HI all Just wondering 1) with the factory fuel injectors, there is a reddish-brown plastic "cap" over the injector end - which apparently becomes quite brittle with age and breaks fairly easily. Can these plastic caps be replaced at all, or if they're broken is the whole injector junk? 2) valve cover gaskets - how hard is it to get the valve covers off and replace the gasket once the plenum is off? Is it just the (12mm?) bolts holding it down or do I need to remove bits of the front of the motor (pulleys and stuff)? What is the difference between the valve cover gasket and the cam seal (the thing at the back of the motor that is known to leak)? cheers ar
Pretty sure you can get new pintle caps. In terms of the cam covers, yeah they just come off when you unscrew them. you don't need to take off the pulleys or timing belt
The injector's plastic top which has a molded connector fitting - doesn't usually break with age. Just removed a bad injector on my car and was able to pull it out using channel locks by griping that plastic top. However the wire harness (plug) that presses onto the top of the connector does get brittle with age and crack -- they can be replaced (alone) but a better choice is to buy a connector (with wire pigtal leads) and splice the new wires right into the harness. This is what we do here in the USA -- unless there's something different on your cars there, probably works the same way? Here's a picture of the replacement connectors I'm talking about (style varies by year in which car was made): Later model years (injector fitting changed): Earlier model years:
Oops -- me bad, sorry didn't realize the injector question was about pintle caps. Yes, replacement caps can be purchased to fix broken ones. FYI: I've seen a number of posts where folks have re-installed injectors with out the pintle caps (due to breakage) and engine still worked fine.
Which valve covers? Intake and Exhaust use a different way of sealing. Intake have screws and use a rubber gasket, Exhaust use bolts and use a liquid type sealant.
Actually on second read i think the first post was indeed referring to the injector connectors so it was me that was on the wrong track
Well, actually you're both right - the pintle cap is busted, and the injector cnctor (from the wiring loom) is old and crappy and brittle. So I'll get new pintle caps as well. God I should have done this all sooner, it's a big job if you save everything for the plenum pull.
Well then, time to get ready for the next piece of Z reality. For most of us the injectors are nearing the end of their service life (age and miles). Unless you like pulling plenums -- might be best to consider replacing them with new instead? That's what I'm doing over the cold winter months here in the US. One injector failed over the summer (and was dremel method replaced) and there's another one on it's way out. PS - Even if you don't replace them, considering putting in some new fuel rail insulators too (they go under the injectors). With time and age they take a fair beating over the years...
Well, my injectors are fine at the moment, as far as I can tell. The motor has done 108 000k's, and I know the plenum has never been off. The plenum pull is happening because of a coolant hose, but I'm doing the injectors while it's off. I'll have to remove the plenum again when I upgrade injectors and increase boost above stock, but I'm hoping it won't be as difficult as I'll have done it before, and some stuff like EGR's will have been removed. But I'm defintely going to replace the round rubber ring dealies that sit between the injectors and the lower plenum, which is I think what you mean by insulators.
Yeah my round rubber ring dealies were rooted when I pulled the fuel rail off my 95 model with 97000 (?) k's.
Well you can save some time and make things easier the next plenum pull time by eliminating the under plenum coolant system - also eliminates a source of future leaks. System is suppose to prevent TB freeze up under hi humidity conditions - but many have removed it with no issues. There are write-ups on how that's done...
