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

[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.

[indiedog]

Well as an update, I am glad I just did a straight swap on the EGR/manifold to begin with as it didn't solve the problem - the cooling system is still being pressurized. What a pain in the arse. I've now spent around $2000 replacing things which I thought could be causing the problem but to no avail. So, the only thing left is the motor itself, either the head or the block. I've spoken to both my mechanic who put the motor in and the people who supplied the engine and I will deliver the car to my mechanic in a couple of weeks to have it fully assessed. At least we are all in discussion now.

[5oclock]

Bugger! Not the best case scenario! Most likely head gasket. For what its worth, I know what I would do, and its partly because I hate working on motors. Partly because I have been down so many rabbit holes before with Jap motors, spend up big and then some other thing Forks up a short time later, fix that then on to the next fork up! Not saying the Merc will follow the same play book, but you never know. Mostly the gasket goes bad for a reason, and if it has involved heat then the head will be no good as well. Something a realative of mine knows only too well with his bloody Navara d40,brandnew head TWICE. I just towed it back to his place a week ago..turbo let go. Gets NEW turbo installs with great care ,goes great for a few days. Motor blows up..suspected cracked piston/s. Rescued with a car trailer this time on the steepest long hill in the district!
Back to the Jeep..if it happened to me I would just put a can of chemi-weld in it and keep driving. If you do this ..and its not a recommendation,its just what I would do for me....make SURE you get the real chemi-weld not some other stuff which will NOT work. If you cannot get chemi-weld,dont bother. In the past I have had it solve the problem and still all good over 2years later. Worked on aluminium heads but petrol not diesel aluminium head.Works on diesel cast iron good.Also if you do a web search you should find propper instructions on its use, I think it is GUD, the maker or maybe GOSS. Good luck, hope you get a result what ever you do. Make sure to let us know ,good luck again.

[indiedog]

Took the car back to Paul at CJD Mechanical. He tested the entire thing and determined there is a crack in the head at cylinder no. 2. Apparently he had issues fitting the injector bolts when installing the new motor and had to re-thread the bolt holes. He also said he saw inserts in those bolt holes so not a good start to a new motor. Yesterday when he tried to remove injector number 2 it was totally seized in there. The retaining bolt was covered in carbon indicating a crack in the head. He also said when the cooling system builds up pressure he could see bubbles coming up around the injector which would explain why it is seized. Anyway at least the problem is known. Waiting to see what happens with the guys who supplied the engine as it is clear it was damaged when it was supplied to CJD.

[5oclock]

Hope you get a good result.