Folks,

Well - I've buttoned everything back up after a valley hose/thermostat/housing change - and the LAST task I have to do before I refill the coolant is to get the gorram fuel injector plugs connected.

I had all the clips fully engaged for each injector plug (where it meets the harness running along next to the fuel rail) , and gave each plug junction a healthy push hoping to hear at least a couple of "clicks" as the clips engaged with the injectors themselves.

Nothing.

Then I took a block of wood, held it against the harness channel(?) and used a rubber mallet to give a tap above each plug. Nothing. Then I set all the clips so that they were not fully engaged with the plug and did the same.

Still nothing.

I know the plugs are not seating properly because I can lift the harness off the injectors very easily.

I did search the forum but apparently - I might be the only one who can't figure this out.

Thanks in advance

 

On the 4.0 litre engine it's not uncommon for the small plastic tabs to break off the injector harness connectors so there is no locking sound when they plug into the injectors.

 

:-(

 

Thought the injector plugs had a metal clip on them that could dislodge and cause them to make no locking sound, thought it was the coil packs that had a plastic clip that could snap off? What are you thinking hitting the harness connectors with a mallet? That will cause a minor inconvenience to turn into a complete nightmare!

 

Use silicone on the rubber “O” rings then push the rail gently onto the injectors. When doing so use a little movement to work the rail in place then install the clips.

 

++++! on Gus suggestion.

I just replaced all 8 injectors on my '99 XK8 and found that a very slight amount of light grease or oil on the 0 rings eased the connectors into place so that I could slide the retaining clips into place.

Hitting it with a mallet may well deform or tear the 0 rings which will cause them to leak like a sieve as soon as you re-pressure them

 

Thanks for all the tips.

Success - I was tired the previous evening, and did not notice that the wire clips were not in the channels on the extreme closest-to-the-injector-plug end.

Once I popped the clips all the way into that channel on each plug, I then just pushed the whole electrical assembly down onto the injector plugs and they all snapped right on.

 

glad all is well - I marked thread as resolved

 

Having run the injector clean and reinstall gauntlet recently on my wife's 2001 XK8, may I offer the following:

1) use long nose needle nose pliers to carefully pull the electrical clip retainers downward and out at a 45 degree angle. After dropping one into the abyss, I used my flexible grabber tool ( the one with the 4 jaws that open and close to pick up stuff I drop) and first grabbed the metal retainer clip with it, then pulled down with the pliers. No lost clips.

2) I also used the needle nose pliers to carefully remove the injector retaining clips upward and inward. The jaws of life did not fit in there so be careful. If you listen, you can here the "twang" and then the "ting - ting - ting" as the clip flies at trans-light speed into a micro black hole somewhere between you and the floor.

3) Despite the instructions in JTIS to the contrary, I had the best success when reinstalling the injectors by first installing the metal retainer clip on each injector before installing them into the intake manifold.

4) With all injectors lubed and inserted, I then carefully lowered the fuel rail onto the injectors and pressed slowly down until all the injector retainers fully clipped to the fuel rail. It seemed to work best going from one end toward the other clipping one at a time in place.

I had attempted to first put on the fuel rail and then attach the retainer clips, but that was a) maddeningly tedious; and b) a guaranteed "woops-where did that clip fly off to" event.

It is easy to not have the seal between the injector and the intake manifold ( the larger one ) not fully seat if you use too much lube. Lube lightly and visually check they all look fully seated.

Bang too hard on the fuel rail, and it will leak at the top o-ring.

Bang too hard on the fuel rail and you will break three injectors (ask me how I know).

And the creme-de-la-creme is chasing down the vacuum leak when you finish. Mine was a single large seal between the injector and the intake that was not fully seated. Apparently vacuum leaks on Jags subscribe to chaos theory, so just persevere and toss logic to the wind when chasing leaks. I got lucky and only had to reinstall the injectors three times to fix it.

Having done this, I would advise anyone to have the following on hand before starting:
1 - a FULL set of new o-rings and seals. I got mine on eBay.
2 - SuperLube silicone grease. It is high temp rated, stays where you put it, and available on Amazon. I now have enough extra to do every Jag ever made.
3 - Advil and a hot tub for the inevitable back ache. A deep tissue massage also works.
4 - Prozac in mass quantities because, as the tv ad used to say: "Better Living Through Chemistry".

So why bother? Well, the car was running rough on startup, and was obviously putting out more fuel than needed on cold start (burning eyes in the garage). Cleaner additives did not work, so I sent the injectors off to be ultrasonically and tested. Now the Jag runs smoother than it ever has before, and even seems a bit more powerful.

Now her Jag is as good as Granddads's old axe ( after two new handles and one new head ). I can once again tell Robbie her Jag is a joy to behold and will last forever. And that, my friends made it all worthwhile.

 

I am about to change the injectors in my '99XK8. I just want to say thank you to you all for the valuable info. Since joining the Forum I have received so much help from everyone this being my first Jag it has made my experience with the car a pleasure. The biggest job I did was replace the timing chains and tensioners using the step by step pics and explanations. Since than I have done many things but always first checking the Forum.
Mitch