[clusco]

I was trying to take off my EGR valve this afternoon to give it a cleaning. I unplugged its connection and then on the firewall side of the valve there is a bolt that has to be removed and on the front bumper side of the valve there is a "nut" that has to be removed.

Now here lies my problem: Underneath that nut, on top of another bolt, there is a metal bracket that holds 2 chrome lines that travel underneath the manifold cover and loop around the injectors. This metal bracket looks like it must first be taken off to get to the underlying bolt that holds the EGR in place.

However, the chrome pipe that is welded to this bracket that fits over this bolt will not move enough to slip it over the bolt so that I can loosen the underlying bolt.

Can anyone of you who have Sevilles (92-97) please go check your cars and see if this is something that we all have or am I alone. The Helm's manual makes no mention of this bracket on the EGR bolt. Anyone who can help, please pitch in. Thanks guys.

 

[Ranger]

The reason the Helm manual doesn't mention it is because what you are looking at is a product of the fuel rail recall. The bracket is brazed to the fuel rail as a hold down. I have not done mine since the recall but I believe you now have to remove the fuel rail (or atleast disconnect the fuel line) in order to get the EGR valve off. It was tough enough before but now they made it even harder. I am still not conviced that hold down needs to be there.

 

[clusco]

Hey Ranger,

Thanks for the info. I agree with you. This welded bracket looks very unnecessary. I guess I'll try to loosen the fuel rail a bit to get the bracket off. The bolts holding the fuel rail should be located under the manifold?

 

[Ranger]

They should be under the silver beauty cover, not the manifold.

 

[deskjockey]

I just did this job! Really easy, take off the top engine cover deal, 4 nuts there. Then pull the stantions those nuts screwed onto off. That'll free up your fuel rail, unseats the injectors and fuel rail and it'll come off the bolt your concerned about. You don't have to take the fuel rail and injectors out, just unseat them. then the "bolt" is really another fastener you take off and then out comes the EGR.

 

[clusco]

In proximity to the fuel rail, where exactly are the bolts (stantions) that hold the fuel rail down and how many should I be looking for?

 

[Ranger]

There are 4 of them. They are the studs that the 4 plastic acorn nuts attach to that hold down the silver beauty cover.

 

[clusco]

There are 4 of them. They are the studs that the 4 plastic acorn nuts attach to that hold down the silver beauty cover.

So after taking off the beauty cover, I just slide the fuel rails off of the studs or do I need to loosen any other bolts?

 

[Ranger]

You need to remove the 4 studs that the beauty cover is attached to. They serve a dual purpose. Just remove the beauty cover and look at the fuel rail. It should be pretty evident where they are mounted and what needs to be removed.

 

[clusco]

Okay, I removed the cover and then the 4 studs underneath like you guys advised. Just for good measure I even removed 6 other small bolts that hold on that plastic cover. I could not get the fuel rail to budge.

I can't see the fuel rail being able to be moved unless I was to unhook the fuel injectors and their connectors first. Am I supposed to unhook the fuel injectors also and if so, how?

 

[Ranger]

You will have to unplug the electrical connection to each injector. After all the hold downs are removed, then you should be able to lift the rail with the injectors still attached to it. The injectors should be in rubber grommets of sorts so you do need to pull on them a little.

 

[clusco]

Okay, I got up early today to try again. I took off the cover, took out the 4 studs underneath the cover and disconnected the electrical connectors. Then I got my Helm's manual to see how to unhook the fuel injectors. The Helm's manual says that there is some type of special tool needed to pry off the retaining clip from the injector to release it from the rail.

Ranger, when do you plan on doing this job? Because I prefer to wait on you so that you can point me through it step-by-step afterwards.

 

[Ranger]

Never. I cleaned my EGR about a year before I had the rail changed and it was only slightly sooty. I'm looking for an '02 SLS so I doubt I'll ever need to do it on this car. I did remove the fuel rail last year on my wifes 3800. After removing the wiring harnes to the injectors and all the hold downs, I simply pulled the rail and injectors as a unit. I do not believe you have to remove the injectors from the rail. You will have to disconnect the fuel supply line from the rail, however.

As I said before, I am not totaly convinced that the brazed bracket on the EGR bolt is completely neccassary. One option (your call) would be to cut that bracket with a rotary tool or hack saw as close to the line as possible. You could then go to the hardware store and buy a hold down to slip over the fuel line if it was really needed to replace the one that was cut. Hell, you could even fabricate one for that matter out of some steel strapping or sorts if it was really needed so it would be removable in the future.