Excessive EGR System Removal

[HuskieMobileMan]

My van has a crazy EGR system and I was wondering if it would be OK to remove it. I do have a standard EGR valve, but in addition the exhaust manifold on both sides of the engine has ports that feeds exhaust gas into tubing that goes to a valve that feeds into the soup bowl on top of the engine. Essentially when the engine gets warm enough the valve opens and it feeds exhaust gases into the soup bowl. This probably dirties my filter real quickly.

 

I am replacing one of my manifolds and that port comes plugged from the factory. Should I bother to keep this elaborate contraption? I am probably going to turn the lid upside down on the air filter, so that would render this contraption useless anyways.

 

[Rolandd]

I think you are describing the air injection system, which runs in conjunction with the EGR so that the cat converter does not overheat but still gets some oxygen. If you have no inspection laws in your state and are willing to risk that you never will you can pull the system with little loss of performance (the engine is tuned to run with all of this stuff there, so if you remove it something is going to change). The downstream O2 sensor is going to throw a code into the computer which will likely light the check engine light.

[redvett]

The EGR is internal in the engine with only a valve on the intake that opens to recirculate exhaust gases.

The AIR air injection system injects air when engine is cold to speedup the operation of the converter and stops when the converter is at operating temp. The hose going to the aircleaner is the fresh air for the AIR supply.

The pipe that goes from the manifold to the aircleaner is the heat riser. Removing the heat riser pipe or turning the aircleaner cover over will cause poor drivability and poor fuel economy.

Removing any of the emission equiptment on any TBI or EFI engine without custom software will reduce performance & economy.

[ken1mod]

good point redvet. if one does not KNOW exactly what a piece of equipment does, leave it alone. I knew a guy once that plugged up the PCV system thinking it was the "smog device" . There is nothing one can do worse than that for an engine... well maybe shoveling sand into the TB.

 

Ken