EGR pipe repair order of disassembly and assembly question

[g-man]

I've been here before but it's been a while. Need to replace the egr pipe. I think the easiest way is to take the cooler and pipe out and replace it while the cooler is in a vice on the bench. I need to remove EGR cooler and replace the EGR pipe with a SS SOR pipe. There isn't much room to get a wrench on the large nut to remove the pipe from the cooler while it's still on the truck. So my options are to try and disconnect the flexible egr pipe at the top of the cooler, the bottom of the EGR, The side of the EGR or remove the piping from the intake at the intake gasket and pull the whole enchilada (everything shown below minus the egr modulator and bracket).

Next question I have is how to know the right depth at which to put the new pipe? Should I tape the old pipe at the nut or mark it and then line it up with the new pipe and put a mark on it? Or can I get it into position on the truck and then somehow get a shorty wrench on the big nut?

 

[OSS]

I installed the SOR EGR down pipe.
This is my experience:

The SOR pipe bend angle was not the same as my original EGR pipe. It had to be re-bent to line up properly.
It’s not easy to bend because it’s much burlier stainless steel.
I had to bend mine in a vice off the truck.

On my EGR cooler, removing the flex pipe from the top of the cooler was impossible - so I never did.

On my cooler, the EGR down pipe wasn’t held very securely in the big nut on the cooler. I could wiggle it out without having to loosen that big nut.

I didn’t have to completely remove the cooler to install the SOR pipe. I did need to remove the flex pipe either from the EGR valve or I unbolted the EGR valve at the manifold so that the flex pipe could rock a bit.

I removed just one bolt from the EGR cooler (THE REAR ONE) and then could rotate the cooler enough on the loosened front bolt to be able to get the SOR pipe in there.

It took several test fits and removals - then re bending the SOR pipe until I got the angle exact and it fit perfectly.

Since the SOR pipe is so beefy, and it’s flange is thicker, it’s harder to deal with than the flimsy piece of junk EGR pipe Toyota used.
But once you get it all dialed in — it’s heaven.

 

[g-man]

Thanks OSS. the idea of turning the cooler downward may help to get a wrench on the big nut. My pipe is also loose in the nut and could possibly come out without loosening the big nut. BUT...I wasn't sure if the ferrule would slide off the old pipe and get cockeyed in there and so not sure the new pipe would slide in. But if that's how you did it a guess the ferrule stayed centered in the nut and the new pipe was able to slide into it.

I have never taken the flexible pipe off at either end but have removed the EGR and intake inlet pipes together with the cooler. I may try your way first and if that doesn't work 'll just pull the whole EGR assembly off and put the cooler in a vise.

 

[g-man]

looking at the 2f engine FSM, the disassembly order is 1. take of the EGR valve, 2 remove the exhaust manifold heat shield, 3. remove the cooler. The image shows the egr being disconnected from the flexible pipe just under the EGR valve. Not sure how hard it is to get the EGR valve removed from the flex pipe while attached to the intake. May be easier to just take everything away from the intake manifold since I just did this and I know the bolts/nuts will come loose easily.

 

[CruiserTrash]

looking at the 2f engine FSM, the disassembly order is 1. take of the EGR valve, 2 remove the exhaust manifold heat shield, 3. remove the cooler. The image shows the egr being disconnected from the flexible pipe. Not sure how hard it is to get the EGR valve removed from the flex pipe while attached to the intake. May be easier to just take everything away from the intake manifold since I just did this and I know the bolts/nuts will come loose easily.

In my experience this is a pain in the ass. 100% sucks. I like @OSS idea of taken the rear bolt off the cooler and loosening the front bolt so it can swivel. It makes a lot of sense in theory. My ferrule is non-existent so I had a machinist make me one. Turns out he went ahead and made 10, so I'll have some for sale by weeks end if you're interested. The upper ferrule (where EGR connects to intake manifold) is readily available but that lower J-pipe one ... I looked for a year with no luck.

Manifold job is in my future (as part of replacing my head), so anybody have tips or tricks to unscrewing all the large EGR nuts? I'd like to get inside and clean everything out. I have an entire spare EGR system so I can do this off the truck. Lots of heat? Or are they all hopelessly cemented on there until the end of time?

 

[g-man]

The last time I removed the large nut ...I had the cooler in a vice and sprayed PB blaster on it for a couple of days until it broke loose. I recently watched a youtube video where a guy was freeing up a frozen stud and used a torch for a few minutes then spray lube, then torch, then spray lube...in sequence. The theory is the spray lube gets sucked up into the threads. After a few rounds of this the stud broke loose. I think it would work with the nut also. Another theory is that the spray lube cools and contracts so you would spray the threaded pipe and leave the nut red hot and expanded.

 

[DFXR]

When I switched to the SOR pipe my old pipe slid right out… like throwing a hot dog down a hallway. But the big nut was profoundly seized.

I removed the flex pipe from the top of the cooler and then removed the cooler with just the big rear nut attached. Ended up having the exhaust shop down the street bust it loose free of charge.

