I've search and searched and all I can find are back and forth childish arguments with no solid information about deleting an EGR. Some background on my car: it came with the AIR system and cat completely deleted, along with the charcoal canister. As far as I can tell, it still has the original ECM hooked up since when I bought it the BARO and MAP sensors were hooked up wrong and threw codes (which I fixed and I haven't had a CEL since). It's always been idling poorly and surging, so during my excursions to fix it I pulled the EGR valve and it is completely shot...completely carbed up and it won't even hold a vacuum. I assume the solenoid part that plugs into the ECM is still okay since I've never gotten any codes even cruising for a long time.

My main question is on the openings in the intake manifold. The leftmost one (the rectangular one) is REALLY gummed up...wet black looking stuff all around inside it. The right side port (the round one) wasn't gummed up as bad but still had a good amount of dry carbon build up. Is there any way to clean these ports out well without removing the entire intake manifold? I'm not sure if I'm up to that task since it involves removing the distributor as well. If I decide to buy a new EGR valve I obviously want to clean the ports up the best I can so the new one won't get gummed up again.

So aside from doing that...my other option is to get a block off plate and just delete the EGR valve. I can't really find any good information one way or the other with regards to any problems this will cause with a CCC carb and distributor set up. Would it be fine to do this with my current car? I really want to keep the CCC quadrajet and ECM. If I do block of the ports, should I hook up the EGR solenoid and just leave it? Do I need to reconnect or block of any of the vacuum ports on it to "fool" the computer? Remember, I've been driving with this bad EGR valve and getting no CEL. I haven't heard any pinging or knocking in my engine (although I do have a knock sensor installed).

What would be my best course of action here?

 

Some EGR valves are designed not hold vacuum unless they see exhaust back pressure. In these cases, applying vacuum to a static valve is not a valid test.

I think the only risk in eliminating the EGR is you might get part throttle pinging. Are the exhaust passages in the manifold or the valve completely plugged? If they are and you're not getting any pinging I would say that it'll be ok to eliminate the valve all together and just install a block off plate.

If the exhaust passages are even partially open AND the EGR valve is indeed working, you may get pinging if you eliminate the valve.

Disconnect the vacuum source, plug the end and road test to see what happens.

 

^THIS^
FWIW, I don't get a CEL or any pinging with no EGR on the current engine in my sig (still running factory ECM, carb, & dizzy). I had tried disabling the EGR valve on the original LG4 engine, and noticed no difference in pinging/mileage. All run on 87 octane fuel.