready to go as well for just this issue.

Has anyone made a step-by-step process post on removing this for the DIY'r? There's only one video on Youtube where the guy removes his smog pumps and shows which line to melt the end on so you don't have a vacuum leak, and I can figure everything out there, but as far as the EGR goes, I can't seem to find any solid advice or pictures/video that would show me the best route to go, or put either of these rumors to rest so I know it's the right decision.

Another reason i'm thinking about deleting the EGR is because of the piping. I've had a good look at rear tubes on the factory manifolds and they're not the worst i've ever seen, but i'm thinking it might be torch time to take care of them, or Sawzall, either way, I think they're gonna fight me. For only having 18k miles on it, there isn't much rust on any bare metal from the factory, but instead of having to worry about trying to re-attach the lines, and make sure there's no leaks, I'd rather find a pipe cap and some sealant and just seal both front and rear ports off so I never have to worry about it on the new headers.

Any help is greatly appreciated guys. Thanks!

 

[Captain Fluffy Nuggies]

Bump

 

[96S/Cobra]

Warning....long winded post ahead.

While I can't provide you with a pictorial overview of the process (which I know is what you are asking for), know going in that a DIY'er like yourself can undertake the process of eliminating the EGR and smog pump without much trouble. I installed the same ceramic LT's and O/R H-pipe on my car probably 12+ years ago, and I deleted the EGR and smog pump [which if I recall is actually called the secondary air injection (SAI) pump which is located in the passenger fender] at the same time as well.

At the time I did all of this, I was unable to find "caps" that would fit the thread of the male ports on the LT's. So I ended up welding up the ports on the LT's to close them up. All of the tubes that ran to and from these ports on the factory manifolds and associated pieces from the front of the engine will be removed (I'm sorry I can't remember the exact names of these items). On the drivers side of the intake you will remove the EGR. I believe there is also a vacuum port on the intake associated with the EGR that will need to be capped with a rubber cap so there will not be any vacuum leaks. You will need an EGR block off plate once you remove the EGR from the intake. I don't know if you can buy one, or you can make your own using a cardboard template and transfer that to a small piece of aluminum and cut it out. I decided to cut the whole vacuum port and EGR piece off of my intake, have the two holes welded up, smoothed over, and then had the intake powder coated. This makes everything look much better, but this may not be possible in your particular situation.

Somewhere I have pictures the process of cutting off these items from the intake and having it powder coated, but I'm not too sure if I can find them as it has been so long ago.

I don't remember it being too much trouble removing the secondary air injection from the fender. Just remove the passenger front wheel and inner fender liner. I believe there will be an electrical connection or two that will just be left unused inside the fender. The tubes, etc. from this pump will all just be removed.

I feel like I had to go to the local auto parts store and buy an assortment pack of rubber caps. I believe there were a few small ports that needed to be capped so there would be no vacuum leaks once everything was removed from the car. Now exactly where these caps had to be put is something I can't recall. But it should be self explanatory that once the EGR and SAI pump is removed, any and all remaining ports associated with these two items would need to be capped/plugged so there are no vacuum leaks.

Again, I did all of this MANY years ago, so I'm trying to go off of memory here. But I'm also trying to reassure you that if you are handy enough to work on your own car, you will be capable enough to figure out what to cap/plug once all of the EGR and SAI associated pieces are removed from your car.

Just a thought, but when you are removing your factory manifolds and replacing them with your new LT's, you may want to think about installing/upgrading the motor mounts. Now would be the time to do so.

Last piece of info that you asked about....I cannot confirm the decrease in fuel mileage once these items are removed. There is hardly anything stock remaining on my car, so checking fuel mileage through the years as I improved/upgraded/changed things was not something I ever worried about.

Good luck!

 

[Captain Fluffy Nuggies]

Warning....long winded post ahead.

While I can't provide you with a pictorial overview of the process (which I know is what you are asking for), know going in that a DIY'er like yourself can undertake the process of eliminating the EGR and smog pump without much trouble. I installed the same ceramic LT's and O/R H-pipe on my car probably 12+ years ago, and I deleted the EGR and smog pump [which if I recall is actually called the secondary air injection (SAI) pump which is located in the passenger fender] at the same time as well.

