On the 2.0 TDI there is a small metal tube that comes from the engine area to the EGR on the front.

No the first question is, does this carry exhaust gas, as I think it does?

If so then what would be there to stop me blanking this at the engine end and then just putting a pipe with an air filter on the EGR, so that it is still there and just breathing in clean air instead of exhaust?

On the 2.0 TDI there is a small metal tube that comes from the engine area to the EGR on the front.

No the first question is, does this carry exhaust gas, as I think it does?

If so then what would be there to stop me blanking this at the engine end and then just putting a pipe with an air filter on the EGR, so that it is still there and just breathing in clean air instead of exhaust?

Yup I gather this pipe comes from the back of the engine, at the exhaust outlet side, to chuck combusted gas back through the intake via the EGR valve.

I was thinking of just bllanking the pipe where it meets the EGR valve so that even if it opens no gas will flow. Could do wth an inside picture of the EGR to be sure but this could be easy. Just need to make sure some gaskets are used to make sure its air tight.

As you mentioned, you would need to blank this pipe seperatly if you wanted to put a filter on the EGR, not sure how you would connect that though.....

/incidently I've had my EGR cleaned by a mech and he said it was covered inside with loads of soot material. He cleaned that and the intake but to be honest, I have not really noticed much in the way of performance increase.

MPG doesnt seem to be affected either so I'd actually question whether it's worth messing with the way the EGR works.....

I think It's worth it to keep the intercooler oil free, that plus breathing it's exhaust can't be good for an engine.

I';m thinking blank the pipe at the back, and then have a custom pipe made that would go from where that pipe attaches at the EGR to a small finger a few inches away.

Yes the air might be warm, but it would be warmer/cleaner rather than exhaust.

That way it would stop an error light coming on, as when the EGR opens it expects to be able to see a flow apparently.