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Tips on changing EGR valve 3.8l 05 TC

11K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Hankster 
#1 ·
This is to avoid pulling the alternator to replace the EGR.

I thought this would be an easier job than it was based on the description in the Haynes manual. What you need:
Thin wall 1/4" drive 10mm socket, preferably 6 point. (If you grind off the "bolt" side to the depth of the attaching bolts it will be even easier, but a Craftsman 10mm small socket worked.)
1/4" drive 3" wobble socket (@ $5 at Lowes for a nice one)
8mm 1/4" drive thin wall socket (best) or a 8mm 12 pt. box wrench.
1/4" socket wrench or 3/8 to 1/4 adapter and a 3/8 wrench.

The difficult screw is the bottom one on the EGR unit. You have to have a very slim extension to get in there and a slim socket, not to long to fit between the alternator and the bolt. I could get a 12 pt. box wrench on it, but it runs into the wiring harness and would only move one pt or so. I also found a set of S wrenches or interference wrenches at Harbor Freight that may also work. Once you break it loose, which I could not do with a standard box wrench 10mm, you back it off a little and then take the top bolt out. My top bolt was actually harder to break, I had to get a 3/8" ratchet to get the leverage to get it off, I thought it would break! I put anti seize on both bolts (which come with the new EGR) thread and back of the head, to prevent this in the future. Once you break the top bolt loose, I would remove the 8mm bolts holding the adapter tube to the EGR and the top of the plenum and get them out of the way. After removing the top bolt on the EGR, you can rotate the EGR backwards to remove the bottom screw easier. AT some point, unless you ground off the socket, it will hit against the alternator bracket, I would not use the wobble socket at this point, take the socket off, spray the thread with PB Blaster and you can remove it by hand.
Clean the surface of the head and the end of the tube that sticks into the plenum. I put a new gasket on the plenum, about $4, and you only need one. Some catalogs say two. A new fiber washer will come with the unit for the EGR/Tube connection and a new metal gasket will also be in the box for the EGR/Head connection. So you only have to buy the rubber plenum gasket.
Start the bottom screw with the gasket between the valve and the block and with the unit still rotated back, tighten it until it is still a little loose. At this point you will be able to use the wobble ext. and socket on the bottom when you insert the top screw and take it up. Tighten them evenly until snug. It is only about 15 lbs, I did not have use a torque wrench, but you can tell when it is tight, just don't go much beyond good and tight. Same on the other bolts, only about 7 lbs, snug. A 1/4 drive socket will work best on the EGR to tube bolts, I had to work it quite a bit with a plain open end wrench because I did not have a box 8mm or a socket. You will save some time with either.
Works great, I took the battery cable loose to clear the code while attaching it and it has not come back.
Time, about a half hour once you have the right tools.
 
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#3 ·
Some vans have them, some don't. I think it depends on what state the van was going to be sold in to meet the state emissions. One big pro for not having one is that there is less to break.

Oh btw they must have changed something with the egr valve because when I changed my buddys, the alt was not in the way at all.
 
#4 ·
I would have blocked mine off if it was not set to light up the dash. If you don't have one, it must have been for Canada sale or out in the middle of no where. It is designed to reduce smog, NOX emissions and probably reduces mileage since it slows combustion down to cool the cylinder temps.
 
#5 ·
my Canadian 2005 has an EGR Valve. Some years have them others dont.
 
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