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EGR system removal?

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Old May 15, 2011 | 03:15 AM
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Default EGR system removal?

I'm running a factory '77 L-82 4-speed. Are there any performance gains from removing the EGR system all together? Engine is completely factory.

What problems might be associated with this? (I'm in Alabama so no legal worries)

Sorry for the dumb question, I'm new at this.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 09:27 AM
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Nothing to be gained by removing it.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 10:25 AM
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You may improve the "manners" of the engine by removing, inspecting, cleaning and reinstalling the EGR valve....but no improvement (performance) by eliminating it.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 10:58 AM
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would help keep the intake charge from becoming diluted with exhaust gas. maybe a small benefit. also may inhibit detonation.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 02:21 PM
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Thanks guys. If I replaced the current hardware with an edelbrock performer rpm intake and a Holley carb that didn't have egr would that cause any problems with the rest of the motor? do replacement parts need to be egr equipped?
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Old May 15, 2011 | 02:55 PM
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Only to satisfy any emissions testing requirements for your state/county.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 03:09 PM
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no problem at all. i know of no one that would consider an e.g.r. system a performance enhancing system. they rob performance ...
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Old May 15, 2011 | 03:16 PM
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Originally Posted by 7t9l82
they rob performance ...
Please explain.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 04:32 PM
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it puts exhaust gas into the intake. do you think it helps combustion?
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Old May 15, 2011 | 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by 7t9l82
it puts exhaust gas into the intake.
Only under high vacuum conditions. EGR is inactive at full throttle.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 05:01 PM
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EGR valves do nothing but hurt performance and are designed solely for emissions reasons. The concept that a EGR valve will not hurt the performance characteristics of an engine is false. It will introduce superheated dirty air into the intake charge causing elevated combustion chamber temperature, detonation, higher coolant temperature, poor driveability characteristics, and will decrease the available power of the engine under most operating conditions. There is a reason that performance engine builders do not include an EGR valve under most circumstances if they do not have to. They can also decrease fuel economy! Leave it off if you can.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 06:47 PM
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well said!
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Old May 15, 2011 | 07:41 PM
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EGR valves are a performance disaster. I naively thought I could build a performance motor with the EGR valve in place. You can't. I tried for about five years before I finally gave up. I could't control the detonation. I finally pulled the whole system off and the engine immediately ran better. Unfortunately the attempt took out my bearings and I ended up rebuilding the motor a couple of years later. Learn from my mistake!
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Old May 15, 2011 | 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by 77-Shark
I'm running a factory '77 L-82 4-speed. Are there any performance gains from removing the EGR system all together? Engine is completely factory.
So you experts want to be specific and let the OP in on exactly how much performance he's going to gain?

Peak HP?
Peak TQ?
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Old May 15, 2011 | 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Ward
Only under high vacuum conditions. EGR is inactive at full throttle.
And at idle.
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Old May 15, 2011 | 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by jb78L-82
It will introduce superheated dirty air into the intake charge causing elevated combustion chamber temperature, detonation, higher coolant temperature, poor driveability characteristics, and will decrease the available power of the engine under most operating conditions.
Originally Posted by drwet
I could't control the detonation.
The EGR system does not raise combustion temperatures. It actually lowers them.
The whole purpose of the EGR system was to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides.
It did this by lowering the combustion temperatures below the temp where they are formed.
When operating correctly the EGR reduces an engines tendency to ping at part throttle.
At full throttle, of course it affects nothing because it isn't active then.
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Old May 16, 2011 | 08:36 AM
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Someone explain how introducing superheated previously partially burned hot exhaust gases in place of pure fresh cool intake charge reduces intake temperature? Why do EGR valves have a tendency to increase detonation if the valve cools the intake charge?

I would not run an EGR valve under any circumstances unless you have to-just my preference. You can choose what you want to do.
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Old May 16, 2011 | 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by DRIVESHAFT
The EGR system does not raise combustion temperatures. It actually lowers them.
The whole purpose of the EGR system was to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides.
It did this by lowering the combustion temperatures below the temp where they are formed.
When operating correctly the EGR reduces an engines tendency to ping at part throttle.
At full throttle, of course it affects nothing because it isn't active then.
That may be the theory, but in practice it just doesn't work. They plug up, they stick open. I am pretty good with engines, but in five years I could not get it to run right. One afternoon spend removing all that crap and the engine ran like it was supposed to. Unfortuneately it cost me an engine rebuild. Nowadays with computer controls they can make an EGR system work, but the systems they put on our cars in the seventies didn't.

As for how much power you can expect, that depends on how the engine was built. On a stock engine, you won't see a lot of performance improvement. There are too many other problems with these engines stock. Remember in the seventies the engineers were scrambling to reduce emissions because of government regulation. They were throwing systems on there to get the cars into showrooms that just didn't work. Compression was too low and carburetors were too lean. EGR valves were just part of that package. If you want your engine to run correctly, you need to fix all that stuff.
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Old May 16, 2011 | 10:25 AM
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chicken lickin said that henny penny said that the sky is going to fall! i can imagine where this stuff comes from. like the pinheads who say a 160 degree thermostat will burn up my computer controlled engine, well it didn't on my mark 220k and going my 250 econoline 380k my 88 trans- am 320k .people are "educated" way beyond thiere intelligence
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Old May 16, 2011 | 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by jb78L-82
Someone explain how introducing superheated previously partially burned hot exhaust gases in place of pure fresh cool intake charge reduces intake temperature?
Explain how adding something that doesn't burn to the air/fuel will make the combustion hotter?

Here is some good EGR reading http://autorepair.about.com/od/gloss..._egr-valve.htm

A couple of good quotes from the document-
Pg 1- The EGR reduces NOx production by recirculating small amounts of exhaust gases into the intake manifold where it mixes with the incoming air/fuel charge. By diluting the air/fuel mixtures under these conditions, peak combustion temperatures and pressures are reduced, resulting in an overall reduction of NOx output.

Pg 2- If too little EGR flows, the engine may knock and will not meet strict emissions standards.

I use to see this stuff on a pretty regular basis back in the 80s. An EGR valve would get plugged from carbon and the car would start pinging under light to moderate throttle. You could clear the EGR passages and stop the pinging.
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