EGR Block off plate leaking

[Roert42]

i didn't even know they made block off plates. i always cut my own out of whatever was on the floor in the garage

There were a couple of years where they stopped using the EGR system, so they had factory EGR block off plates.

 

[Hale Ranger]

If you have an angle gringer, a multi-step drill bit and a EGR gasket from Autozone you can make one out of a 4x4 electrical junction box cover plate from Lowes.

See the block of plate I made in the picture.

 

[cbxer55]

Going back to the OP. How is it leaking exhaust if you have a block off plate? Do you still have all the EGR equipment in place, and you jsut stuck a piece of metal in between the intake manifold fitting and the manifold itself?

 

[Hale Ranger]

Going back to the OP. How is it leaking exhaust if you have a block off plate? Do you still have all the EGR equipment in place, and you jsut stuck a piece of metal in between the intake manifold fitting and the manifold itself?

I am doing an EGR valve detete. This means the intake manifold where the EGR valve was needs to be closed or "blocked". On my 84 Ranger 2.8 one of the EGR return lines from the exhaust manifold rusted out and fell off. This leaves two open points in the EGR system, 1) the exhaust manifold and 2) the other end of the line that broke off. Sounds really good for a MAC truck. The parts to repair are no longer available, providing me the option of a dura spark conversion.

 

[AndyB.]

None of this makes sense. The EGR valve connects to the EGR spacer and routes exhaust gas from the cylinder heads through the intake manifold, to the EGR spacer, back into the intake stream.

Thr AIR (air injection reaction) tubes go into the exhaust manifolds, and air goes from the AIR pump for a brief while, before the catalyst warms up to operating temperature. The replacement AIR pipes can still be found.

Neither of these systems failing are related to changing your ignition system to a duraspark setup.

 

[Hale Ranger]

None of this makes sense. The EGR valve connects to the EGR spacer and routes exhaust gas from the cylinder heads through the intake manifold, to the EGR spacer, back into the intake stream.

Thr AIR (air injection reaction) tubes go into the exhaust manifolds, and air goes from the AIR pump for a brief while, before the catalyst warms up to operating temperature. The replacement AIR pipes can still be found.

Neither of these systems failing are related to changing your ignition system to a duraspark setup.

Thanks for the excellent, very thoughtful reply. I have not been able to find a source for the "AIR pipes" that you referred to, which at this point would not be an option for me.

The fix that many of your Ranger brothers find useful is to delete the smog system in total which requires an ignition system equal to that on a '65 Mustang.

That is what a dura spark conversion does. Hopefully this helps make sense of what I posted.

 

[AndyB.]

Sure, if you go to auto zone and ask for an EGR pipe, they’re not going to be able to supply the AIR injection tubes. ‘65 mustang would have had points, but the 2.8 didn’t come along until ‘74. Duraspark is a last ditch effort to get things running when too many items in the EEC-IV system have been removed/damaged. It’s by no means an upgrade.

 

[Hale Ranger]

Sure, if you go to auto zone and ask for an EGR pipe, they’re not going to be able to supply the AIR injection tubes. ‘65 mustang would have had points, but the 2.8 didn’t come along until ‘74. Duraspark is a last ditch effort to get things running when too many items in the EEC-IV system have been removed/damaged. It’s by no means an upgrade.

Thanks for your prompt reply. You are correct the 65 Mustang would have had points. My second car, a 65 Mustang 289 automatic coupe did have a distributor with points.

Your knowledge makes me think you might be a Ford factory trained technician. That is meant as a compliment. Me I am just a shade tree recovered caraholic.

I was diagnosed as a caraholic by my wife in January 1988 when I was about to make my 29th car purchase and had been driving for only 20 years.

 

[Hale Ranger]

Sure, if you go to auto zone and ask for an EGR pipe, they’re not going to be able to supply the AIR injection tubes. ‘65 mustang would have had points, but the 2.8 didn’t come along until ‘74. Duraspark is a last ditch effort to get things running when too many items in the EEC-IV system have been removed/damaged. It’s by no means an upgrade.

I want to compliment you on the excellent picture of a 2.8 on an engine stand with a view of the AIR pipes you can't possibly see when the engine is in the truck. The Ford inventory labels are excellent proof that the AIR pipes are available. I am now aware of my erroneous statement that they are not available.

 

[Hale Ranger]

This is the block off plate I made from a 4" x 4" junction box cover from Home Depot.