steveb wrote:Hi Rich,
In relation to mechanical skill required it probably going to depend on how far you want to go with it. After pulling mine apart I believe that you just get away with pulling the Throttle body, EGR and bend that connects to the intake manifold. The majority of crud in the manifold was near inlet and around the No.4 piston port. I believe that if you had someting similar to a bottle brush (brush on a wire) you would be able to loosen most of it and suck it out with a vacuum cleaner. This is provided that the soot is not soaked in oil as Axeten found when he did his. The soot in mine fell away easily. The EGR valve was the thing that was really blocked.
How much build up will depend on what type of driving you do. The EGR normally only operates at low engine revs and would not normally be operating on highway driving. So if you do a lot of town driving it could be blocked. The type of engine oil that is being used also has a bearing because it seeps past the turbo seals and when conbined with the exhaust from the EGR blocks the manifold.
Should you want to pull the whole thing apart you do need some specialized tools such as a crowfoot spanner to remove the injector pipes. They also have to torqued to 26 ft lbs which requires a tension wrench. To remove the Throttle body and EGR valve you only have remove the intercooler and unbolt some pipes and brackets. Hint if you are going to attempt it take photographs first so you see where everything fits and take your time. The gaskets that hold everything together are steel so if you are careful there is no need to replace them.
At the end of the day it's really what you feel comfortable with. The other option would be to take it to a good local mechanic that you trust and have them do it. They should be able to pull the EGR and throttle body out/clean/ replace in 2-3 hours which wouldn't be to bad price wise.
Thanks
Steve
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