EGR, Idle Solenoid and Intake bellows
Isn't the internet a wonderful resource? Thanks to this thread I was able to get my 2002 Protege LX running much better. It started running rough at idle, cutting off while sitting at stop lights, slow accelerator response and the gas pedal was kinda sticking when I wanted to go.
I read every post in this thread, went to AutoZone and bought the recommended tools (plus a couple just because)... The 3/8" and 1/4" drive flexhead ratchet were knuckle savers. Fortunately I had a T25 Security bit because I didn't find one of those at AZ. I put the car in the garage Friday eve, turned the heater on and started prepping the car for a Service Saturday.
I removed the intake/throttle body hose/tube/bellows thingy and found that it was dry rotted and cracked. Someone posted on this thread that those things are hard to find... and they rigged it with silicone and duct tape. I gobbed the black silicone adhesive/sealant around the ribs on the tube and let it dry overnight. For added measure I wrapped some plastic wrap and then duct tape. Then I took the battery out and cleared the path to see what I was up against. I sprayed the bolts and screws with the PB Blaster to soak overnight.
The bolts on the EGR came out with little problem. I put it in the vise, soaked the screws with more PB Blaster and wire brushed the gunk out of the screw heads. I used a good quality screw driver (#2) and slowly broke each one loose. Only one came close to stripping. Just soaked it a little more and used a lot of pressure while unscrewing... and it broke loose. Whew... don't need to worry about fixing that. The plunger moved up and down but stuck a little in places... so I soaked it in throttle body cleaner got a new flux brush out and cleaned the inards. I used a little engine oil (synthetic) to lube the shaft.
I took the Idle solenoid off and cleaned and lightly lubed it, That didn't look too bad... and didn't seem to be sticking.
The throttle was sticking closed because of carbon build up around the butterfly. So... in a moment of genius, I put the red spray hose on the can of throttle body cleaner, propped the butterfly open with a scrap of wood, and started spraying. Then I heard a pfftt and... s***... where the damn red hose thingy go. Yep... right down into the intake manifold. I tried my grabber thingy.. no go. Tried my vacuum cleaner only to see it disappear deeper into the bowels of the intake manifold... crap.... I could no longer see it. I had to rig a flexible attachment to the vacuum and after lots of cussing and 45 minutes got the damn red hose thingy out. Then I proceeded to finish cleaning the throttle body with cleaner and a wire brush (and no red hose thingy this time). Excellent... no more stickiness.
I put the EGR back in from the underside of the car. Seemed to be more working room at that angle. Then put the rest of the crap back together cleaning and lubricating as I went. I changed the oil and filter since it was on jack stands already. I took it for a test drive and (knock on wood) she runs a lot better.
I was thinking it's about time to get a new car because after 294K miles she might be done. After seeing the prices of new cars and fretting about paying $400-$600 monthly payment (and be well out of warranty by the time it's paid for) I figured I could bust a few knuckles and get plenty of band-aids and neosporin for that money. I'd like to see her get another 100K... so time will tell.
It took me about 8 hours because I'm getting old and have learned to take my time and do it right, eat when I'm supposed to, let the dogs out, do a little work on the computer and take several coffee breaks. I don't bust as many knuckles when I take my time. So for me it was well worth taking the time to read each post, get the right tools.
Thank you all that posted the pics and how to'.