GT 40 intake leak on a 94 lightning....help!

[jackchan]

my buddy Paul has a 1994 lightning truck with 5.4 liter engine etc etc. that has a GT-40 leaking upper intake on it. He pulled it off to get me to weld it up, which I did not do. I suggested he plug the lower intake EGR with a freeze plug as they did on the 1998 Ford Explorer with V-8. He did this and now it idles eraticly...........what is something he could to do fix this problem.....the intake will really be hard to fix since the leaking tube is completly blown out........the one under the upper that goes underneith the main intake runner to the EGR.
HELP!
Jack

 

[RYC CUKR]

I tapped the lower with a 1/2" npt tap and had no issues. not sure what would cause it idle erratically. Is there the possiblity that the freeze plug is sticking up a little and causing a vacuum leak? That is about the only thing that I can think of.

Did he leave all the EGR spacer and electronic hooked up or did he take them off and delete the EGR valve all together?