Just disconnected my EGR. 2004 F-350 CC 4x4 SRW FX4. 12-03 Chassie. 11-03 Engine build. No Check engine light (yea). Dont know about codes yet. General observations. Quicker Turbo spool up. No noticible change in sound levels. Ill give a report later on fuel economy. I track it all the time so i should have a pretty good idea if it is helping with that.

It took me a couple of days to get totally through the thread. Great forum guys. Keep up the good work.

 

I have found that simply dissconnecting the EGR doesn't completly do the job. The electronics aren't strong enough to hold it closed, there is enough exhaust back pressur to push open the valve. And the turbo pressure isn't always strong enough to push it closed especialy after it gets built up with carbon.

I finally got my hands on a used gunked up valve and cut the plungers off, allowing the valve to still function while hooked up to nothing. I then welded a filler patch in place of both plungers. the original pieces can not be used, because they are alluminum verses steel.

After reinstalling the new piece witch acctually tricks the truck into believeing the valve is functioning. There are major differences in how well the truck runs, but it doesn't seem to help milage but spool up is better, and if you have the exhaust temp gauge you will really see a difference. as far as cold weather, yes it is slower to warm up, but remember the 7.3 doesn't come with an EGR, and last if the EGR valve keeps plugging up with carbon, how long before the intake valves start plugging up and that has got to be expensive.

CAN ANY BODY THINK OF NEGATIVE REASONS NOT TO DO THIS ? UNLESS THE DEALER ACTUALLY PULLS THE VALVE THEY WOULD NEVER KNOW. THE COMPUTER THINKS IT WORKS FINE.

 

i unplugged mine and get codes p0403 and p0405 is anyone getting the same.thinking of using a dummy plug like jerico...

 

Just need to change it back before you take it in to the dealer. Do you have any pictures of how you modded the valve?

 

I have an march 05 powerstroke, I want to know if the EGR valve can be removed and still plugged in and cap the EGR hole

 

Hey Jerricho,

I like your ideas about the EGR. I just sent you a PM.

 

What is it you think the PCM is checking for to determine if the valve is operating normally? Whether or not the plunger rod is able to move? This seems like a much better way than just unplugging it.

 

The PCM also checks EGR flow too, and if the flow is not what is expected by the PCM, it throws a code and on my California truck, a CEL too. Jerricho's way seems the best I have seen though. Might be better than a dummy EGR valve.

 

Welcome to FTE. You definitely would not want to do this. By just removing the EGR valve and capping the top of the hole you will in essence have just created a permanently open EGR valve. The goal here is to keep the EGR valve in it's static (closed) state to prevent exhaust gases from being recirculated into the intake and eventually fowling everything up. Now some folks have experimented with using 2 EGR valves, one in the manifold and unplugged, and the other one(dummy) just placed somewhere in the engine compartment plugged in. This is to try and fool the computer into thinking the valve's operating to prevent throwing any codes. Apparently this has had mixed results.

 

Crap! I thought that might be the case. I do like Jerricho's idea though.

 

Jerricho, you see lower exhaust temps with no egr flow. I have been wanting to ask this question to those that have disconnected the egr valve hand have exhaust temp guages. The egr valve is supposed to lower combustion temperature.I wonder if this reflects exhaust temps. I would think lower combustion temp lower exhaust temp.

 

I went through the 6.0 bible and it looks like the EGRVP is the only sensor the PCM uses to determine if the EGR is operating correctly. So it appears Jerricho was right. The sensor is a simple potentiometer type. So if the part of the valve rod that the sensor is using stays intact, the PCM shouldn't know the valve's not opening. There are other sensor's that the PCM is using to determine how much and when the EGR should be opened, but I don't know if they'll by effected by the EGR being permanently closed, even though the PCM is saying it's opened.

 

When I used to pull codes after running a dummy EGR plugged in I would see "EGR insufficient flow". Maybe it was because I didn't ground it. I still haven't checked the dummy EGR with a ground wire to see if it will not throw a CEL.

 

Based on the description of how the EGRVP sensor operates, it makes sense that it would throw that code if the valve were not opening as much as the computer thinks it should be. I'd be interested to know what the outcome is after you ground the valve, just to be sure. In theory, as long as the dummy EGR moves causing the potentiometer to show the PCM the amount of resistance it's looking for, it shouldn't know the valve's not in the manifold, and shouldn't cause the CEL to come on.

 

Well after reading ALL 52 pages in this thread I was hoping that someone would come up with a curcit that could be plugged in that would make the computer think that the EGR was plugged in and working properly. This way the CEL wouldn't come on. Any takers?

I have a 06 Crew cab long bed that I'm going to check out and see what happens. I disconnected the plug tonight and just ran it around the block and the engine light came on as soon as I started it the first time. This is a early 06. I'll have to look at the build code.

Bill