EGR & Intake Manifold Clean Results

I forgot who the member is (usually I read through posts fast because I am hiding the iPad away from my daughter while baby sitting) that a head gasket was blown at around 80k. I am thinking that even if I don't have the time, knowledge, or guts to tackle ERG pipes/cooler, I will still do the intake manifold cleaning and OCC early. Better safe than sorry.

@Mendel Leisk shows us the images that even at low miles the EGR system collecting carbon like a recycler collecting plastic bottles. Thank you very much for keep us updated!

 

Hats off again to @mjoo: I'm really glad I tried that oxyclean, about 5~6 hour long soaks later, the EGR Cooler innards look like new.

And @NutzAboutBolts for the videos: it took maybe 3 videos PLUS the main EGR cleaning video, to encompass all the steps.

 

Since your local I'll offer my services up at a very large monetary fee.

Maybe at the next meet up .

 

I'm glad to help out. Who knew that beer knowledge could be so practical.

To anyone on the fence of doing the EGR cooler yourself - it's far less intimidating when you watch their YouTube videos and have a spare cooler in front of you.

Pixel XL ?

 

I'd like to remove the EGR, but that bottom bolt at the exhaust pipe is going to be a nightmare to get to, also righ now at the moment I don't have the tool to remove the stud on that said egr pipe...Plus them bolts are rusty so...hmm

 

The rusty bit is the tack-welded nut on the back of the EGR cooler flange. I found them not difficult to remove, just a little squeaky, and not on too hard. I got one of these, made it manageable:


What's weird, when I bought, a matter of days back, the price was $14 something. I get the sense when someone buys they subsequently jump the price??

And needing an E8 Torx socket, for stud removal, I got this:



I was also going to get of palm wrenches, but shipping was going to be slow, opted to cobble this:



I also cobbled some hardwood dowel stoppers to plug up the cooler ends while adding cleaner. They worked ok with a nitrile glove wrapped, sealed just good enough. But kosher rubber stoppers would be better. Here's the measurements of the cooler end openings:

Observations, from EGR taken off the car:

EGR COOLER INFO:
client part number: 25601-37010
Intake opening diameter (at exhaust): 20.9 mm (#3 stopper)
exit opening diameter (at EGR valve): 25.7 mm (#5.5 stopper)
coolant pipe spigots dia (3): 17.0 mm (exclusive of rib at end
coolant pipe spigots dia (1): 9.1 mm (exclusive of rib at end
EGR VALVE INFO:
client part number: 25620-37110

Stopper number chart:



That's not to say it was easy though. Watch @NutzAboutBolts videos: the EGR cleaning video, plus the spark plug video (for windshield cowl removal), plus the throttle body cleaning video (for air box removal).

He makes it look easy, has a aptitude for this. I, on the other hand, find whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Some of the toughest parts for me:

1. Reaching and removing the nut on the underside of the EGR cooler. And subsequently getting back on, without dropping it. Watching the video again after, I see he reaches around from the back, kind of going in clockwise, which was a face-smack moment for me, lol.

2. Getting the lower stud back on, at the connection between cooler back flange and exhaust manifold flange. I was able to get the top stud through with the captured gasket, but then it was hard to judge alignment of that gasket, make sure the lower hole in the gasket was aligned. That gasket could REALLY use some clips, to hold it on, and align it.

Just before commencing to put things back on, I realized I was ONE GASKET SHORT, that one. Scratched my head a bit, and finally found it: it had dropped down when I removed the studs or the cooler. Lucky I was able to spot it and fish it out with a grabit tool. Did I mention that gasket could use retaining clips, lol.

3. Front stud on the cooler: @NutzAboutBolts notes in his video that this one was difficult to remove. I found the same, seems like fit tolerances are problematic. I found it especially hard to get it started when reinstalling. I just kept loosening the whole EGR assembly, pulling it away from the engine body a bit, trying different positions, finally got it threaded and going in. But it took maybe 10 minutes, various tricks.

The Repair Manual has a compicated install instruction, involving loose assembly of the valve and cooler, install, and torque sequence. As @NutzAboutBolts notes in the video though, one of the bolts between cooler and valve is impossible to access once installed. This seems like a partial engineering fail, that the factory assemblers just worked around.

4. How to clean? I emptied a full can of BrakeClean (chlorinated), and still had mediocre results, was a bit depressed about the situation. Then tried @mjoo OxyClean suggestion, oh man: that was the ticket! Here's pictures, in order: the valve end of the cooler when removed, after BrakeClean, and after OxyClean:




5. Coolant spill, when disconnecting EGR coolant lines? I opted to drain a couple of liters, at the bottom-of-radiator spigot. One irritant, Toyota has made it inaccesable without removing the underpanel, which is a bit of a pain. So, I raise the front of the car about 8", take the panel off, for access.

