I'm in the process of changing my rear valve cover gasket. So far I've removed the collector, and I noticed this piece clogged with all this junk. Is it normal, or should I clean it out? Pics below.

 

i say clean it out. gunk should never be normal

 

Clean it out. It's the EGR and you will fail NOx readings when you go for your emissions test if it's clogged like that.

 

ahhhh! clean that out asap!

 

Thats no good... my friend. carb cleaner and elbow grease is the only grease that should be there...

 

Clean it out. Are you not throwing an efgr flow code??? 0302

 

I wasn't throwing any codes, and the car was running mint. I only discovered it in my quest to change my valve cover gaskets. In any case, I got the job done, and I cleaned out as much of the gunk as possible. Hopefully my car will be ok when i e-test it.

What are some other likely/common sources of oil leaks if changing the valve cover gaskets don't solve it? So far I've changed my lower oil pan gasket, oil pressure sensor, and now the valve cover gaskets.

 

It'll be a while but eventually you would see the code. When the code came on, I continued for another six months before taking it apart and doing it.
Make sure you also clean out where it attaches to the UIM. You won't feel a difference, but you'll feel better for having addressed it.

 

Clean that EGR. I need to do the same.

 

Good thing you cleaned it. I had the 0302 code a few times in the past year and never got to cleaning it. I just reset the ecu. On a side note, I passed emissions a few weeks ago without having it cleaned. Still, I need to clean it out.

 

I've been on the same journey, fixing leaking VC gaskets and noticed the same issue on my EGR tube/port. I also was NOT throwing a code and my car was running great. Glad it is done. I had to use a chisel to get it out of the UIM port. Make sure you use a new gasket on both ends of the tube IF you can get it to fit. I did for the lower EGR tube gasket but could not for the upper port gasket. No leaks so far (idles great) as I can tell. Man, what a pain to do however (the rear VC gaskets and all involved).

1998 Maxima SE; 177,770 miles.

 

I was trying to clean out my EGR tube and what makes It worse Is that, I have a EVAP system and so It will make It hard for me to get back there. I removed the intake and the intake scoop and the big nut on the evap line and I was trying to get the bolt on the EGR but I could not get it to budge, do to the tight space and the heater core hoses.

QUESTION: Is there any other tools that I can use for this pacific job or I will have to remove the throttle body and then remove everything. Thanks.

 

If your emissions test only checks your engine at idle, as ours used to, it probably won't catch an EGR clog since it doesn't function at idle.

 

I dunno if it's jut coincidence, but I find that my car idles nicer now when im sitting at a traffic light and its in drive. Over the last couple of months its been rough.

I still have a leaking oil pressure sensor....even though I've changed it already. Hopefully swapping that out will be the end of my leaking troubles.