Bill,

I did the same thing to my car when I bought it 9 months ago and have no bad results. Here in Houston, and probably all of Texas, diesels are emissions exempt. Assuming you have a 82-85 turbodiesel, I don't think anything bad would happen to the engine with such a modification. Eventhough I have a copper disk keeping exhaust gas from getting into the corrugated egr tube, I do notice a little oil/sludge in the area that the egr valve bolts to on the intake manifold. I guess its compressed air leaking out of the manifold. Lots of people just plug the vacuum line going to the valve. I am with you on placing a piece of copper between the egr tube and the exhaust manifold because eventually, the tube and valve become plugged with soot and start to make a mess.

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2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel - 4x4, auto, 3.54 gears, long bed
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'92 300D 2.5 Turbodiesel - sold
'83 300D Turbodiesel - 4 speed manual/2.88 diff - sold
'87 300D Turbodiesel - sold
'82 300D Turbodiesel - sold