Over time the Ford EGR valve in your truck can become clogged or even fail outright. When this happens, you are left with a Ford truck that won’t start or your poor Ford idle. This occurs because your EGR valve is no longer operational, or the passages in your intake manifold are clogged. Today I’ll be showing you how to remove and clean your Ford EGR valve.
Although sometimes cleaning the Ford EGR valve will restore your engine operation, there’s a chance your valve itself has gone bad. Before you begin our guide on testing the Ford EGR valve, you should check your EGR for operation. This unit is similar across many different Ford trucks and SUV platforms.
Today I’ll be showing you how to remove the Ford EGR valve in a 2005 Ford Excursion. In order to clean this part properly, you will need the following tools.
- 8mm socket
- flathead screwdriver
- seafoam or brake cleaner
Symptoms of a failed Ford EGR valve
When the EGR in your Ford truck goes out, or the passages are clogged you’re going to see several symptoms or problems arise. Some of these range from annoying to serious, but some of the most common Ford truck EGR issues stem from a failed or clogged EGR valve.
To begin this guide, open your Ford truck hood and locate the EGR valve. In our test Excursion, it’s plain enough to see mounted to the top of the intake manifold. It’s secured here by two 8mm bolts, and in order to remove it you have to unplug it first.
Reach over and pull up on the EGR valve tab, and unplug your Ford EGR valve. Now with the valve unplugged, you can begin unscrewing the 8mm bolts that secure it to the intake manifold.
Carefully unscrew the two 8mm bolts, and then you can twist the EGR valve to remove it. Carefully rotate the EGR valve inside your Ford intake manifold and begin to pry up on the mounting tabs.
You can see that the Ford EGR valve has been rotated. In this position carefully begin prying up on the mounting tabs.
Don’t overdo it, or you may end up bending the flanges on either side of the Ford EGR valve. Instead work slowly from one side to another, until you hear the EGR seals “pop” audibly.
Once you hear the Ford EGR valve release, you are good to go. Carefully pull up on the valve itself to free it from the top of your Ford intake manifold.
When you have the Ford EGR valve removed, you should look down your intake manifold. You should see quite a bit of carbon buildup. If you have a wet dry vacuum, now would be a good time to vacuum out the intake manifold.
Use a screwdriver to carefully dig around the openings and into the passages if you can. You are trying to dislodge as much carbon as possible and clear things up for your EGR valve to return to normal operation.
Carefully clean around the opening of your intake manifold, do not knock more dirt into the hole if possible. When cleaning the hole or mounting location of your Ford EGR valve, do not break or disturb the inner o-rings or seal.
Doing so could create a vacuum leak in your intake manifold, which will adversely affect your engine performance. Take your time and clean the hole and passages sufficiently.
Now that you have the intake manifold and passages cleared out, turn your attention to the valve itself. Spray off any excess carbon using brake cleaner or Seafoam cleaner.
You should try your best to clean the EGR valve itself. But don’t overdo it. You will notice the orings at the bottom and top of the Ford EGR valve. These must be intact when you re-install your gas re-circulation unit.
Once you’ve got the valve cleared off, you can reinstall it back into your intake manifold. Carefully and gently insert the Ford EGR valve back into your engine. Secure the valve by screwing your 8mm bolts back in. Torque them to specification and you are now ready to test your engine idle again.
Start your engine and allow it to warm up. If you had a OBDII check engine light for your EGR, now is the time to plug in your OBDII scan tool to erase and clear your service light. You now know how to clean and remove your Ford EGR valve. Have any questions about this procedure? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
