Well, 2.5 hours after starting the job, with cuts, plenty of blood, more water leaking from me than the local water company can process in an hour. I started to think that it was a job I should give up.

30 degrees, direct in the sunlight as there was no shade to work in, the engine held the heat because of the temperature so got a few burns, scalds and apparently I am allergic to the oil and something else on the engine head!

Anyways, this thread is a suggestion... if you own a CMAX - DONT do the EGR blank.... lol. It was a nightmare. weather aside, unfortunately, as good as Lenny's guide was, my thoughts that "Focus" and "Focus CMAX" would barely differ couldnt be further from the truth. After spending half an hour just trying to find the two large bolts to remove, I then found that the Haynes manual neglected to say "slacken the bolt on the rear of the engine to get some more space" which took another half hour to fathom. I finally managed to get the EGR to pull back enough to put the blanking plate in, except when I put the plate in the first time, I struggled to get it to wedge in because the bleeding fuel filter was in the way. So It took an hour just to manouvre the thing into place, then it fell out and onto some pipework. took another 20 minutes to try and find it, and couldnt get it, thought the best job would be to give up, put the aluminium plate in and then let it fall out the bottom ventually, but oh no... so I put the aluminium plate on, it wedged, and wouldnt come out, so took a screwdriver to it, and it ended up bending the plate, that then fell down and I managed to rescue them both... eventually!

Anyways, it took 2.15 to actually get the plate in, and finally get the EGR bolted back in, then put the car back together again in half an hour, which included taking the underside of the windscreen off again as I left the bent aluminium plate under there!

So, I hope you all learn from my experience, dont work on the car in the burning sun, high temperatures, and dont try to do an EGR blank on the CMAX lol!!

Anyways, feel free to have a laugh! I certainly am!

So when can we expect the guide with fully comprehensive swearing, sunburn and rashes then jeebo?? Lol

lol, I didnt even dare take my phone out the pocket or my camera out its pouch!!! I would have actually used it to beat my car into a dissintegrated state!

step 1) open bonnet

step 2) think "its really not worth it"

step 3) close the bonnet

step 4) walk away and dont look back!

If I see any good come of it, then I might revisit it later, but it was a flippin nightmare through and through!working completely blind and off my finger tips as I couldnt see the EGR or the engine bulkhead it connects to!

lol! well, atleast you got the job finished

Yeah, now that I have calmed a little from it, its certainly reduced the smoke (although there is still some, I suspect over fuelling) and the car is smoother to drive, so it wasnt a complete waste of time, it was just a nuisance to do!

James sorry to hear but dude! what a horrible day you've had lol certainly tops my EGR blank fail. maybe me and you have fat arms or something because everyone else seems to have had it spot on.

Got to admit i laughed mate lol but i feel really sorry for you because i know your pain. Bad part about this mod is no going back once started! lol really sorry about your day bro. I remember jacking up the car to get the bolt that fell out what a nightmare.

Good job on not giving up though props to you, it's totally worth it, engine is so smooth and mpg goes up a lot, currently i am getting 48.6 mpg around london driving bad, 100% sure i can hit 50 mpg with calmer driving.

Well done dude better job than me, mine is still without the EGR gasket that i lost

Have just ordered the blank, not looking forward to it coming now ive read this LOL.

..

Its not so bad see here

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/42915-guide-fitting-egr-blanking-plate-16tdci-engine/

Cheers Lenny, I know it will be fine just feeling James pain lol.

..

Well I am impressed already with the mpg, came from a modded leon cupra, £40 of super unleaded = 100 miles lol, focus £40 diesel at motorway prices, trip now on 280 miles but think warning light is imminent. .

..

I think the fuel light comes on too early for the economy of the engine mine comes on when I've got 290km left that's 180 miles

I think its possible to alter the fuel light settings using a modified elm327

My commute to work is 17miles each way, so I'd love an ST but at 20MPG would cost me almost 2 gallons per day aswell as sore checks from the permanent grin on my face.

Well my gauge is getting low but I know the light works as it was on when I bought it lol, the leon was a weapon but have a look at the engine clean thread for a pic of an engine I saw give me 4 MPG.

My fuel light comes on when I have 50 miles left

James sorry to hear but dude! what a horrible day you've had lol certainly tops my EGR blank fail. maybe me and you have fat arms or something because everyone else seems to have had it spot on.

Got to admit i laughed mate lol but i feel really sorry for you because i know your pain. Bad part about this mod is no going back once started! lol really sorry about your day bro. I remember jacking up the car to get the bolt that fell out what a nightmare.

Good job on not giving up though props to you, it's totally worth it, engine is so smooth and mpg goes up a lot, currently i am getting 48.6 mpg around london driving bad, 100% sure i can hit 50 mpg with calmer driving.

Well done dude better job than me, mine is still without the EGR gasket that i lost

Lol, I laughed as well to be fair, it was a nuisance. The irritating thing is I have skinny arms lol, it was just the placement of the EGR half under the top head of the engine, and undernearth the fuel filter as well, if I could have removed that housing it probably would have been fine! I havent even got a clue which side of the blank plate the gasket is! lol

I know what you mean though, I kept thinking "I give up, its not worth it" then I refused to be beaten and caused myself more sufference.

I hold my hands up now though and can say, although it was a PITA, I am getting extra MPG and the car feels a lot more responsive than it did, so it is worth it, but its just not as easy on this engine as it is on the standard Focus engine...

Have just ordered the blank, not looking forward to it coming now ive read this LOL.

Lol, I wouldnt worry, I suspect you have the easier to work with engine (more like Lenny's guide!) In which case it shouldn't be too problematic, I recon you will probably be fine though!

Close your eyes and think of the MPG

I'm

currently getting 64MPG remapped, Green induction, egr blanked. and

that's carrying a full 16" steel spare wheel and jack in the boot aswell

as 3 female passengers lol

True what they say about 4 Doors

Agree'd, Although mine being an auto I dont get quite as good numbers as you, I have certainly seen a minimum of 4MPG increase, I tend to now get around 44 - 48 MPG on route home, and that is with a rather... 'sporty' pace of driving, where before I had to drive Granny style to see up to 44...