Motor and Vacuum Questions

[davwilli]

The truck I inherited will start and run, but I have noticed a lot of bad vacuum lines. I know the 350 Chevrolet engine is not original to the truck. The engine does have electronic ignition, vacuum advance on distributor, electric choke (not the thermal kind),

While studying up on the older systems I realized I have components that I was not familiar with. I have learned the engine has EGR valve, Thermal vacuum switch as well.

Can I remove all this since it was not original to the truck, or would all this egr system effect the way the engine runs. Should I leave well enough alone and just replace the cracked vacuum lines.

ps..3 speed manual, so no transmission worries.

Also, any idea what year this engine may be since it does have the egr components...

[Bigdav160]

EGR wasn't introduced until 1973

The EGR meters a small amount of CO2 and water (exhaust) back into the intake to cool off the combustion process. In the same era of engines the manufactures also retarded camshafts and monkeyed with the ignition curves to do the same thing.

So yes it can be removed. Some careful tuning might be required top to take advantage of the increased potential of your 350