Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Changing fuel injectors

[Jeff Greenfield (coyote]

Rui - 

I wouldn't be concerned about the lack of fuel at this point. No FI system
will hold pressure for a week. Usually the spec is that they are supposed to
hold pressure for a certain amount of time, but it is measured in hours not
days or weeks.

The oil/carbon on the old injectors is normal. Don't worry about it.

I can't tell from your photos whether the seal you are talking about came
out with the injector, or stayed in the manifold. The only seal that I am
aware of that you need to be concerned about is the oring on the base of the
injector. If the oring remained in the manifold, you should be able to
remove it with a small screwdriver or dental pick.

When you re-install, use some spray SILICONE (not WD-40, or a penetrating
oil, anything other than pure silicone ie petroleum based products will
attack the rubber) on the oring and the injectors will slide right in. (put
the oring on the injector and install the two together.)

The orings should be the same as those used on any other CIS injector, MB,
VW, Audi, etc.

The spacers are on the (or around) the studs that hold the plenum to the
manifolds. I don't think that it is possible to remove the manifolds with
the plenum attached. Personally I would try to avoid removing the manifolds
from the heads unless there is a really good reason to remove them. Getting
the old gaskets off the heads can be really nasty. As in many, many hours if
not days of soaking them with gasket remover, and picking away at them with
a gasket scraper while trying not to gouge the soft aluminum. I recently
went through this on a BMW, and it was not fun :-(

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Rui Gigante [mailto:rui.gigante [at] gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 3:21 PM
To: Jeff Greenfield
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Changing fuel injectors

I've removed the injectors on cylinders 1 and 4 so that I would know what to
expect.

Here are my comments and questions:

- I've disconnected both injectors and no gas came out. I mean not a single
drop! I understand that could mean leaking injectors, bad accumulator or
valve on the fuel pump, right ? The car is standing for a week

- you really need to pull hard to get them out !!!

- the old injectors are probably original. (PN 0 437 502 010). They are the
steel ones and very oily (see picture). Is this normal or could it mean
trouble??

- how on earth do I remove the seal that stays in the manifold? (see
picture). There is some play with the injector in place, so I guess I'd
better get new ones

- the seal is NLA from Ferrari, but I believe it is the same as in the
Mercedes 450 SEL (see link
http://www.mercedes-benz-parts-direct.com/item-image.asp?imageUrl=http://12.
153.160.115/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/imc/images/full/1160780873MY.jpg
 )

- The spacers I need to be careful with are under the plenum or under the
intake? I will probably remove both together, if possible. That would make
cleaning everything much easier, as well as replacing the hoses and thermo
time switch

And that's about it for today :-)

Rui
88' 328 GTS - under surgery