EGR Cleaning

[mr_cb7]

Hey Guys,

I'm planning on doing my first EGR cleaning on my CB7. I just wanted to know some things before I go ahead this weekend. I've read on some forums of people using either oven cleaner or Carb Cleaner or Seafoam products to spray into the hard to reach places to loosen the build up. What do you you guys recommend, and is it safe to spray all the way into the intake manifold?

Another question regarding the removal of the fuel rail. Do the o-rings usually seal up afterwards or should those be replaced?

Thanks.

[BurtonRiderT6]

Perhaps these two threads can help you out a bit.

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...&highlight=EGR

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...&highlight=EGR

[Jarrett]

If it were me I would be doing it with the intake off of the car. This will mean replacing a few gaskets and seals but you can do a better, more future-proof job. With the manifold off the car you can drill out the ports, clean them very thoroughly and tap them so that you can install threaded plugs. Carb cleaner works very well to clean the build up but it can't get everywhere. That's where removing the plugs is beneficial. The gaskets you'll be replacing could probably stand to be replaced after a certain number of miles anyway.

[mr_cb7]

If it were me I would be doing it with the intake off of the car. This will mean replacing a few gaskets and seals but you can do a better, more future-proof job. With the manifold off the car you can drill out the ports, clean them very thoroughly and tap them so that you can install threaded plugs. Carb cleaner works very well to clean the build up but it can't get everywhere. That's where removing the plugs is beneficial. The gaskets you'll be replacing could probably stand to be replaced after a certain number of miles anyway.

That's too big of a job/hassle for an old car I probably won't have in a year from now. The engine is running like crap right now and I'm just looking to do it the quick way. Drilling out the 6 plugs and cleaning the ports, and installing the caps.

[Jarrett]

I feel sorry for whomever you sell your car to then.

[mr_cb7]

I feel sorry for whomever you sell your car to then.

Don't be. I'll be the last owner of this car, afterwards its auto recycling.

[Bad_dude]

Don't be. I'll be the last owner of this car, afterwards its auto recycling.

You can part it out before you junk it. Be real careful and not break the drill bits in there.

[dj_ender]

You can part it out before you junk it. Be real careful and not break the drill bits in there.

Lol, the drill bit isn't the issue. It's all the metal shavings he's going to dump right into the runners. Be surprised how long this engine will last after he does this. There is a MAJOR potential for immediate engine destruction as soon as this engine is started.

[H.M.]

Easy on the drama, you can drill and remove the ports without destroying the car. There's a Honda shop procedure somewhere that tells how - I don't have it anymore.

When I did mine I was successful drilling partially into the plugs then removing them with a slide hammer. Because I didn't drill completely through I simply tapped the plugs back in instead of using Honda's replacement plugs.

I won't need to do them again, but if I did a slide hammer would remove them.

When you are drilling be sure to coat your drill bit with grease. This will catch the shavings. Wipe and regrease the bit frequently to prevent shaving from falling into the intake. Then vacuum out the runner as soon as you remove each plug.

[cloudasc]

The engine is running like crap right now and I'm just looking to do it the quick way.

How exactly is it running like crap? What problems/symptoms do you have?

Don't drill out the ports unless the intake is off the car (metal shavings aren't good for the engine), otherwise follow the regular procedure to clean them, as per the guides/links Burton posted earlier, which you can do without removing the intake manifold.

[mr_cb7]

Easy on the drama, you can drill and remove the ports without destroying the car. There's a Honda shop procedure somewhere that tells how - I don't have it anymore.

When I did mine I was successful drilling partially into the plugs then removing them with a slide hammer. Because I didn't drill completely through I simply tapped the plugs back in instead of using Honda's replacement plugs.

I won't need to do them again, but if I did a slide hammer would remove them.

When you are drilling be sure to coat your drill bit with grease. This will catch the shavings. Wipe and regrease the bit frequently to prevent shaving from falling into the intake. Then vacuum out the runner as soon as you remove each plug.

This is exactly how I was going to do it . I already have the replacement honda plugs, drill bits, Gaskets, shop vac with the exact size hose that will fit in the hole should I get some shavings in there. Many people have been doing it this way for years I'm not worried about screwing the engine up.

[mr_cb7]

How exactly is it running like crap? What problems/symptoms do you have?

Don't drill out the ports unless the intake is off the car (metal shavings aren't good for the engine), otherwise follow the regular procedure to clean them, as per the guides/links Burton posted earlier, which you can do without removing the intake manifold.

Basically...a shudder in the lower RPM range when you hit the throttle quickly or reving the car and the shudder will dissappear as RPM climbs up. It sometimes Pops through the exhaust when the rpms drop back down after reving the motor at about 1000 rpm. It also Shudders at cruising speeds 50 to 60 MPH or when RPM range is between 1200 and 2000. Its the EGR ports. I've checked the valve, its good too. The car is 20yrs old and has over 345000kms on it and the ports have never been cleaned.

[mr_cb7]

Just curious though, how much more work is involved with taking the whole intake off over just removing the FITV, fuel rail ect... and drilling and tapping the plugs.

[cloudasc]

The car is 20yrs old and has over 345000kms on it and the ports have never been cleaned.

According to some quick calculations, your car only has about 156,818 miles on it. Its still a young engine, its only about halfway through its life, depending upon how well it was maintained. EGR ports would definately be something to look at.

Also a failing oxygen sensor can cause problems similiar to the egr ports being clogged partially/fully. A simple check to see if your hesitation/studder issues is oxygen sensor related, is to simply unplug it, and see if the problem continues. If the problem goes away with it unplugged, its the oxygen sensor causing the issues. Unplugging it will cause the check engine light to come on.

A method to test if the problem is EGR related, is to put a screw in the vacuum line coming off the egr valve (so its blocked), and see if the problem goes away with it "bypassed". A check engine light will come on shortly after "cruising".

Just be sure to clear the codes when your done testing.

Either that or you can try honda's diagnosis procedure, which involves a hand air-pump.

[mr_cb7]

According to some quick calculations, your car only has about 156,818 miles on it. Its still a young engine, its only about halfway through its life, depending upon how well it was maintained. EGR ports would definately be something to look at.

A young engine...honestly man I wish i shared the same sentiment Your neck of the woods sounds a lot better than mine when it comes to a cars longevity. In the region of Canada where I live most car owners don't even see their car make it past 300K+ KMs. The reason being that our winters are hard and at the first sign of snow the Gov sends the trucks out and covers the road with salt like its unlimited and free. Most cars once they reach 10yrs of age have already started to rust. Which is why most cars end up in the scarp yard at a younger age than owners in the west or south who don't see that type of weather. On the upside used parts are cheap and readily available

I removed the vacuum hose from the EGR Valve awhile ago and plugged it with an old fuse cap. The car ran much better and the CEL light on the dash came on. I didn't know about the Oxygen sensor though I will definitely try that before going ahead with the port cleaning.