To re-install with the SOR pipe, I kept the pipe loose in the big nut so that I could have some wiggle room when attaching it at the rear connection to the manifold.

Then I used the swivel method like OSS described - one cooler bolt in place, but loose, so it can swing the j-pipe back and up.

Once the manifold connection in back was dialed in, I tightened both cooler bolts, then used a pair of shorty channel locks to tighten the big nut around the pipe.

Last came the flex pipe attachment at the top of the cooler.

One thing I did different the next time (when replacing the head I had it all apart again) - was use a liberal amount of permatex ultra copper at the connection of the j-pipe and cooler. My ferrule was long gone (and never fit that well on the bigger SOR pipe anyway) and as you know, it’s no fun to hear a leak after doing all this. It has held up well over a few thousand miles but we’ll see.

 

[g-man]

Still wrestling with this. May have to unbolt the exhaust pipe from the manifold to drop the EGR pipe down past it.

Couldn't budge the nut under the EGR valve. EGR pipe still holding in the big nut. Ferrule in tact i guess.

Cooler unbolted. EGR valve unbolted from the intake, everything is loose and flopping around. Just got to get it out. Stay tuned....

 

[micruz60]

Yeah those cooler units are seized up. I was only able to disassemble one locked down in a bench vise, the torch and PB blaster plus time will help.

 

[OSS]

I think the entire monster (egr valve, flex pipe, cooler and J-pipe as a complete unit) can drop out the bottom once the splash shields are removed off the frame.
I seem to recall doing it that way once. Bit of a struggle.

 

[g-man]

Some progress this morning. Removing the exhaust pipe helped me to drop the EGR assembly down and out. Got the big nut loose with lots of heat, pb blaster, a pipe wrench with a long pipe over it for leverage. It's obvious that the flange on the EGR pipe is toast. I can see daylight through the weld and the stamped metal flange is warped. Now I'm working on getting the ferrule off the pipe. It turns but not sliding off.

 

[g-man]

I put the big nut in the vise and tapping with a hammer got the pipe flush with the ferrule. Then using a 16mm impact socket I drove the old egr pipe out of the ferrule. Now trying to install the ferrule on the new pipe. I can heat the ferrule to the point its cherry red and it will go on BUT...It will get very tight when it cools down and there will be no play to get it lined up. I think the better option is to sand the SS pipe until I can slide the cold ferrule up and down so it has play to get in the right position.

Thoughts?

 

[CruiserTrash]

I put the big nut in the vise and tapping with a hammer got the pipe flush with the ferrule. Then using a 16mm impact socket I drove the old egr pipe out of the ferrule. Now trying to install the ferrule on the new pipe. I can heat the ferrule to the point its cherry red and it will go on BUT...It will get very tight when it cools down and there will be no play to get it lined up. I think the better option is to sand the SS pipe until I can slide the cold ferrule up and down so it has play to get in the right position.

Thoughts?

Curious if it slides on the old pipe easily or not. You mentioned the SOR SS pipe was slightly larger diameter, correct?

 

[g-man]

Curious if it slides on the old pipe easily or not. You mentioned the SOR SS pipe was slightly larger diameter, correct?

no, not going back on the old pipe...not without heating it up to expand it. The ferrule is non ferrous ...probably brass so may be softer than the SS and should file the inside edges.

 

[OSS]

I don’t remember the ferrule pipe fiasco not because I didn’t experience it, just because my mind chose not to remember it if it occurred.
I vaguely remember (maybe) that that ferrule didn’t fit and some way I did some sort of workaround to jimmy it in there.
I know I didn’t use heat for anything cuz I never used heat on anything. Maybe heat would help. Dunno.

 

[g-man]

Heat will definitely expand the ring. I could heat it and put it close to the exact right position. Then it's just a matter of whether the big nut can move it or slide the pipe through it when it gets tightened down into the cooler.

 

[g-man]

My SOR pipe is the same diameter.

 

[CruiserTrash]

Heat will definitely expand the ring. I could heat it and put it close to the exact right position. Then it's just a matter of whether the big nut can move it or slide the pipe through it when it gets tightened down into the cooler.

Haven't tried it, but even if that ferrule is on there TIGHT, that nut is huge and would still be able to move it in order to seal. We'll see once I get my hands on my new ferrule.

 

[g-man]

I think I need to find a new ferrule. Looking at a quick google search referencing general info about compression fitting and rings... The nut crushes or compresses the ferrule in position. So the ferrule ring will easily slide on when new and once crushed it gets locked in position. One and done. The new ring has to have a bevel that matches the angle of the bevel on the nut and the angle of the bevel inside the cooler. This means it makes even more sense to get the pipe into position on the manifold at the flange and get the cooler bolted up...FIRST before tightening the nut and locking down the ferrule.

 

[g-man]

Toyota calls the ferrule a "ball sleeve" and is NLA. Specter off road sells used ball sleeves so I guess you can file them out and re-use. We'll see.