E-series egr cooler removal

[sdv4x4]

I got a job on Monday on a 05 e-series van where I cannot lift the body on this 6.0. Any tips out there? This is my first one and looking under the hood seems like a nightmare!! thanks for any help...

[mchan68]

Are you replacing just the EGR cooler, or BOTH coolers? You do not need to remove the intake if you are only doing the EGR cooler.

[Dr_Siko]

Don't look under the hood it all comes out the back, it is not the worst thing to have to do. I R&I the turbo and Y Pipe, loosen and lift the intake enough to slide the cooler out the back, maybe a bit over simplified but it will work. Don't loose heart it can be done.

[fjubain]

Micheal, do you just lift it up enough to slide out the egr cooler, blow out dirt on each side of heads to prevent dirt from going into cylinders, also are you replacing the large fat frt o-ring to frt cover and what about f series are you removing intake or not?Thank you just looking for tips.

[Alex Bruene]

Are you replacing just the EGR cooler, or BOTH coolers? You do not need to remove the intake if you are only doing the EGR cooler.

 

We don't even remove the turbo (anymore) when doing only the EGR cooler on an Econoline.

[blown99]

Do you replace the intake gaskets or just retighten the intake and send it on its way? I've had several that had little pebbles or more common a small nut that falls into #8 port. The blow gun does not always get this debris out of the head/intake area.

[sdv4x4]

Update...Took me all day(8.5hours) removed y-pipe, alt, oil filler neck and unplugged all injectors, took out all intake bolts, lifted up about 2 inches. slid out egr cooler from the back of engine. biggest pain was lining up the oval egr coolern to intake metal gasket. slid in new intake gaskets. and reassembled. worked out pretty good.

[Keith Browning]

biggest pain was lining up the oval egr coolern to intake metal gasket.

Little tip on that: Spray the "flatter" side of the steel gaskets and the mating surfaces of the EGR cooler with Permatex Copper-Tack. Once it tacks up you can stick the gaskets in place and they really don't move, much less fall off.

[mchan68]

Originally Posted By: sdv4x4

biggest pain was lining up the oval egr coolern to intake metal gasket.

Little tip on that: Spray the "flatter" side of the steel gaskets and the mating surfaces of the EGR cooler with Permatex Copper-Tack. Once it tacks up you can stick the gaskets in place and they really don't move, much less fall off.

I use the weatherstrip adhesive specified in the Focus' heated seat campaign of a couple years ago.

[Keith Browning]

...and lube the coolant passage o-ring with silicone grease to help ease it in there. You don't want to fight a dry hole with no lubrication! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

[Aaron]

You don't want to fight a dry hole with no lubrication! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

I have FINALLY found the quote to replace the "Keep Replacing EGR valves until one passes the test" in my signature /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

[Tony302600]

Originally Posted By: mchan68

Are you replacing just the EGR cooler, or BOTH coolers? You do not need to remove the intake if you are only doing the EGR cooler.

 

We don't even remove the turbo (anymore) when doing only the EGR cooler on an Econoline.

Do explain. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif

[Keith Browning]

Yeeeeahhhh... Explain. I am doing one now.

[Alex Bruene]

Just loosen the intake with the turbo still installed. You have to remove the inlet pipes. So really, it's not much more work to remove the turbo... but sometimes we get lazy.

[snw blue by you]

Nope, I still remove it all.

 

Here are the reasons. Many an intake are full of carbon that has a tendency to come off in marble sized pieces and jam up the EGR valve, perfect time to either clean out the intake or replace it.

Personally I rather clean them because I can run a significant M time punch to do this.

As well, the odds of having debris get into the cylinder head intake ports are far to low for my liking, remember we are dealing with almost no clearance between the head and piston.

The chances of fucking up go up exponentially, i.e, bending and or breaking components,alignment issues, etc, etc.

I understand the need for efficency but sometimes the quickest way seems like the longest way and the payoff is a job well done that you know will not come back to bite you in the ass.

If there are guys that can pull off repairs like that more power to them, however, I have seen far to many guys struggle with "The Shortcut" that would have finished the job sooner and with better results had they just followed the procedure in the service manual.

With time you can develop quickness, you will have learned about how these things are put together and get over your fear and distaste for working on them.

Again, the problem with this business rears it's ugly head. "How fast can I do this?"

The question should be how do I do this right?

Getting paid? Smart punches and a good story should get you all of time spent and maybe then some.

 

My answer to the original question/post as should have been the same from any of the experienced techs is, did you read the service manual? No? Go do it, start the job and if you have a problem or don't understand something come get me and I will be happy to help, otherwise go away.

 

I am sure some will see this answer as harsh, however, this is exactly how I was trained and it made me a far better tech, then if I had been spoon fed "shortcuts".

The end result is you garner a rep for being a quality tech instead of a hammer and chisel guy, and as stated, with time and repetitiveness (God knows we have plenty of that!) comes quickness.

 

Just my .02

 

Steph.

[Tony302600]

Just remember when writing up an R.O. instead saying you pryed on something...simply state, "applied pressure" to X component. The Engineers will understand what you're talking about. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbup.gif