i took my 96 sohc neon to autozone and get a 401 EGR valve error. i thought i would try to clean it out rather than replacing it. i have the haynes manual and it doesn't seem to be too complicated but since i am not as mechanically competent as i would like to be i am not sure about one step. the instructions say to remove the air inlet duct... i dont really know what this is and the picture does not have it labeled. google hasnt helped me much either. also, before i start i want to make sure i have all of the tools i would need. i have a standard ratchet set and a 3" extension for it. i dont think anything is metric is it? thanks! -mitchell

 

its all metric... as for where everything is...
This pic is of the whole egr system... what you need to do is un bolt everything that holds this part on... two bolts on the spaceship looking thing on the head and 2 bolts on the intake manifold that holds the egr tube to the intake manifold...

 

what exactualy does the erg thing do?

 

it recirculates un-burnt gases to the intake... and its a filty system with clogs your intake runners ports valves clyinders... you get teh point... its evoromental bs...

 

Excellent pic. What part of this do you clean? The spaceship part? If so it looks as though I would have to unbolt the 2 lower bolts that connect the tube to the "ship"?

 

If you are going to attempt to clean it then I would take the tube off the spaceship thing get some good pipe cleaner and go to town a little brake cleaner wouldent hurt either as long as you spray it on the pipe cleaner and not the spaceship the spaceship has a rubber membrane that acts as a valve... sorta like a bov and rubber and brake cleaner doesent get along to well,,,, with the tube I would just soak it in some brake cleaner for a while to brake everything up, then go to town...

Then on the head there will be a tiny hole where the spaceship connects... I would also try to clean this out as well seeing as it will be caked in soot

 

so what are your benifits to "blocking it off"

i heard an aftermarket pcm like the mopar one, will still let you pass emmisions
i got the mopar pcm

and can you ever unblock it??

 

the only real benifits from blocking it off is a cleaner motor, internally speaking... it has never really been proven to add more then 1-2 hp...

some of us that have box manifolds like my amm intake does not have provisions for a egr... therefore we must block them...

some people report a very slight drop in gas mileage due to the unburnt gasses not being present anymore supplying the motor with more to burn...

it will cause a cel, vitor from neongoodies.com sells a blockoff kit that comes with a resister to fool the pcm...

the mopar pcm will pick this type of cel up as well...

It's just a filthy system that is for the economy but it really doesent do much... since your cat burns off 99% of everything anyways...

 

Thanks for the info.......one last question! You don't mean that flimsy stuff you clean a smoking pipe with? How abouta bore brush. I have my rifle cleaning kit with a bore brush.

 

bore brush will work 10 times better... just dont shove it in there to deep and ruin the rubber membrane...