Home Made Fuel Injector Cleaning Machine

[60dgrzbelow0]

Max... I hope you like "RagTime" Music, Brother... because when it comes to doing this job properly...it WILL be RAG TIME. You will need more cleaning rags than you bring out with you to the car at first... I call them F*ckers.... "Mung Chuckers: ....

By the By...Here is my favorite from Scott Joplin: The Maple Leaf Rag

(No...it's NOT The National Anthem of Canada!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc&feature=related

Okay... Okay... No More 15 Cups of Moca Choka...Hottay Lattay for this Dude before showtime ...LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bFwDkh3sW0&feature=related

[tkoforpresident]

Bob, this is all very very helpful information!

I see now that it will not be half as difficult as removing the whole intake plenum with the fuel rail "nestled inside like a new born babe".

With this in mind i cannot tell you how happy i am to have a fresh set of injectors waiting to be installed that are cleaned up, spraying perfect (thanks to you), and at a good lb/hr rating that will hopefully satisfy my needs.

and good news, i already have an extinguisher thanks to my prior "cam break in" procedures lol

[60dgrzbelow0]

I hate to be such a bother as it were, but I'd like to know a little more about the removal of the fuel lines at the fuel rail itself. IIRC there are two metal lines going into the fuel rail that are held down by a metal bracket and a hex screw but I never thought of that as a possibility when it came to removing the fuel lines. What tool exactly did you use to disconnect those lines? I'd REALLY hate to have to remove the UIM since I abhor the job entirely but maybe if you can walk me through that small step then i will be able to get this job done in an afternoon or so.

In fact, before I try my second shot at "Tooning" as you like to call it, I'd like to get a number of things done to eliminate as many of the "outside" issues causing my "Tooning" to be more troublesome than I would have originally wished.

This short list includes installing the freshly cleaned 18.2lb/hr injectors you so kindly have sent me, as well as a fresh oil/filter change, new oxygen sensors, and some fresh gasoline. Hopefully I can have these things done in a reasonable time frame as time/space/money allows, but installing these injectors will be the hardest job, to be sure.

Max..

The video I mentioned in my email has been uploaded here...

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/HOMEMADEEFICLEANER/

As for removing the Fuel Rail... The only thing holding the rail to the Intake Manifold is One (1) 10mm Bolt/Nut combo at the front, passenger side of the Fuel Rail that serves the double duty of securing the spring metal clamp that supports the female EFI Harness leading to the the ECM ...and the other fastener...at the rear, passenger side Fuel Rail section where the Closed Circuit Fuel Lines dwell... is (1) 10mm Bolt that needs to removed completely to allow the swing end of the metal plate securing the Dual Fuel Lines into the Fuel Rail to move...contingent of course on the loosening of the Torx Screw that only needs a light loosening tweak to allow the plate to rotate around and free the Fuel Lines.

The difficulty in doing this comes in the form of the very close quarters you must work in. Jacking up the car and setting it on Jack Stands will save your back and give your eye more freedom to look at what you won't really be able to see once your hands get busy in "The Cave" under the engine cowl. You will need to modify some tools or find the right ones to fit in this area.

I know it might seem puzzling as to why you don't just loosen the 8mm Clamp on the support bracket that secures the interface between the two incoming Nylon Fuel Lines to the Dual Metal Fuel Lines and, after separating the lines from each other, ...just lifting out the Fuel Rail WITHOUT having to remove the two Steel Fuel Lines... but sadly... The Dual Fuel Lines will stop your progress when you try to pry out the Six (6) Fuel Injectors from the LIM... still nested inside the Fuel Rail and the in-port holes of the Intake Manifold. I like to have a cardboard rack made up in advance inside of a large, ZipLock Bag...so when the Injectors come out and they go on my "FrankInjector"... I can 'Gleam the Cube' of why certain ones perform poorly...depending upon where they are installed in the motor. If you do this... follow the Normal Firing Order as your method of charting to keep things understandable.

