Replace gasket on the EGR cooler plate? (1 Viewer)

[jjs2955]

After 35 years, I have small leak in the EGR cooler plate that sits on the backside of the 22RE block. Form online pictures it's secured by 3 smaller bolts on top and 2 larger bolts on bottom. It has a gasket.

Has anyone removed/reinstalled this EGR cooler plate with the engine in the truck?

Might have room for an open end ratchet wrench if I can get it on the bolt head. Can only see the outer top 2 bolt heads. Maybe will just soak it with brake cleaner and brush on a load of RTV all over the seam.

 

[pappy]

Might have room for an open end ratchet wrench if I can get it on the bolt head. Can only see the outer top 2 bolt heads. Maybe will just soak it with brake cleaner and brush on a load of RTV all over the seam.

I can't imagine doing this with the engine installed. As far as the RTV ... probably won't work. It's the cooler for the EGR and it gets hot. Something I don't think silicone will like.

 

[jjs2955]

I can't imagine doing this with the engine installed. As far as the RTV ... probably won't work. It's the cooler for the EGR and it gets hot. Something I don't think silicone will like.

Yea. Looks to be a bitch with no much room. Getting to the bottom bolts looks to be the issue. I have some Permatex high temp RTV good for 650F. Should work fine if I can reach the plate it clean enough and reach the bottom seam to seal it. It's not a big leak as the fluid is more a misting than a drip.

 

[jjs2955]

I can't imagine doing this with the engine installed. As far as the RTV ... probably won't work. It's the cooler for the EGR and it gets hot. Something I don't think silicone will like.

Good point on the heat. I have one of those laser infrared thermometers so will shoot the temp after a good drive to see how hot it gets. I have to adjust the valves, so with the valve cover off it maybe easier to reach. My 86 truck doesn't have that exhaust manifold mounted tube system that wraps around the rear of the engine to the intake side. Access to the bottom bolts might be easier. I'll have to check what is connected to the exhaust side of the EGR cooler plate.

 

[jjs2955]

Just found this info taking about the plate/block OEM gasket and why you can't use silicone instead of a gasket to seal it. Not a tempo thing, but a dissimilar metal expansion thing.

"

EGR COOLER PLATE GASKET (GENUINE TOYOTA PART​

This important gasket seals up the egr cooler plate at the back of the cylinder head. Ya' know, the one you forgot to install that one time you did a head gasket job and found out it's a pain to get to? Yeah, that one.

Thick, graphite coated OE gasket to properly seal the gaping coolant hole at the back of the head.

Like any OE graphite coated gasket, it gets installed dry, NEVER any silicone. The reason they are made of graphite is it needs to allow the dis-similar metals to expand and contract at different rates (the plate is cast iron and the head is aluminum). If you siliconed/glued it down, it would rip because of the different expansion/contraction rate of the different metals.

The more you know.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

I think I managed to remove it once while on the truck. Pretty sure the next time I did it, the engine was out of the truck.

 

[jjs2955]

I think I managed to remove it once while on the truck. Pretty sure the next time I did it, the engine was out of the truck.

Good point on the heat. I have one of those laser infrared thermometers so will shoot the temp after a good drive to see how hot it gets. I have to adjust the valves, so with the valve cover off it maybe easier to reach. My 86 truck doesn't have that exhaust manifold mounted tube system that wraps around the rear of the engine to the intake side. Access to the bottom bolts might be easier. I'll have to check what is connected to the exhaust side of the EGR cooler plate.

Update; Took the truck out for a 20 minute interstate drive to Walmart. In the parking lot I shot the temp with my infrared thermometer and it was right at 200 F. Shot the outer edge of EGR coolant plate. Could access the flat backside. Should be in the ball park, So, looks like H.T. RTV on the seam might be viable as a last resort.

I did notice some shinny liquid on the rear side of the block forward of the EGR plate and see there is a coolant heater return hose that connects to a solids tube. That's OEM tubing so maybe a small split is causing a misting like coverage on the block backside and on top of the trans bell housing. I wrapped a cotton cloth around the rubber/steel tube joint to see if it will get soaked with leaking coolant. Hope so, as that will be an easy fix.