I have a question about EGR valves that has had me sidetracked the last few days wondering what I should do. Any help would be appreciated.
I have a 78 AMC motor in my Jeep. The last inspection I had was a “safety inspection” which means the Jeep does not have to be sniffed.
I thought, OK cool, I can ditch the power robbing smog equipment…..It seems most people would agree and say screw the smog equipment, you don’t need it and then move on. I was somehow convinced of this as well and installed an Edelbrock non-EGR intake manifold.
Fast forward to now,….. I was double checking the NC regulations manual CR435NCDOT . to refresh myself on specifically what is checked in a “safety inspection” so I can make sure everything they look for is in working order to avoid the inconvenience of making two trips (I had to replace a turn signal lens one time, then go back for my sticker). Much to my horror, I read in the DOT manual that a visual inspection on the factory smog equipment is performed during a “safety inspection”. The factory smog equipment on my ’78 included a PCV, an EGR and air injection system.
I plan to keep the PCV and I have a way of running the air injection (for inspection only), albeit slightly modified from stock due to the POS air tubes. I was originally going to delete the EGR, then I started researching it a little. The cool thing about the EGR, if you are a thermo freak like me, is it actually reduces the combustion temperature and thus reduces engine wear. Power and heat are inversely proportional to reliability and longevity. I am adding an engine oil cooler to compensate for the additional combustion heat (in EGR delete mode).
Here is where I am running into a snag or maybe I am just wasting my time………..
I want to make sure everything is working legitimately (at least for inspection). I would prefer to either clearly run the EGR or clearly delete it. I am too old to play lets fool the inspector (if it comes to that) and I don’t really want to go that route. The AMC intake has a GM style EGR valve with a machined surface that bolts to the intake with the inlet and discharge on the same surface. My first thought was that if I could find a solid block (possibly aluminum or brass) ~1”x2”x3”, I could mill/drill new ports then mount my stock EGR valve to it enabling a remote mount somewhere (I have a way of tubing from the exhaust m-fold and to one of the intake runners). I found some aluminum bar stock in McMaster Carr for like $20 plus tax and shipping. I kept thinking maybe there was another way I could accomplish this. The 5.0 Fuel Injected Mustangs used a remote EGR IIRC, perhaps I could snag one out of a junk yard that already had threaded ends. Rather than scrounging the junk yards, the parts manager at Carquest let me leaf through the catalog this morning to look for something I could adapt. Although the pictures were not crystal clear, it looks like the late 90’s Fords, Mazda’s and Nissans may have separate threaded inlet and discharge lines. This may narrow my search, if I persue this.
Anways, another guy at the counter boasts I have a ’71 such and such with absolutely no smog equipment and they let me go right through.
Now I am waffling……what would you do? Any experiences? BTW I live in Wake County. I already know that if I move to Sticksville USA, I will not have to deal with this crap. This is not an option.
Thanks for your help.
I have a 78 AMC motor in my Jeep. The last inspection I had was a “safety inspection” which means the Jeep does not have to be sniffed.
I thought, OK cool, I can ditch the power robbing smog equipment…..It seems most people would agree and say screw the smog equipment, you don’t need it and then move on. I was somehow convinced of this as well and installed an Edelbrock non-EGR intake manifold.
Fast forward to now,….. I was double checking the NC regulations manual CR435NCDOT . to refresh myself on specifically what is checked in a “safety inspection” so I can make sure everything they look for is in working order to avoid the inconvenience of making two trips (I had to replace a turn signal lens one time, then go back for my sticker). Much to my horror, I read in the DOT manual that a visual inspection on the factory smog equipment is performed during a “safety inspection”. The factory smog equipment on my ’78 included a PCV, an EGR and air injection system.
I plan to keep the PCV and I have a way of running the air injection (for inspection only), albeit slightly modified from stock due to the POS air tubes. I was originally going to delete the EGR, then I started researching it a little. The cool thing about the EGR, if you are a thermo freak like me, is it actually reduces the combustion temperature and thus reduces engine wear. Power and heat are inversely proportional to reliability and longevity. I am adding an engine oil cooler to compensate for the additional combustion heat (in EGR delete mode).
Here is where I am running into a snag or maybe I am just wasting my time………..
I want to make sure everything is working legitimately (at least for inspection). I would prefer to either clearly run the EGR or clearly delete it. I am too old to play lets fool the inspector (if it comes to that) and I don’t really want to go that route. The AMC intake has a GM style EGR valve with a machined surface that bolts to the intake with the inlet and discharge on the same surface. My first thought was that if I could find a solid block (possibly aluminum or brass) ~1”x2”x3”, I could mill/drill new ports then mount my stock EGR valve to it enabling a remote mount somewhere (I have a way of tubing from the exhaust m-fold and to one of the intake runners). I found some aluminum bar stock in McMaster Carr for like $20 plus tax and shipping. I kept thinking maybe there was another way I could accomplish this. The 5.0 Fuel Injected Mustangs used a remote EGR IIRC, perhaps I could snag one out of a junk yard that already had threaded ends. Rather than scrounging the junk yards, the parts manager at Carquest let me leaf through the catalog this morning to look for something I could adapt. Although the pictures were not crystal clear, it looks like the late 90’s Fords, Mazda’s and Nissans may have separate threaded inlet and discharge lines. This may narrow my search, if I persue this.
Anways, another guy at the counter boasts I have a ’71 such and such with absolutely no smog equipment and they let me go right through.
Now I am waffling……what would you do? Any experiences? BTW I live in Wake County. I already know that if I move to Sticksville USA, I will not have to deal with this crap. This is not an option.
Thanks for your help.
And if they do know what an AMC V8 is, then they'll like your Jeep and be checking out the axles and winch and stuff, not even interested in the emissions equipment.
