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I am attempting to replace the EGR Valve Tube on my 2003 Ford Focus with the 2.0L. I am giving trouble loosing the nut on the side that goes into the EGR valve right after where the two rubber vacuum hoses slide on. I don’t have a big enough wrench so I am trying to use a crescent wrench and I am starting to round off the nut. Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can crack it loose? There isn’t very much room to work either. Also does anyone know what size the nut is on the tube? I read somewhere it is 32mm but I want to make sure before I go and buy a wrench. I attached a picture of the part. I found a Dorman replacement part on eBay for it. I guess this is a common problem for how many places I found to buy it. Thanks in advance.
DORMAN #: 598-112
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they get heat siezed pretty good. soak it with blasters and let it sit. not sure of the nut size , put cresent wrench on , adjust for tight fit , remove wrench and measure the opening to see what size you need. a pipe wrench will grab tighter then a cresent if you have the room.
Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I created a bigger issue. I thought for whatever crazy reason to use the side of a pickle fork and attempted to tap the bolt loose with a hammer. Well you can see where this is going. It came loose but, I also cracked the entire EGR valve off the intake and broke a chunk of the aluminum intake off. So, I am currently waiting for a replacement upper intake manifold from eBay to come in. Found one with lower millage and the EGR valve included for $55 and free shipping. I know what I did was stupid but, I still must say that I dislike Fords a lot. Every time I work on this Focus for my Mother something major likes this happens to me. It just seems that there was not very good engineering involved with these cars. I will post an update soon. Thanks again.
sorry to hear the trouble.when putting the egr tube back together
put some anti seize on the threads of that nut.upon re install.You mentioned that Ford’s always give you problems. Here is what you can do in the future. Buy the Service Manual for the particular vehicle that you are working on. That way you can follow the manufacturer will let you know the right tools and procedures necessary when you have a task to do.
That sucks. Sounds like you have a solution however. The right tool makes all the difference in a situation like that. Never use an adjustable wrench for that situation as you have found out. Use a quality wrench of the correct size. I say ‘quality’ because I’ve seen some brands of tools that just don’t fit snugly enough or are made of inferior metal and spread out when you put torque on them. If it were me I’d be breaking out the heat. Heat is your best friend in that situation. Here’s a video. Also, I’m going to post a video on the method I use when dealing with stuck fasteners.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Update!
I wanted to give everyone an update on the Ford Focus. I did finally repair it. I had to order a new upper intake manifold on eBay. I got a great deal for a used one for $54.99 with free shipping and it included the EGR Valve. I ordered the new upper intake gaskets, throttle body gasket and egr gasket. Installed the new intake and when reinstalling the new EGR tube I put anti-seize on it so when it breaks again it will hopefully be easier to loosen the nut. Lesson learned use the right tool and don’t rush things.Hey folks!
Sadly I now have the same problem as the Original Poster but I don’t want the same result.
He asked two important questions: one was (kind of) answered by the suggestion of “HEAT” but the other question (what size is the nut?) was never answered.
Heat is a problem in this location and Crescent wrench rounds out corners, while 1 1/16″ does the same. Because the nut is on the EGR tube it can’t be accessed with a normal 6 point. I am thinking of cutting the tube and going after the nut with a socket to get it off and then just replacing the tube with the new one. It is already broken at the flange from the engine so it’s not like I’ll be doing any extra damage to the tube.
Here’s the fun part. I have just about given up but my crazy idea is…Since I can’t seem to get the nut off. Would it work if I buy a NEW EGR tube and cut both the new and old tubes in the middle; then apply a slightly larger tube section and slide it over the meeting point of the two tubes, solder/braise it to effect a complete/intact tube? Or can the broken end be re-inserted in the flange and flared (like a brake line) and work that way?
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