How to remove EGR valve?

== First of all, are you sure it needs cleaning? If you can apply vaccum and the engine stalls at idle, the valve is working. Second the plumber's wrench is for plumbing! You need the proper tools to avoid ruining that nut. Always use penetrating oil on exhaust fasteners like that. Let it soak in. Kroil is one of the best. You need a flare nut wrench, or even better a crow foot wrench. If you're describiing the nut near the mainfold, removing the distributor will make it more accessible. BTW I've got a 1977 Toyota truck and the EGR valve on that still works just fine.

I'm positive. Disconnecting and plugging (with a 3-inch nail) the vacuum hose to my EGR valve = no more stalling!

Now for a take-apart and cleaning. Just bought the EGR valve-to- intake manifold gasket yesterday.

Sorry, I'd meant to say "basin wrench". (I tried using the plumber's wrench on the basin wrench for extra torque. No go.)

Ok, Kroil is now on my list.

Will get a crowfoot wrench too.

Thanks,

Michael

== Kroil is excellent, however it may be hard to locate apart from Internet sales or possibly gun shops. There are other penetrating oils. I once had a rust penetrant aerosol by Toyota which was very good. If you have the time order Kroil, or an alternate, the main idea is to let it soak in first, but I've loosened some extraordinarily old fasteners with Kroil and their web site is full of anecdotes.

== What you actually need is a flare nut crow foot wrench. I got one, right size, for the lower fuel filter fitting, made by SK, from toolsource.com. Cost around $20, but of excellent quality. Much better than the one in the set I got from JC Whitney - whole set $20 made in China, that I never used, just because I don't like using low quality tools.

If you let the fitting soak in Kroil, and then use the crow foot flare nut wrench I think you will be amazed at how easily this type of fastener can be removed. The crow foot flare nut wrench avoids the flexing that can occur with standard flare nut wrenches that can flex during use.

I couldn't find the Kroil, so I got some PB Blaster from AutoZone instead. The guy warned me not to get any of it on plastic or rubber (will destroy them).

Ah, cheap crow foot flare nut wrenches!

Thanks,

Michael

wrenches!

The flare nut you are describing quite often needs to be heated cherry red with oxy before you have any chance of moving it.Cleaning egr valves is not a good solution,quite often the fault is within the diaphram of the valve and cleaning will odviously not achive anything.If you manage to get the valve off , vacum test it to ensure that there is no leakage.

Dave Strachan AIAME,Toyota master tech Australia

wrenches!

I went ahead and removed the EGR valve (and feed pipe) from the engine block. (Had to remove the throttle body yet again to access the nut with a giant adjustable wrench.) Soaked the innards of the EGR valve with throttle plate cleaner, then re-assembled. We'll see how that goes. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to buy a new EGR valve. Probably a new EGR feed pipe too. (Would a regular propane torch work? No oxyacetylene in my garage. Yet.)

Thanks for the info.

Michael

wrenches!

Possibly prop torch would work its just you need a fair bit of heat.New egr sounds like a good idea,when replacing dont forget to use an anti seize compound on the flare nut....... stay safe , dave

Another option for cleaning EGR valves is oven cleaner.

Propane torch will probably work. You don't always have to get things red hot to release. However, if you do get it red hot you'll lose the tempering of the metal. Just keep that in mind. Steel nuts and bolts start acting like brass. So replace what you can and be careful with what you can't.

wrenches!

Tried the cleaned egr valve; still stalled when taking on a test drive. (Operates just fine with a 3-inch nail in the EGR vacuum line.) Now I need to order a new EGR valve.

Hopefully I'll be able to use the blowtorch method to salvage the pipe... pipe is like $25, union nuts another $15... imagine that...

Thanks everyone,

Michael

When you say "lose the tempering of the metal" do you mean only while the part is hot, or after the part cools down, too?

I'll be careful while the part is hot...

Michael

Steel will end up significantly softer after it cools down. At least the nuts and bolts I've dealt with.

wrenches!

Heating with a brazing torch (propylene, claims to burn at 1980 C) for

Planning on getting a new EGR valve... but then I thought, how can I know for sure it is the EGR valve? Do vacuum switching valves go bad over time, too?

My '96 Camry is over 10 years old, 141,300 miles. Stalls only after being driven more than 5 miles (won't stall at all if driving the 3 miles to/from my work, for instance). Does this sound like an EGR valve issue?

For testing / trying to isolate the problem, plugging the vacuum hose with a nail stopped the stalling - but I guess it could be any EGR fault - from the EGR modulator to the VSV to the EGR valve...

Michael

wrenches!

A tube nut is in no way a tempered metal , it is in point of FACT a stamped rolled nut and in MOST instances in dismantling EGR systems in the last 15 years I have found it the most time efficient and by far the least damaging way of removing tube nut/riser pipe assys.

....

Thanks for that. Came off in just a few minutes of brazing with propylene.

I vacuum-tested my EGR valve again (while on the car), and it holds vacuum perfectly. It helps to use the right size tubing. ;-)

Just as a clarification: I removed the nut AFTER removing the pipe (and EGR valve) from the engine. I would not recommend trying to remove the nut with a blowtorch while still attached to the intake manifold.

Michael

Perfectly safe to heat while on car.We do heaps of them. dave