An EGR delete kit removes the exhaust gas recirculation system from a 6.7 Cummins so the engine breathes only fresh air. Owners want one because EGR coolers and valves fail and the repairs are expensive. Deleting is illegal on any truck driven on public roads in Canada and the United States, and it kills resale value and warranty coverage.
- An EGR delete kit removes the EGR cooler, EGR valve, and related piping, plus a tune that tells the computer to ignore the missing parts.
- Deleting emissions equipment is illegal on road vehicles in Canada and the United States, with fines that run into the thousands of dollars per violation.
- Most owners consider a delete after an EGR cooler or valve failure. A proper repair with upgraded parts usually costs less than the delete plus the legal and resale risk.
- Deleted trucks are hard to sell, hard to trade in, and hard to insure. Returning a deleted truck to stock costs real money.
Search Google for 6.7 Cummins problems and it will not take long before someone tells you to delete the EGR. Forums treat the EGR delete kit like the answer to every check engine light. I am a Red Seal heavy duty mechanic and I have had this conversation in my shop hundreds of times. Here is what I tell owners, straight up.
What an EGR delete kit actually is
An EGR delete kit is a set of block off plates, plugs, and replacement piping that removes the exhaust gas recirculation hardware from the engine. The kit takes out the EGR cooler, the EGR valve, and the crossover tube that feeds exhaust back into the intake. Once the hardware is gone, the engine computer needs a custom tune so it stops looking for the missing sensors. Without the tune, the truck throws codes and drops into limp mode within minutes.
So the real product is not just the plates. It is plates plus a tune, and the tune is the part that erases the emissions programming from the computer.
If you are new to how this system works, our EGR glossary entry covers the basics.
Why owners want one
Nobody wakes up wanting to break the law. They wake up with a check engine light and a quote. On the 6.7 Cummins, the EGR cooler is a known weak point. It lives in a brutal spot, soaking in exhaust heat on one side and coolant on the other. After enough heat cycles the internal passages crack, coolant leaks into the exhaust, and you get white smoke, coolant loss, and codes. The EGR valve cakes up with soot and sticks. I wrote a full guide on EGR cooler failure symptoms if you want to diagnose yours before spending money.
A shop repair means a new cooler, new gaskets, labor, and often a valve cleaning or replacement. The bill hurts. Then someone on a forum says a delete kit costs a few hundred dollars and ends the problem forever. That pitch is why the search volume exists.
The law in Canada
Provinces regulate vehicles once they are on the road, and every province prohibits tampering with emissions equipment. Ontario has been explicit about it. Deleting, tampering with, or defeating emission control systems is already illegal in Ontario, and the province has been tightening enforcement language around it. Other provinces have their own anti tampering rules. A deleted truck is not compliant anywhere in the country, no matter how loosely your province enforces the rule today.
One more Canadian reality. Enforcement is uneven, and plenty of deleted trucks drive around unnoticed. That does not make them legal. It makes them lucky. And luck runs out at the worst moments. A roadside inspection, an insurance claim, a buyer who knows what to look for. Any of those can turn a delete into a very expensive problem.
The law in the United States
South of the border the picture is simpler and harsher. Removing or defeating emissions equipment on a highway vehicle violates the Clean Air Act. This is federal law and it applies in every state, whether or not your state runs emissions testing. Penalties run into the thousands of dollars per violation, and the EPA has spent the last decade shutting down the companies that sell delete kits and tuning. H and S Performance, the company behind the Mini Maxx, was one of the early examples. I covered that whole story in Mini Maxx Tuner Explained.
Individual owners are rarely the enforcement target, but shops that install deletes and companies that sell the tunes are. The supply chain for delete tuning keeps getting smaller and riskier because of it.
What to do instead when the EGR system fails
Fix it. That sounds like a cop out, but it is the honest answer, and here is how to do it without getting burned.
First, diagnose before you buy parts. Half the EGR codes I see are a stuck valve that cleans up fine, not a dead cooler. A proper diagnosis costs a fraction of the parts cannon approach. Read the symptoms guide linked above and do not skip this step.
Second, use quality parts. Cheap coolers fail again. Spend the money once on a solid replacement and you will not see me for this job again.
Third, if you want more performance, look at emissions intact tuning. You can get real, noticeable gains while keeping every emissions device on the truck. It costs more than a delete tune, but it keeps the truck legal, sellable, and warranty friendly.
The resale problem nobody mentions
This is the part the forums skip. Dealers scan trade ins. A tuned computer shows its history even if you bolt the hardware back on. Plenty of dealers will refuse a deleted truck outright or knock thousands off the offer because they cannot certify it. Private buyers are getting smarter too. Anyone who has read about the EPA crackdowns asks about deletes now. A legal truck with service records sells faster and for more money than a deleted truck with a story.
And if you finance the truck, check your loan terms. Some lenders treat emissions tampering as a problem with the collateral. Insurance can get complicated after a claim too. None of this shows up in the forum thread that recommends the kit.
The bottom line
An EGR delete kit is a simple answer to a real problem, and that is exactly why it is tempting. The EGR system on the 6.7 Cummins does fail, the repairs do cost real money, and the delete pitch sounds clean. But it makes your truck illegal in both countries, it follows the truck through every future sale, and the enforcement trend is moving in one direction. Fix the part, keep the system, and spend your performance budget on tuning that keeps the truck legal. Your future self, the one selling or trading this truck, will thank you.
For the full picture on how deletes are treated by the law, read what a DPF delete really means and why it is illegal.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy an EGR delete kit for my 6.7 Cummins?
No. Not for a truck you drive on public roads. The kit itself is simple hardware, but the moment you install it your truck is not compliant for road use in Canada or the United States. Fix the failed part instead and keep the truck legal.
What fails on the 6.7 Cummins EGR system?
The EGR cooler and the EGR valve. The cooler cracks internally and leaks coolant into the exhaust. The valve sticks from soot buildup and throws codes. Both are common on high mileage trucks and both are repairable without removing the system.
Can I delete my truck if I only use it off road?
The law follows the truck, not the road. A truck certified for highway use must keep its emissions equipment even if you only drive it on private land. Genuine competition vehicles built only for racing are a different category, and a street truck does not qualify.