I have a '99 w 4.6 v8. I have taken the intake elbow off and cleaned it, but I was also looking for an easy way to do a 20K mile job without removing the elbow.

I tried cleaning my EGR ports without removing the elbow, and this did work. It's not as good as removing the elbow, but it's a lot easier.

You need a approx 12" piece of 1/4" copper tubing and a tubing bender. And a shop vac. Bend the tube into a U shape. This is the tool.

I have a connector for the PCV hose on the back of the elbow. This fitting is about 1/2" dia and is opposite the EGR ports in the elbow.

Remove the EGR valve. Shove the tube into this exposed EGR port and run it in and out enough that you have any crud broken up. Rig up something with the shop vac so you can put suction on this EGR port, or use a highly qualified assistant.

Remove the PCV hose from the back of the elbow and feed one leg of the copper tub U into the connector. Turn on the suction. Now feel around until you can push the tube into one of the EGR ports. Push in and out a few times in the port, then move the tube over to the other port and do the same.

You can shoot compressed air down the tube if you want also.

 

It would be so much easier to just remove the elbow.

 

If you took your throttlebody elbow off after doing this you would be amazed at how much you missed. Taking the elbow off and cleaning it is the way to do it.

 

A drill motor, dremel and automotive pipecleaners do an amazing job on it..

 

When I did mine I was scared to use a drill because I couldn't tell what was carbon and what was metal. 95k on the clock when I first did it. I had a hammer and a small chisel and just kept chippin at it. I can't believe how packed in there it was. Im going to start doing it once or twice a year now, I only average like 20k a year though.

 

Just close your eyes and hit the trigger for a few seconds , then look.

Keep doing that until she looks good