Hello all. I recently picked up an 88 4runner, 22re/ manual. The PO had replaced the head and done a top end rebuild, put it back together, and then it sat for years. So Im discovering/cleaning up a lot of odds and ends that coincide with reinstalling an engine. Also, this is my first 22re. So its a lot of fun.

can someone ID this connector for me? And the big vaccum cap next to it? I see other motors have a screw with a spring under in that location.

also, i suspect my egr valve is leaking or stuck open. Ive got what seems like a sizable vaccuum leak, but have been spraying every hose and nipple in the bay with carb cleaner and got nothing. So, delete the egr valve right? Buuuuut, the enging has to pass a visual inspection for emissions stuff, and I think itll fail if its just not there. Is there a way to completely isolate or de-activate the egr while leavibg it in place? Im thinking of installing thin block off plates under the valve where it meets the manifolds and plugging the vaccum lines with BBs. Or, anyone ever weld the valve closed?

 

All you really need to do to disable EGR is put one BB in the vac line that activates it. TRD used to sell a white paper with this information in the 1990’s. First i would suck on that line by mouth and see if the EGR valve operates. If you do it running the engine will stumble. It doesn’t prove it isn’t leaking though. You’ll probably have to remove and inspect it or remove the two screws that hold it to the plenum and insert a piece of a coke can in between to seal the hole.

 

Thats actually exactly what i was thinking of doing, a piece of beer can between intake manifold and valve. I was unsure how long it would last though getting blasted by hot exhaust.

 

It won’t get blasted if the valve is disabled by the bb. Even if you do have a leak it will be a small one. If the egr is stuck open with a major leak, it will run awful and have no power.

 

Has anybody experienced how loss of power due to EGR valve being stuck open feels like?
Has anybody experienced if EGR block/delete really helps with power?

To help make sure my EGR valve does not leak when in closed position, I recently cleaned it, as well as the small exhaust line that goes to the bottom of the EGR regulator.
I plugged both holes with wine bottle cork cut to size, and the little "branch" tube with chopstick to seal throttle body cleaner in to soak the valve.
Borrowed a "vacuum Pump - Gage Tester combo from Autozone to check actuation and to cycle the valve as I sprayed it with more throttle body cleaner.

 

I once reassembled my 20r Celica and unknowingly bolted on an EGR valve that was stuck open. It ran like a big vac leak(which it was) and barely got down the street.

An egr passage can get so coked up that the valve simply stops flowing and effectively “deletes” itself.