Cleaning egr tube with carb cleaner?

[tgmiller77]

I have a plugged egr tube on a 1995 e320 wagon. I was wondering if you could clean the tube with carb cleaner like "Deep Creep" spray? I know the preferred method is with a spedo cable or replacement of the tube. Could the spray damage any parts or just not work at all?
Thanks

[Bob Weir]

I cleaned out the EGR tube without disconnecting anything except the EGR valve itself and the tube at the intake manifold.

1] Where the tube goes into the intake manifold, a 10mm wrench is the only tool for the rear bolt and a 1/4" drive socket can be used on the front bolt. The bolts are about 2cm long, so it takes a little patience usng the wrench. Easiest way is from under the car. The little pia was keeping the gasket in place when reattaching.

2] To prevent the spedo cable from wrapping around itself, I fed it though a 1/4" plastic tube, inserted one end in the EGR tube and occassionally split the plastic tube as the cable fed into the tube.

Someone else used a "bicycle shifter cable" and noted most of the crud is at the intake manifold end of the tube.

Bob

[Kestas]

Chemical methods won't work. The deposits are very tenacious. A good mechanical cleaning is what is needed.

[cool]

you can try the carb cleaning spray and then top up with penetrating oil, might work, but best is the suggestion of kesta

[Parrot of Doom]

Use Isopropyl Alcohol spray, it leaves no residue.

[wbain5280]

I had to dig out the EGR tube on my 420SEL out with a small screwdriver.

[Kestas]

I tried using chemical methods when I had the tube off. I brought it in the lab for cleaning, and no chemical could dissolve the deposits, not even methylene chloride, which is your most aggressive solvent. Hence, my recommendation to use mechanical methods.

[EricSilver]

Since the crud is on the intake side, how about cutting the straight, vertical section of the tube on that side with a Dremel cutting disc, lift the tube out, clean it, replace it, then rejoin the cut ends with an outside-diameter metal sleeve and solder or metal tape, as a plumber would do? (The recirculating exhaust gas won't know the difference.)

I need to do this job before the end of August and given what I have read about it in various threads, this seems a simpler option -- UNLESS the crud extends as far back as the EGR valve, in which case all bets are off.