LOL. It's bone stock buddy! I am the original owner. There is vacuum.
The problem is that there appears to have been more than one issue. When we directly applied vacuum (-15 ) to the original EGR valves and fired up the air pump it still sounded like it was pumping against closed valves. With the new EGR valves doing the same thing the toned changed and the pump sounded normal again (you can hear it but not from the next block away). So I really think the old EGR valves were stuck. Once out of the car and worked manually a few times they then functioned with vacuum applied. So basically they needed to be cleaned but not replaced I guess.
The original pump got loud as it was pumping against closed EGR valves. That is about when it threw the CEL.
So FYI to others......the car uses ground to control things at the ECU. So at the Solenoid you'll always find Plus 12 to 14 volts. The ECU switches out the ground. I was not aware that is how the car's systems are switched on and off. That way the ECU is not the source of out flowing current so there is not much load across the ECU but rather just switches the ground path on or off. So a short can't fry the ECU I guess. IE if the ECU was the source of switched current to a circuit and a wire was shorting to ground at the other end, the ECU would get fried.
Pin 44 is the input at the ECU so we are going to determine if there is an open circuit some where between the ECU and the solenoid. IE A broken wire. Friggin old car. LOL.
If that is the problem then should be fixed shortly and back on the road.
Yes, I don't like throwing parts at the system but I also don't like spending $100 an hour on labor.
Mike