EGR port cleaning

[SeattleQ45]

My dealer told me my EGR port(s?) are carboned up and need cleaning, a labor intensive task that will cost $500. I found an independant service shop that will do it for $200. Is this really important to do, and can I do it myself (not a mechanice, but have mechanical aptitude)?

Also could this have been caused by bad injectors (had a couple replaced in the few years)? Should this have been done on my 90K service?

Thanks,

Mike

[911/Q45]

That would have been easiest while the plenum was off during the injector replacement. You can remove the EGR valve and do a fair job from the outside, especially if you also remove the throttle body. I would go for it, as you will go broke paying other people to do these types of things.

[elwesso]

Agreed... You should be able to get it pretty clean if you rmeove the TB and the EGR valve... Make a roto rooter out of an old hanger and spray carb cleaner in there.....

[SeattleQ45]

Any pictures of the hand made tool you guys have used? It sounds like I should get an OEM repair manual for this beast so I can get some pictures and instructions for some of these things (either that or your cell phone numbers so I can call you when I need guidance!).

[elwesso]

765-621-8336... Call at will!

Just fabricate something out of a hanger... Make it long and shove it in there...

[azskygod]

I used a large (1/2" ?) drill bit through the EGR port to clean out the big chunks, then a wire brush to finish it up. Believe it or not, Easy Off oven cleaner works wonders on carbon and plenum grunge. I cleaned mine off the car. If you do this on the car, be sure to wipe down the plenum to remove any stray carbon chunks. You sure don't want any of those going downstream... Good luck.

AZSKYGOD

[Q451990]

Believe it or not, Easy Off oven cleaner works wonders on carbon and plenum grunge.

Hmmm, never though of that, but it makes sense! I guess most of that stuff in the oven is baked on carbon too. I wouldn't clean anything on the car with that stuff, but with the plenum off, it would work fine!

So this brings up another idea... could you put the plenum in the oven during a self cleaning cycle and cook that stuff out of there without touching it??

Heath

[911/Q45]

I think you would probably warp the assembly and damage it cosmetically too. Good out of the box thinking though!

[elwesso]

Why not just throw some gas in there and light it up......

[texasoil]

actually, an old speedometer cable chucked in a variable speed drill works GREAT to clean out the EGR passages. Use carb cleaner as a solvent to help out.

[gumby]

i've already removed the egr valve dremeled it and sprayed 1/2 can carb cleaner through it. as for the port if you start spraying stuff and poking around in there wont all the crud and sludge just settle into the intake ports.

[fxjackso]

The port into the intake is right behind the TB, and its vertical- there's a 90 degree bend at the end. That's where the crud gets solid. So you can chisel it out without it going the other way into the plenum. If you work it while its dry you can use the tip of a shop vac to pick it up.

Please keep the shop vac away from the intake cleaner though, or update your will first.