Since my new to me 12 has the EGRF and I don't know the history, I decide to order the Geno's kit to clean the EGR system with the CCV Filter. Tackled it yesterday. At first, I wasn't sure if the EGR had ever been taken off before. The bolts we're so tight and every gasket surface was like it was glued on. I never did get the cooler off. One of the two back nuts was just impossible to get to with the tools I had. Maybe it needs a socket with two swivels on it, plus my 15mm socket wasn't in the best of shape so i didn't want to push it. Looks like a rounded off nut back there would be a bad thing to have.

All of what I did get taken off looked like it was perfectly clean inside. The EGR valve where you compress the spring and remove the keeper had 0 soot in it. Like really. I wiped it with a white paper shop towel and it was still white. I wanted to get to the grid heaters but with all the bolts and everything taken off, it was like it was glued to the intake.

Now I'm not sure. I'd still like to get the cooler off and wash it out, just so I know it's been done. I may get some new sockets and give it another try in a couple more weekends.

Anyone have any tricks for getting at the two back nuts on the cooler?

 

The intake horn gasket "IS" glued on so I would have another gasket on hand, on our 2011's one came off with the gasket still glued on the other it was in pieces. I don't remember taking off the 2 rear bolts on the coolers as it's some time ago, but.... the stud closest to the engine block on some engines is not driven in all the way so it's possible the nut is "threadbound". On the first truck we did this was the source of a slight exhaust leak and all it took was adding another washer. On hard to reach stubborn nuts a good sized cold chisel and 4lb lump hammer come in handy, the trick is to actually hit it in the unscrew direction, not tap it, tapping it will cut into the nut without the shock reaction you are looking for. One or two blows should do it, and when reinstalling use anti seize.

 

I have all the gaskets on hand form the kit. Maybe then if the air horn is still glued then nobody has ever been in that area.

The cooler has two studs with nuts holding the back end of it down way under the firewall. There would be no way to ever put a chisel on them. They are barley visible and you have to contort yourself in a gymnastic like position just to touch it.

 

The factory gasket has glue on one side it's a peel and stick, the replacement ones I got from the dealer when I installed the H&S intake horns were the same way, peel and stick. As for the two studs.... I know exactly where they are as I mounted one of my 2 EGT probes in the blocker plate. The location is difficult but I can tell you it's not impossible or no one would have ever taken the EGR cooler off.

 

Yep. I just need to get some better sockets before I tackle it again. I've had my tools since I was 16 and some of them are well worn and were cheapies to begin with. As I said, I didn't want to keep pushing it and round off one of those back there. The good thing, is the gaskets came factory wrapped so they all have the Cummins part numbers so now I know what to order individually and I can replace what I used already.

 

were you throwing any codes, or just maintenance?

 

P0101 MAF and I had no idea if anything had ever been done. In another thread I asked about P0101 and something else

 

.....and P2BAC Oxides of Nitrogen Exceedance Deactivation of EGR. Maybe this will explain why the egr valve was clean, like it was new/unused