Hi All

I (not so) recently removed all my injectors and fuel rail because of a misfire on cylinder 3. It turned out that injector 3 was stuffed up with debris, so I have bought a new one just to be safe, as well as a new set of o-rings for all injectors.

After a lengthy process of ordering o-rings and the post failing to deliver them (but that's a another story), I am now finally ready to put it all back together again and hopefully drive on full power.

The process SEEMS simple, but I just wanted to get any tips and tricks on how to re-insert the injectors and finally the fuel rail, as well as how to safely start the engine after I'm done.

Question 1: Overall process.
My guess is the process goes as follows, please correct if wrong:

• Remove old o-rings from injectors
• Lubricate new o-rings and fit into injectors
• Insert all 6 injectors into cyliner. Use brute force to squeeze o-ring all the way in.
• Place fuel rail on the top and use brute force to push until all the o-rings (on the top of the injectors) pop in
• Use fastening brackers to fasten injectors onto fuel rail
• Use bolts to bolt fuel rail down
• Connect fuel rail to fuel pressure regulator and the other pipe (what's this called again?)
• Re-insert fuel pump relay.

Are the brute force bits correct? How much force is needed (it was surprisingly hard to remove the fuel rail)? Would it be better to first attach all the injectors to the fuel rail, clip them in with the brackets, and insert the whole assembly into the engine?

Question 2:
What do I use to lubricate the o-rings? I have heard that WD-40 or Vaseline are good. Any reason not to use either of these?

Question 3:
Safety. I've never done this before so I'm nervous about the moment I turn the key to start the engine. What do I need to look out for? The car's battery is currently flat, so I will have to jump start it from another car. Does this add any further safety concerns?

Question 4:
Anything else I should be aware of?


Thanks in advance guys! This forum has been amazing so far.

 

Do not scratch the O - ring groves , use a wood or brass only prying tool . Yes on lubricant , prevents damage to the seal on insertion on both the injector and rail/engine . You can align the items up better if you put the injectors into the engine first . You can charge the battery up then remove and secure the cables if you are concerned about sparking hazard


Final check after you came back from a break and mind refreash is to put your finger on all the things you loosened and recall when you tightened them , then double check with a wrench again .Since there is air in the line and instead of bleeding it off and the spilling of fuel , you will have to go back with the key all the way back to the off not on position in order for the fuel pump to give the rail a couple of 3-5 second fuel rail prime charges . This off position to on to start may take a few cycles to run the air out of the lines by way of the injectors into the engine . obviously look for fuel leaks . And then go to the car wash and blast with soapy water and let dry . Start engine and look for leaks again this time take a sheet of writing paper and wipe under the rail to injector joint . A leak will spot the paper .

 

Ok I screwed up. I was putting the injectors back in but the injector for cylinder 5 fell into the space between the inlet manifold and the cylinder between cylinders 5 and 6, and I can't reach it. Maybe a child would be able to...

 

Try from the bottom , it may be sitting between the starter to engine block space

 

The injector body is steel, so try a magnetic "bolt picker upper". Your local auto parts or hardware store should sell a cheap version on a long wand or collapsible like an antenna.

.

 

Thanks for advice on getting the injector out. I've been away for a few days but will try these this afternoon.
On the question of putting the fuel rail on once all injectors are in, I'm a bit concerned about how much force will be needed to pop in all 6 injectors simultaneously, considering it already needed a considerable amount to get a single one in. It also seems like it will be difficult to get the fuel rail lined up along the top of all 6 injectors so that all o-rings are in line with the holes of the fuel rail.

Any tips on how to do this? It seems like a very fiddly job to get them all aligned and then like it will take more force than I can muster to push down on the fuel rail to make all the injectors pop in.

 

Old seals ( O - rings , gaskets ) can swell over time as they react to the chemicals involved . With a new seal you don't have it as long as it is manufactured to the correct size . With the injectors in the engine block first the feeding them into the fuel rail is not bad at all working from one end to the other . It is harder assemble if you put the injectors into the rail first . You'll have to twist up to the up orientation for the injector connectors . Kinda like 6 birdies in a nest with their becks in the air .

 

I have put new o-rings on all injectors, so that shouldn't be a problem. It still seems like it needs quite a lo force to get them into the holes. Will try going from Cyl1 to Cyl6 one by one. Do you need to wriggle a bit or something similar?

 

That pinch is your sealing force , better then if it was too loose , should go straight on with pressing as twisting will only spin on the inside of the injectors seal seat which is already in place . Did you clean the injectors for now is the time before installation and has a big payback in serviceability issues in down the road ? Make sure you don't crossthread the bolts for it is easy to do in the application .

 

Injector is retrieved and fuel rail is on! This evening I'll be connected the fuel rail back up to the fuel pressure regulator, connecting up all the electrical bits, and have a go at jump-starting the engine. Due to no proximity to a plug, I won't be able to charge the battery but will have to jump it from another car. Could you go through a step-by-step of the process of starting the engine and priming the fuel rail and get fuel pressure back again? I didn't quite what you meant last time.

 

First off if at all possible charge the battery even if you have to take it off the car.
To prime the fuel rail you turn the ignition switch to the on position for about 1 second turn off and then turn on again, repeat a couple more times. The ECU starts the fuel pump for approx 1/2 to 1 second and then cuts it off until the engine cranked to start.

 

Thanks Robman. Just for my understanding, could you explain why I should avoid jump starting?
Is the procedure for removing the battery obvious?

 

Always the fear of frying an electrical circuit, your battery should be in the boot just disconnect the battery leads and any clamps that might be holding the battery down.

 

Is this just a general point about jump starting or does it relate specifically to the situation I am in? I had never really thought twice about jump starting a car when needed.

 

Just a safety measure, I have had instances where the cars battery has been so low that the car would not turn over even with a jump battery connected.
If the battery isn't too badly discharged then it may be ok. When the engine starts the alternator can place a large spike into the system to try to get the battery back up to spec.
One other way if you can't remove the battery is to connect the donor battery and let it trickle for a while before cranking.

 

Do not reinstall the battery backwards . Too easy to do . Positive post in positive direction . I'm going to label my cables so I don't do it again , I mean Go Cheifs !!!!

 

So, turns out my battery was at 5V and the charger was refusing to charge it because it was so low. I've borrowed a battery in the mean time.

TIME FOR GOOD NEWS UPDATE:
After double checking all the screws and nuts on the fuel system, inserting the new battery (right way around!), and priming the fuel system, my beauty started without a problem!
The misfire has completely disappeared, the engine runs beautifully smoothly, and the power on the motorway is incomparably better than before. A real pleasure to drive now, and I had to be careful not to drive irresponsibly fast because I've missed this power so much.
I initially did a few laps of the block with breaks in between to check for leaks, then did a 50 mile journey to make sure it ran reliably over a longer time and different operating conditions. So far everything seems to be running perfectly.

Just one minor problem: I seem to have put in the radio code wrong twice (I wasn't sure if it was one I had set manually at an earlier date so tried my usual PINs etc), and it is now saying 'WAIT' and has done for the last 4 hours. I have now found the correct radio code, but can't enter it. Any idea how long this will stay on 'WAIT' for before I can try again?

Thank you so much for you help everyone. This was my first major undertaking on a car and it feels amazing to have pulled it off.