EGR Blockoff\Charcoal Canister removal

[Mike Hewitt]

How many people have done this? I'm thinking of doing it to clean up my engine bay. Going to be changing head gasket\intake mani gasket over winter(car is parked so lots of time) and cleaning everything up and such. Now I don't want to do all that cleaning just to have the EGR dirty things back up again over some time.

I know the function of the EGR, and that keeping it\removing it doesn't net any gains(in theory) performance wise, if so very minimal.

What's everyone's thoughts\opinions\good idea\bad idea on this? Now keep in mind in Prince George we have ZERO emissions so I don't have to worry about that.

[Ivan Skare]

It is a good idea. I did it with no ill effects whatsoever.

I completely removed everything, along with the solenoids.

I believe I bought the EGR block off plate for 10 bucks or something like that.

[Matt Mann]

I made my own EGR Block-off plate out of 1/8 in steel plate for free... can't beat that. I don't know if I have seen any noticeable changes but I do like the principle behind it. I never did remove the charcoal canister so can't comment on that but it would free up some space in there.

[Mike Hewitt]

Also wanting to do a big Vacuum line removal as of

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-miscellaneous/198327-taboo-speed-shop-vacuum-diagram-removal-1g-2g.html#post1650860

Other than how they have the BOV\MBC set up is the 'First Picture' for the removal a decent set up?

[Dan Harshey]

Here is a thread with a very detailed process of removing these items, with pictures.  I've done this myself but haven't had a chance to run the car yet.

http://www.bcdsm.org/forum/index.php/topic,5362.0.html

[Mike Hewitt]

BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks a lot Dan.

I got most of that stuff ripped out this afternoon actually. Didn't remove the EGR as I do not have a block off plate yet.

Was doing some reading and discovered, if the ECU has R129 resistor installed it will have the ability to throw the CEL for the EGR(California ECU) and if it doesn't have the resistor then it won't throw a code(Federal).

Because I have a 90 if I wanted to delete my FIAV I would just re-route my coolant lines into the water pipe or thermostat housing correct?

Also what did people do with the solenoids on the driver side? I know the one is a power unit for the EGR system, then purge solenoid and then the Fuel pressure solenoid which is used to for hot starts and such. Anyone removed the FP solenoid? How was it starting with engine at temp\hot out?

[Remi Raymond]

BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks a lot Dan.

I got most of that stuff ripped out this afternoon actually. Didn't remove the EGR as I do not have a block off plate yet.

Was doing some reading and discovered, if the ECU has R129 resistor installed it will have the ability to throw the CEL for the EGR(California ECU) and if it doesn't have the resistor then it won't throw a code(Federal).

Because I have a 90 if I wanted to delete my FIAV I would just re-route my coolant lines into the water pipe or thermostat housing correct?

Also what did people do with the solenoids on the driver side? I know the one is a power unit for the EGR system, then purge solenoid and then the Fuel pressure solenoid which is used to for hot starts and such. Anyone removed the FP solenoid? How was it starting with engine at temp\hot out?

Regarding the R129 resistor -

 I have a 90 and I bought a cali eprom ecu
It didn't have the resistor and was throwing a code.
Putting one in didn't remove the check. After that I read a lot about it and found a few posts here and there saything that you can't avoid it, so if you're going for a cali ecu be prepared.

[John Hartman]

wrt the faiv bypass, yes, just route the coolant back into the line it comes out of.

wrt the EGR, I would leave it in. It helps to cool part throttle intake air temps.  This helps with knock.  Lots of people have had part throttle/tip in knock showing on thier logger after an EGR delete. Putting it back removes this.  Yes, some have not, but there are enough people that did have the problem to take it into account.  Plus the science fits the issue.  If you are running race fuel exclusively, or have E85, sure, no problem, but a regular daily driver on pump gas, this can make a great difference.

Charcoal canister, well, again I would leave it in.  How else are you going to vent the pressure/vacuum of a heating and cooling gas tank?  If you just leave an open vent tube to the gas tank, no only will it smell alot, but there is a possibility of a fire  And the charcoal canister has 0 effect on power, so unless you really need that space down below the battery, I say leave it in.

The fuel pressure soleniod, I agree, take that out as it has been proven to cause hot starting issues.

oh and just to clear things up(pardon the pun), Prince George has LOTS of emissions, just no testing. This is one of the problems, as people figure it doesn't matter if there is no testing.  I was recently in Grande Prairie, Ab, and its, in a word, just disgusting!  Every truck there has glasspacks with no cats, and all the diesels are chipped.  Plus all the old cars are not tuned up and run like a bag of dicks.  you can see this huge browny yellow haze hanging over the city.  Its really gross.  I used to live there in '92 and it was not like that at all, it was quite clean acutally.  It now stinks when driving on the roads, seriously.  you can smell nasty gasses and fuel vapour just being in traffic there.  Not like here, with the occasional stinky car/truck, but 90% of them were like that.

your car doesn't have to be dirty to be fast.

[Mike Hewitt]

I am not sure on if I'm going to do the FIAV bypass as of yet, just because I do like my car being able to heat up a little faster. And I'm assuming with cams(272's going in over winter) it will help with getting it to run decent at cold starts.

I do agree we have a lot of emissions up here and no testing, which is what I ment. But I know for a fact with my car running no cat, and no emssions equipment on my car I am by FAR not the worst car in town. Daily I am driving behind cars that are running like ASS and you can barely drive behind 'em, if at all.

With removing the charcoal canister, I am going to run a vacuum line to underneath the  car, that way I am not venting it into the engine bay. I am also going to help out, not totally cure, by adding a filter or 2 of some sorts. I am going to do more searching into the best idea on how to eliminate\trap a lot of the fumes. Again not doing this as I think I'm going to be gaining HP at all, just cleaning up engine bay and getting rid of 'un-needed' vacuum lines.

As for room wise, I am thinking of making a custom battery mount, and mountng my battery down lower just so when I open my hood the first thing you notice is not the Yellow Optima standing out from the Aluminum\Red parts under my hood.

[John Hartman]

lower is good for handling  too  

The FIAV does not help the car warm up, its just a secondary means of fast idle on a cold car.  I have not had a FIAV on my Talon for about 5 years and about 3 on my Galant.  And none on Carmens ex Talon as well.  They warm up just fine.  Also they don't rev so high when they do a cold start either.  No oil up there and revving to 2000rpm aint too cool in my books    and yes I know your winters are worse, but this year it did hit -15 or a bit colder here and there was lots of snow.  For a more than normal time too.  Galant was perfectly mannered, no issues with cold starting or icing up throttle body or warming up the engine/heater.

[Mike Hewitt]

oh ok, well that's good to know.

The car doesn't move from October to March usually so I'm not worried about it warming up in the winter as I do not drive it. So I will go ahead and re-route those lines back in.

[John Hartman]

you HAVE to disable the fiav too, just rerouting the lines will give you all the time, every time idle surge.  It will never go away.

[Dan Harshey]

you HAVE to disable the fiav too, just rerouting the lines will give you all the time, every time idle surge.  It will never go away.

Are you saying if you just remove the vaccum lines and charcoal canister you have to block off the FIAV, or you'll get idle surge? Or do you mean coolant lines to the FIAV?

[Remi Raymond]

He means coolant lines

[John Hartman]

I'm assuming Mike is talking about the coolant lines as he is referencing warm weather only, so that is what I meant as well.

The charcoal canister and associated vacuum lines shouldn't have any effect on the FIAV or idle surge, but I guess it could if you have an open line somewhere.