How hard is it to reinstall the EGR?

[deabionni]

I purchased a GTE engine from a fellow forum member a while back, and he removed the EGR from the engine and installed block-off plates.

While I was performing the engine swap, I didn't bother putting the EGR system back in place; as I didn't think I had all the necessary parts to reinstall it. Now I have all of the necessary EGR parts to reinstall it back onto the engine, but I'm not sure how hard that would be with the engine sitting in the car.

I'm thinking the hardest part would be reinstalling the EGR cooler at the back of the head; but I should be able to make it easier by unbolting the rear tranny mount, and jacking up the rear of the tranny. That should tilt the engine far enough ahead to make reaching the EGR cooler bolts a bit easier.

Has anyone done this? Is installing the cooler plate the hardest part?

 

[figgie]

It depends

You mentioned the EGR Cooler plate being removed. With the engine in the car, that is going to be the most painful part to install. The other portion are easy as can be. That EGR cooler.... ick!

 

[jdub]

You'll have to do a couple yoga tricks with your hands to get the EGR bolts screwed into the head, but nothing like the cooler. Jacking it up like you said will help and you'll need a low profile socket/ratchet. If you lay padding down across the top of the motor (like an old mattress) and lay on it while you get the bolts in, it will be easier on your back.

Make sure you use a gasket on the cooler! You don't want to do this again

 

[fonz87]

just take the upper intake mani out and get a deep 12 mm socket and wrench. it's pretty easy to take it out and install it. i did my first time 4 days ago and it took me 10 mins to take out and 10 mins to put it back on my first time.


if you need step by step, let me know. ill help you out.

 

[jtran8]

Install EGR is easy , but install EGR cooler while engine on the the car is almost imposible . in order to install EGR you have to reinstall EGR cooler first .

 

[super.secret.supra.club]

I did it on my 7M and my back was super stretched from the effort. Also did some yoga with my feet in the air and my stomach laying on top of the strut... well, more like a super supra man pose, actually. Doable, but I wouldn't want to do it again. Edward.D(owner of this account) is lucky, cause the 2J leaves sooo much room between the engine and the firewall, I wish the 7M had it.

-Ed.T

 

[jdub]

Jacking it up like you said will help and you'll need a low profile socket/ratchet. If you lay padding down across the top of the motor (like an old mattress) and lay on it while you get the bolts in, it will be easier on your back.

As much as I hate quoting myself...do you guys ever read previous posts?

It's not impossible to do jtran and laying on top of the motor will save your back SSSC.

 

[fonz87]

just take the upper intake mani out and installed it, its not really that hard, if he was close, i would do it for him.

 

[jdub]

You do know he has to install the cooler....right?

 

[omfgitsdonovan]

wouldnt taking the upper manifold out cause more work?

 

[jdub]

It makes it easier to get to the EGR valve, but does nothing for getting access to the cooler.

 

[deabionni]

I'm not too worried about installing the EGR valve itself, as that should be much easier to do in comparison to installing that cooler. The EGR cooler is the only thing I'm sweating.

Instead of going after the EGR cooler with sockets, I'm thinking it'd be much easier to reach the bolts with a wrench. (Maybe now would be a good time to pick up that ratcheting wrench set I've been needing).

 

[jdub]

The problem is the bolts are recessed on the cooler plate...a ratcheting wrench is a good idea, but will not fully seat the bolts. You would need to use this adapter with a low profile metric socket and a ratcheting wrench:

Craftsman 3 pc. Socket Cap Set
Sears item# 00943303000, Mfr. model #43303

The 1/4" drive adapter needs a 3/8" wrench, the 3/8" drive adapter needs a metric 14mm wrench, and the 1/2" drive needs a 11/16" wrench.

iirc

There's also flex head ratcheting wrench's available.

 

[deabionni]

The flex head ratcheting wrenches are the one's I'm looking at. They're not cheap by any means, but I could have used them more than a few times while I was doing this engine swap.

Also, the socket cap set is a great idea.

 

[jdub]

They come in handy on occasion
Don't use them very often, but they are priceless to have when you need to wrench in a tight spot!