At the time I did all of this, I was unable to find "caps" that would fit the thread of the male ports on the LT's. So I ended up welding up the ports on the LT's to close them up. All of the tubes that ran to and from these ports on the factory manifolds and associated pieces from the front of the engine will be removed (I'm sorry I can't remember the exact names of these items). On the drivers side of the intake you will remove the EGR. I believe there is also a vacuum port on the intake associated with the EGR that will need to be capped with a rubber cap so there will not be any vacuum leaks. You will need an EGR block off plate once you remove the EGR from the intake. I don't know if you can buy one, or you can make your own using a cardboard template and transfer that to a small piece of aluminum and cut it out. I decided to cut the whole vacuum port and EGR piece off of my intake, have the two holes welded up, smoothed over, and then had the intake powder coated. This makes everything look much better, but this may not be possible in your particular situation.

Somewhere I have pictures the process of cutting off these items from the intake and having it powder coated, but I'm not too sure if I can find them as it has been so long ago.

I don't remember it being too much trouble removing the secondary air injection from the fender. Just remove the passenger front wheel and inner fender liner. I believe there will be an electrical connection or two that will just be left unused inside the fender. The tubes, etc. from this pump will all just be removed.

I feel like I had to go to the local auto parts store and buy an assortment pack of rubber caps. I believe there were a few small ports that needed to be capped so there would be no vacuum leaks once everything was removed from the car. Now exactly where these caps had to be put is something I can't recall. But it should be self explanatory that once the EGR and SAI pump is removed, any and all remaining ports associated with these two items would need to be capped/plugged so there are no vacuum leaks.

Again, I did all of this MANY years ago, so I'm trying to go off of memory here. But I'm also trying to reassure you that if you are handy enough to work on your own car, you will be capable enough to figure out what to cap/plug once all of the EGR and SAI associated pieces are removed from your car.

Just a thought, but when you are removing your factory manifolds and replacing them with your new LT's, you may want to think about installing/upgrading the motor mounts. Now would be the time to do so.

Last piece of info that you asked about....I cannot confirm the decrease in fuel mileage once these items are removed. There is hardly anything stock remaining on my car, so checking fuel mileage through the years as I improved/upgraded/changed things was not something I ever worried about.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply, if you can find those pictures, that'd be super! Do you remember if the entire EGR 'assembly' is what's bolted on to the intake, or is there something hidden somewhere else? I'm coming from a 1986 F250 with a 460 in it, and deleting the EGR off of that was a vacuum line nightmare, and all the stupid injection lines they had plumbed into each individual port in each manifold which were all rusted solid. Then to top it all off, the back of each head has this port coming out that needs to be either capped off, welded shut, or eliminated with replacing heads, then you have to eliminate the cats because they had a line going up to the heads as well. Don't want to do that again.

All i've been able to see is the connections at the rear of the manifolds on my car and that's it. I don't know where the pipes lead to? There is a video on YouTube where a guy shows how to eliminate the EGR in a Terminator, but that's a totally different system than what we have.

As far as rubber caps go, if I start the car up after having done all of this, will be there a noticeable stumble in the idle if I missed a line, or will I be able to hear the leaks? Will it not run at all if the EGR is removed without capping off all the lines?

As far as gas mileage goes, I didn't buy the car to be some fuel mileage prius. I was just curious if there's a substantial decrease in mileage where i'm gonna have to visit the pumps everyday to just make it back and fourth to work.

 

[96S/Cobra]

The main EGR assembly is affixed to the side of the intake. I can't remember specifics, but I feel there were a vacuum line or two that I had to cap off back at the fire wall, maybe a bit towards the passenger side.

For the life of me I can't remember the routing of the pipes coming off of the exhaust manifolds. I feel like a few of them run to a silver canister type object on the front of the engine, and then a rubber hose runs from this canister over into the passenger fender to the SAI pump.

There would be a noticeable running issue/stumble if there is a vacuum leak if you didn't get all the vacuum lines capped. It should still run, just not run "normal." I would not think you could hear a leak if you missed a line, but I can't be for certain.

My advice would be to just remove one item at a time. As you are taking the EGR off, if there is a vacuum line or two running to it, trace them back to a location that would allow you to easily cap off the line(s). If you do this slowly and methodically you shouldn't miss any lines that need to be capped.

I would not think there would be a substantial decrease in fuel mileage once these items are deleted. It may drop a bit, but I wouldn't think it would be a ton. Again, I can't comment on fuel mileage as I have changed numerous things with my car over the years, and it is not a daily driver, so checking what kind of mileage I get out of my car is something I have never been too concerned with.