Leaving the shafts in place will not cause problems. Don't forget to replace the o-rings on the ends of each shaft (4 in total). You can get replacements from just about any real hardware store. The stock o-rings will be dried up, cracked and leaking by now. Just repairing the vacuum leak alone will provide net performance improvements.
As far as cleaning goes, see if any machine shops in your area have an ultrasonic tank to clean your IMRC plates. It will do wonders. We are fortunate to have a shop here in KC that has a tank large enough to wash a couple engine blocks at a time. It works miracles on aluminum.
As far as cleaning goes, see if any machine shops in your area have an ultrasonic tank to clean your IMRC plates. It will do wonders. We are fortunate to have a shop here in KC that has a tank large enough to wash a couple engine blocks at a time. It works miracles on aluminum.