Hello all,

so a simple task turned into a much more difficult one. I was replacing my egr valve on my 2004 dodge ram 1500 5.7 Hemi and got all the bolts loosen and pretty much off except one. Turns out this bolt is rounded and is one of the bottom 10mm towards the inside. Needless to say a tight space. I did some research and some suggested buying a gripping socket kit, so i did. Still wont latch on to this bolt. Ive tried various size sockets and have used penetrate but nothing working. My next thought was to take the belt off for a little extra room to fit a hammer in there and try the gripping sockets again but thought id ask for some advise before i start taking more apart then needed. Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry, not familiar with egr placement and the room you have to work in. Just offering suggestions. Sometimes cutting a slot in the top of the bolt large enough for a flathead screw driver works. Sometimes a sharp chisel or punch and tap on the outer circumference in a counter clockwise direction to loosen the bolt. If your able to cut the head off the bolt (cutting torch), pull the egr off then remove the remaining bolt ??

 

Taking the belt off is a simple process. Make sure you know the path (or the sticker on the cross member is still readable). When I took the EGR valve off my 300C, it was a job for a contortionist. Maybe there's room to hammer an 8mm socket on it?

 

It's been a while since I replaced my EGR valve, so I can't remember exactly the placement. I do remember that it took some contorting to get to (but I'm not that flexible to begin with). Have you tried putting some vice grips on there and then using a box wrench as a breaker bar?

 

I did try to get some vice grips on there but unfortunately they wouldn't fit. Also I realized removing the belt wouldn't really give me much room without removing the tensioner and coolant/washer fluid and the fan. I didn't really have time to get into all that so I'll try the vice grips again before I put it in neutral and push it off a cliff. The thought of paying someone a couple hundred dollars to get a bolt off makes me cringe but hey sometimes you have to throw in the towel! Thanks for all the suggestions!