EGR/cooler is Stuffed. New one or delete? Please real all first

[indiedog]

I'm in Brisbane. Appreciate the offer. Also spoke to my mechanic and he seconded the idea of buying another intake manifold and modding that before changing them over. He did confuse me telling me the oil cooler is also connected to the EGR cooler. Would be good if I could locate a video on YT relating to the full removal of the EGR cooler. Mechanic suggested to look for this using Mercedes Sprinter in the search bar instead of Jeep but no luck so far.

Adrian, are you talking about something like this for the MPPS13? https://www.amazon.com.au/MPPS-Cable.../dp/B08L8NKFFR

[5oclock]

EGR cooler is part of the manifold and can only be removed by cutting up the manifold, or more correctly cutting EGR cooler off the manifold. Oil cooler is near the manifold ,but a completely separate part. Removing the manifold is a bugger of a job due to lack of room and the fact that the main loom goes through the middle between the manifold proper and the egr cooler bit. But if you cut the egr bit off in situ and free the loom ( being extra careful not to damage the loom), then there is suddenly lots more room and removal is not too bad. I have no idea if the sprinter that used the 2.7 has a similar maniflod or not. If you get your hands on a manifold it will be pretty obvious what needs to be done. Good luck, the WG is still a pretty good 4x4 even today, probably only (with a bit of a lift and bigger wheels and tyres) bettered by a Wrangler,, not counting Patrol monsta trucks and the like.

[indiedog]

I've now ordered the new manifold and it should be here in a few days. Bit over $200 delivered so not bad. I'll list out my options at this point and would like your input. Remember that I won't know definitely until after all this is done if the problem is definitely the EGR cooler.

1. Put the replacement manifold on and be done with it. Total cost $215.

2. Modify the new manifold to remove the cooler and EGR. Additional cost will be welding it all as required (allow $100). EGR delete is then needed. Options for that are;
A, - do the wiring hack (probable cost of $20 with bits and pieces) or
B, - do the MPPS13 (still don't know what this does exactly - do you just use a laptop to remap your ECU?) or
C, - get a professional remap of the ECU for around $1000 which would result in EGR delete and added performance.

3. Install the new manifold with no mods and still do either A, B, or C above at some point later. This would be the least amount of work and money and at least I'd confirm straight up if it's the cooler. I could then try find the issue in the old cooler and then choose to mod it.

Let me know what path you guys would take. I'm thinking option 3 is the easiest route to begin with and it eliminates throwing money away if it's a head gasket issue. Thanks.

[5oclock]

Manifold is a real bugger to get off if you dont cut the EGR part off first because the main loom goes through it and because of that all the sensors and such have to be disconnected so the loom can be wrestled through the manifold. Second,some of the bolts holding the manifold on to the head are very difficult to get at with the EGR bit still attatched. Third, refitting the manifold with the EGR bit still on it is very difficult due to lack of room too get some of the bolts back in. Then the loom has to be threaded back through it and reconnect all the bits back up. With the manifold cut and modified it is very straight foward. So if you are paying to have the job done it will be a lot more hours to remove and reinstall. Probably save twice the welding cost in labour.Check out the swirl flaps when the manifold turns up, they might be OK when everything is new, but the old used ones I have seen are brittle and just waiting to come a drift and go through the motor.They may be only plastic but they could cause piston and valve damage if ingested.
If you just do the simple delete for EGR and swirl to get mobil again the programming can be done later. The swirl delete is one 4.7k ohm resistor and the egr delete is two resistors and one diode, pretty simple.
The only "draw back" to delete the EGR is that it is more difficult to read the oil level on the dipstick due to it being cleaner after 10,000km than after 10km with EGR connected.

[Adrian D]

The MPPS13 is used to read/write the ECU through the OBD2 port. I can provide you with a normal "stage1" tune and you just flash it. Bye-bye EGR, some extra performance too, all in safe limits (been running this setup for over 30.000km).

I have news from the owner of my old car. He replaced the head and all is well apparently. I also forgot that I had an EGR delete on that car, so it could not have been the EGR cooler at fault.

indiedog, when modifying the new manifold, you can also cut the EGR tube in the intake, just be careful, the cover it's on is very thin.

[indiedog]

So far I've not found anyone willing to do the welding on the new manifold. I'll keep looking. If it comes to it I'll just put it on the car (after doing the swirl flap delete) and test the system and then do an EGR delete. Watch this space.

In the meantime, the car seems to be driving fine. I just check the coolant level each morning and put a few hundred mils in it. There is definitely pressure build up in that system.