I cleaned the EGR passages that are behind the throttle body on my car. The job was pretty straight forward. I found the ports packed with hard carbon. I used a pick and small screwdriver, and vacuumed as I worked with a shop vac to prevent particles from going into the manifold. This cleaning took care of the CEL that was for "EGR not opening".
Anyway, the gasket came off intact. It has a metallized surface. I ordered a new one from NAPA, but it didn't come in the next day (as it was suposed to), and was backordered!
Since I was ready to put things back, I called 4 Ford dealers, and no one stocked it. Two parts guys said they reuse the old one!
Well, I decided to reuse mine. I thinly coated the periphery with Permatex Ultra Copper, and reassembled. It's a high temp sealant, and it's in a non-fuel?fluid area. Two months now and seems fine. I know re-using gaskets are are not recommended, but if the gasket is in excellent condition when removed, and the correct sealant is used with discretion, it should be OK.
