What is EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and why should I block it?
Wiki link for in-depth explanation.
TLDR;
*EGR works by recirculating a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders.
*EGR deletion results in an increase in fuel economy as high as 25%.
Some people have also noticed an increase in power and a quicker turbo spool. IF there are any power increases at all, they would have to be pretty minute. However, I can attest to a quicker turbo spool up by at least a few hundred revs.
How do I block the EGR Valve?
It's a pretty easy do-it-yourself job. Allow an hour or so to do the job, and make sure the motor is cool enough to work on comfortably.
This is what the EGR blanking plate should look like..
The easiest way to do this job is to loosen the 2 nuts as pictured in the 2nd picture. You don't need to take them all the way off, just loosen them enough to be able to pull the EGR Valve (big brass ufo looking thing) away from the manifold. All we are doing is sliding the plate in.
For the plate, you'll want some thin sheet metal.. I used stainless steel. I have read that tin is fine. Not too sure about alluminium.. I've read is may corrode but I'm not sure. You want to basically end up with a shape similar to what I quickly draw in the last picture. As you try to fit it, you will see where it needs to be refined to the correct shape. For this, I used Tin Snips and a round file.
Once you get a plate that fits, you slide it in between the Manifold and the EGR Valve, then tighten the 2 nuts back up. Simple as that.
Good luck!