I used toothpicks

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

for new members

EGR's are also meant to help reduce NOx, HC, and CO emissions, by recycling the exhaust gases for another go through. It forces the NOx to separate back into N2 and O2, which allows the O2 to finish reacting with the HC and CO to create CO2. So removing the EGR will get rid of the gunk in the intact manifold, increase part load power, clean up the engine bay, and possibly increase fuel economy, but will also increase emissions.

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1985 300SD "Battleship"

Disagree:
On the older OM61x and OM60x engines, removing the EGR has minimal or no detectable effect on emissions.

It was installed to make CARB and the EPA think they where concerned about emissions.

If the engine is in good condition it will pass the required testing without any EGR.

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I doubt this, NOx is much higher without erg. I know the 84 / 85 617 cars failed emissions testing when the EGR is broken.

I should hook up a test light to the EGR output on my computer... See when it's active.

If not needing EGR is a metric for how good an engine is that means VW trumps MB, VWs didn't get EGR here until 1995

Many modern passenger cars have 2 EGR systems so they can run even mor EGR, and while on boost :crazy:

-J

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Emission gas readings are irrelevant, the only EPA spec for 1985 and earlier is opacity.

Your vehicles failed opacity??
No state can legally fail these engines for any other reason.

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Three points whunter:
1) The opacity emissions test will not be a problem for CO or NOx emissions as both gases are relatively transparent. Opacity is mainly a good way to measure the health of a diesel engine in order to get a rough idea of it's health (too much soot or HC are signs of a unhealthy engine, or running way too rich when loaded).
2) The government sets up emission standards for both the engine itself at the design level and out the tailpipe for after purchase validation of a properly operating vehicle.
3) I've ran experiments on diesel generators during my college days. I saw first hand what different loads, EGRs, and biodiesel will do to a diesel engines emissions and efficiency. Just like anything else, it's all a balancing act. Some things, like EGRs, that are meant to reduce emission also reduce the thermodynamic efficiency of the engine which results in less power and worse fuel economy. This is the reason that some diesels can see an increase in fuel economy and power after advancing the injection timing a little past OEM specs (of course not too much).

I'm not suggesting that anyone shouldn't remove their EGRs, quite the contrary, I'm a big fan of it on old diesels especially when you live out in the middle of nowhere like i do and have no mandated emission testing. I like the improved throttle response and fuel economy. I'm just realistic with the consequences as well. By the way, testing has shown that modern vehicles run so damn clean that in some cases the exhaust coming out of those vehicles is cleaner than the air that went in. For that reason, I removed my EGR and balance the air quality by driving in front of a new car when possible .

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1985 300SD "Battleship"

The issue I seem to have is those new cars won't stay behind me. Am I driving too slow in town? Between each traffic signal, newer cars zoom around me, only to be in front of me at the next traffic light.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I suppose that's true, but that's kind of a tricky response... "They can't tell it's broken" vs. "They don't care". It still violates EPA regs. Weather or not NOx is actually bad for the environment is another debatable topic.

Check out this thread:

EPA Test of the Trap Ox on 85 617s

I'd love to get the NOx differences on my car... but when I started testing the EGR I think I misplaced all the vacuum lines for it

I would venture that most 617s running around today have horrible tailpipe emissions compared to when they were new... retarded timing from stretched chains and worn injectors probably make a ton more PM and HC.

-J

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.