What a project that was.
EGR tube was messed up and leaked exhaust out the engine compartment, and into my face anytime I had the blower motor on.
My car had been like this since before I bought it. Recently, it started activating my "check engine" light. Fed up, I finally decided to go after it.
It took me all weekend to get that f... ehe
fine thing done, and a good portion of my can of PB Blaster. My car is a 1993, so one can imagine how solidly that thing was frozen onto my catalytic converter. Bear in mind, I had already given it several sprays of PB for some weeks before I started the actual repair work.
I went after the cat end first. With my newly puchased open ended wrench, I attacked the nut.
It said "no"
I grabbed my can o' mace (PB Blaster), and soaked that 'lil bastard.
"Comply!" I said and tugged a little harder with the wrench.
"B.... please!" it taunted
"Okay you sonofab****" I said, and really went after it. The consequences of that decision made me feel a little sick. My opponent grabbed a hostage (the neigboring adaptor that goes into the cat).
My thoughts at that moment...
"Yeah, what now muthaf***'a"
"F you!" I said and walked home in defeat.
Hours later as I sat in the house, stewing in my own juices at the thought of having to take the car to a shop because I was unable to handle a repair that should otherwise be rudamentary, I said to myself, 'what the hell.'
After all, I was interested in new Kooks headers anyway. I grabbed my wrench and litterally ran back to the car.
I twisted on the nut watching the adaptor slowly suffer along with it. Then a miracle happened; the adaptor got caught on something in the catalytic convertor threads, and held firm allowing the EGR tube to come loose from it!
Those of you who've gone through this process before, or fought for hours/days with changing your own O2 sensors and did it sucessfully can imagine the joy I felt at this point. Then I turned my attention back to the EGR tube.
I'd post a picture of the old tube, but in between stomping the $*** out of it and tossing it in the dumpster, it never occured to me to snap one. Suffice it to say, it was in bad shape in the car and worse when I got done with it.
The rest of the repair went relatively simply, though the amount of carbon deposited in the upper intake's EGR passageway was something to behold. With my screwdriver and vacuum cleaner in hand, I took great care in "mining" as much of that crud out of there as I could find.
It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it! I can use my heater now, and get fresh air through my vents. As a bonus, the engine seems to be performing better than ever. The logic of having the engine perform better with more exhaust gas entering it escapes me at the moment, but hey, whatever works.
EGR tube was messed up and leaked exhaust out the engine compartment, and into my face anytime I had the blower motor on.
My car had been like this since before I bought it. Recently, it started activating my "check engine" light. Fed up, I finally decided to go after it.
It took me all weekend to get that f... ehe
I went after the cat end first. With my newly puchased open ended wrench, I attacked the nut.
It said "no"
I grabbed my can o' mace (PB Blaster), and soaked that 'lil bastard.
"Comply!" I said and tugged a little harder with the wrench.
"B.... please!" it taunted
My thoughts at that moment...
"Yeah, what now muthaf***'a"
"F you!" I said and walked home in defeat.
Hours later as I sat in the house, stewing in my own juices at the thought of having to take the car to a shop because I was unable to handle a repair that should otherwise be rudamentary, I said to myself, 'what the hell.'
After all, I was interested in new Kooks headers anyway. I grabbed my wrench and litterally ran back to the car.
I twisted on the nut watching the adaptor slowly suffer along with it. Then a miracle happened; the adaptor got caught on something in the catalytic convertor threads, and held firm allowing the EGR tube to come loose from it!
Those of you who've gone through this process before, or fought for hours/days with changing your own O2 sensors and did it sucessfully can imagine the joy I felt at this point. Then I turned my attention back to the EGR tube.
I'd post a picture of the old tube, but in between stomping the $*** out of it and tossing it in the dumpster, it never occured to me to snap one. Suffice it to say, it was in bad shape in the car and worse when I got done with it.
The rest of the repair went relatively simply, though the amount of carbon deposited in the upper intake's EGR passageway was something to behold. With my screwdriver and vacuum cleaner in hand, I took great care in "mining" as much of that crud out of there as I could find.
It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it! I can use my heater now, and get fresh air through my vents. As a bonus, the engine seems to be performing better than ever. The logic of having the engine perform better with more exhaust gas entering it escapes me at the moment, but hey, whatever works.
