Ok, I am so close! Please help!

[Eagle Driver]

Alright, after literally hours of reading through old posts, I think I am close. I'll do the best I can explaining and I know one of you guys will get it...

OK, started running rough out of the blue, so, after reading about the egr (does that mean Exhaust Gas Regulator?) I decided to try and find it. I took ok the air filter and assembly and found a vacuum hose that looked like it hooked on to a "stick of gum" (i read that earlier...that's my level of shop talk). Anyway, I unplugged that guy, truck started and ran, plugged it back in, and ran like crap. Suction is there...so what do I do next???

This is the greatest forum ever. Educate me!!!

 

[colbystephens]

next thing you do is tell us what motor your working on. on my 4.3L s series blazer the egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) is notorious for getting stuck open with chunks of carbon which build up in the intake. what i do if it's a normal situation, is rev the motor up to a really high rpm - say 4 grand (redlines at 5) and keep it there for about 15 seconds. this opens the valve and passes the carbon where it probably burns up in the catalytic converter. this can also be done by flooring the truck in gear and really revving it high - which i think is more fun. in really bad cases, i take off the egr and clean it (only had to do that once). On the 4.3, the valve is located directly below the opening in the intake manifold where the hose to the air filter connects - directly on the front of the motor. (at least on those 4.3's similar to the '95 model year - don't know about the rest.) it's a relatively easy thing to do, but getting the gasket to stay in place as you replace the valve is a real PITA. does that help? anyway, tell us what your motor is. if it's not the 4.3 - i can't help too much because i don't know other motors too well except the 6.2 diesel. cheers.

 

[Eagle Driver]

Sorry about that. I have an 87 K5 with the 350 TBI.

Earlier today it ran rough, I revved to the moon, even sounded like something cleared...ran for an hour, and then crappy again...revved again, ran for ten minutes good, and on and on....

 

[colbystephens]

i don't know a whole lot yet, but it's possible that it's just passing pieces of carbon each time. i suppose you could say the same of my motor as you do yours, except that the rough idle happens at increments of time which are much more spaced out than yours. were it me, i'd just keep trying to rev it till all that crap passes thru. you could try pulling it and cleaning it, but that won't do you much good if it just clogs up again 10 minutes later.

 

[readymix]

Your EGR is on the pass side of the intake justr aft of the centerline of the engine.
It is retained by two studs with nuts on them. The top of the studs is a reverse torx. Those are the only reverse torx that I know of on that engine so it should be easy to find

 

[Eagle Driver]

how do I clean the egr?

 

[readymix]

brake cleaner and a small pick should do it.
Or just buy a new one

 

[colbystephens]

when i did mine, again, it's off a 4.3 - so i don't know the similarities, it was a matter of taking a screwdriver and pushing the valve open enough to let the carbon fall out. very very easy.