That worked great, all the hoses were dry when pulled off. But one downside: I didn't want to lower the car, and then raise it again, so from that point on, it was kind of like working on a truck engine bay, raised up so that I sometimes need a small step ladder.

I found later, my "theory" that I could back the bleed bolt right out, drop in a funnel and pour the coolant back in right at the EGR, did not work, the coolant wouldn't go in. Maybe it would have worked if I pushed a funnel and tube onto the bleed spigot, and had the bleed bolt well backed out, not sure.

But at this point I opted for traditional: poured it back into the reservoir, and occasionally squeezed the lower radiator hose, burping the coolant through. I hooked up a tube at the bleed spigot, and sure enough, as coolant got near the full line on the reservoir, a bit starting coming out at the bleed spigot, which is directly above the EGR cooler, connected by a short length of hose.

The level in the reservoir now is maybe a few ounces higher than at the outset, so I suspect there's some minor air pockets. I'm not going to bother with running it in maintenance mode, will just test drive and monitor, think it's good. Hope so.

 

Yeah that bottom stud is the most inconvenient. You have to feel for the bolt because your arm is blocking the view. But it's easy to identify with that exhaust pipe right above it. Then you loosen it with your right hand. My arm got tired and had to take a break. It took about 5-10 minutes once I had the tool in place.

I just used crescent wrenches and didn't have a problem. I imagine the wratcheting wrenches would help speed up the job tremendously.

Long, angled needle nose plyers from harbor freight were very helpful in removing the hoses and clamps. I had one 45* and one 90* and used both.


Pixel XL ?

 

I'm going to have to tackle this job another time, Tomorrow (Sunday) I'm putting my car back together (E-manifold, egr pipe, cowl and wiper assembly)I started this job last Sunday. I need my car for work and at 150 mile drive a day, my 5 series is killing me in gas.

 

Yeah, especially if you don't have an extra EGR cooler, this can spill over to a couple of days. Good for a weekend. And for sure, test drive after.

 

Easy on the wire
There is water running through there too same housing...soaking shaking rinsing works

 

OxyClean would probably work good on the intake manifold too.

 

I just today removed the EGR valve and heater and while it was not that difficult I would say the very bottom hidden bolt is a true pain to get rethreaded when putting it back together. I truly wanted to just leave it unattached after dropping it twice. I finally used a small magnet inside my socket to keep from dropping the nut and this worked great. Of course it took me 30 minutes to figure that out. The heater wasn't completely plugged but it was quite dirty but nothing a few cans of brake cleaner wouldn't make look like new. I couldn't have done it without the fantastic @NutzAboutBolts videos!!!

 

I'm glad the video was very helpful in guiding you guys/girls in doing this service

 

I finally put everything back together on Sunday. the work that was done: plugs, cleaned out egr pipe & intake manifold and also installed a new air filter. Initial start up the engine had a rattle but went away after maybe 5 seconds. Took it for a nice drive on the highway and the car feels much faster than before. Now, the CEL is still on. I was thinking it would clear itself but I'm guessing I would have to get that reset?

 

Perhaps disconnecting the 12V negative lead for a minute or 2 would clear it.

 

Did you reconnect the MAF sensor (at back of air filter box)? It could be a few others, just grasping at straws.

 

It can take several drive cycles for the car to clear code history on it's own. In your case, I'd clear it by disconnecting the the 12 volt to get a quicker idea if the misfire code is going to return.

As Mendel points out, MAF, MAP and EGR valve all need to be plugged in, too.

 

I'll try the 12V method, but everything is connected. including the maf. I will be going to work tonight so I'll give it that nice 150 mile test.

 

^ There's another with a connector, the little gizmo bolted to lower right side of manifold (as you stand at front), it's gas vapours are something, being shunted back to the intake manifold?

I've got the intake manifold on ours off once again. I'd removed and cleaned it with rags and BrakeClean, Sept 15, at 70762 km's. I took it off again this morning before breakfast, Sept 22, at 71095 kms (+ 333 kms), to improve the Oil Catch Can plumbing a bit, and I've got the manifold in the laundry sink, with OxyClean bubbling away, lots of black stuff arising from the EGR passages and wherever.


Note the extra darkening at the EGR ports:


Also took a look inside the oil catch can: a tablespoon or two in there already, and this is in a week and 333 kms.


(There's a bit down the drain pipe too.)

Also it seems like the intake manifold is still getting oil from somewhere, the Atkinson engine? Apears to be starting at the intake ports?

 

whose this question for?