Remember this Max... It is imperative that every last speck of dirt be cleaned off of the LIM and EFI Fuel Rail before and during the time when the Fuel Rail is finally removed. Clean so well that not one tiny bit of grit can tumble down the EFI ports and FUBAR the pistons, cylinders and rings with scratches and wear. Remove the EFI Harness B4 you start to use strong solvents in that area and use plenty of rags to soak up all of "The Mung" that will certainly be in these knobby areas. The attached photograph will show the parts that need to be unfastened and removed ...or swiveled out of the way. If you have to do any more really heavy cleaning...just remove the Six (6) Old Injectors off of the Fuel Rail and after carefully cleaning the EFI Port Holes in the LIM...spray the old EFIS down with some Brake Cleaner and after oiling up the O-Rings on each EFI... just slip them right back into the holes...without the Fuel Rail...so you can spray and scrub the LIM to your heart's content and the use plenty of Brake Cleaner and later compressed air to dry and blow any residual dirt off the LIM and EFIs. Make sure you have disconnected the battery in case you have anybody anxious to turn the ignition to listen to the radio while you are under the hood. Place the proper soak up rags in and around the fuel lines and bag them immediately afterward... get those gasoline soaked rags the Hell out of the garage and away from any possible ignition source in those close quarters. I have One Simple Rule...When It Comes To Working With Fuel... Have a decent sized ABC Fire Extinguisher close to the work area and also have an escape plan if are working inside of any confined space and a fire instigates. This is not a trivial matter ...ever! It is always best to do this work out in the open air and away from faulty light switches, oil heaters...etc. that can serve to turn your car into a fuel bomb if anything bad happens. I used small ZipLock Bags to cover the ends of each Steel Fuel Line and Rubber Bands to keep any residual fuel from continuously leaking out by capillary action or gravity. When you lift out the lines...try to pull them straight up as a set...so as not to damage what looks like "Leather inside of Brass" leak-proof seals. That about does it... It won't be easy and you WILL curse my name B4 the job is done...but...it will be easier in the long run than having to R&R any manifolds...

[tkoforpresident]

I hate to be such a bother as it were, but I'd like to know a little more about the removal of the fuel lines at the fuel rail itself. IIRC there are two metal lines going into the fuel rail that are held down by a metal bracket and a hex screw but I never thought of that as a possibility when it came to removing the fuel lines. What tool exactly did you use to disconnect those lines? I'd REALLY hate to have to remove the UIM since i abhor the job entirely but maybe if you can walk me through that small step then i will be able to get this job done in an afternoon or so.

In fact, before i try my second shot at "tooning" as you like to call it, I'd like to get a number of things done to eliminate as many of the "outside" issues causing my "tooning" to be more troublesome than i would have originally wished.

This short list includes installing the freshly cleaned 18.2lb/hr injectors you so kindly have sent me, as well as a fresh oil/filter change, new oxygen sensors, and some fresh gasoline. Hopefully I can have these things done in a reasonable time frame as time/space/money allows, but installing these injectors will be the hardest job, to be sure.

[60dgrzbelow0]

In keeping with trying to identify the fundamental parts and pieces for those having a serious interest in building their own, homespun EFI Cleaning Machines...here is yet another important component... albeit a higher end, commercial unit than might be actually needed...but one still up for bids/grabs... that is needed to do at least one half of the cleaning process (Ultrasonic Machine)...and in a bizarre note of serendipity to my overall engine focus here of late on the V6 Camaro Engine... this cleaning machine holds "3.4L"...

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMMERCIAL-GRADE...item439c0cf1b8

[60dgrzbelow0]

Bob, i sent you an E-mail.

Max... I just sent you a reply... (Monday, 12/14/09 @ 1:45 PM)

[tkoforpresident]

Bob, i sent you an E-mail.

[60dgrzbelow0]

For those of you still contemplating or actually building your own versions of "The FrankInjector " Machine and trying to gather and assemble all of the required parts and pieces without spending a small fortune... This Fuel Injector/Fuel Rail Pressure Gauge and Quick Disconnect Hosing Kit is yet another necessary component available on eBay for $22.75 with FREE S&H. This price is about half of what this device usually costs and can also be used to test your Fuel Pump Pressure via the Schrader Valve on your engine fuel rail (NOT for GM TBI units):

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fuel-Injector-Ga...item5882c9ea12

[60dgrzbelow0]

thanks Bob!! I found the injector part# in the chart you gave me a link to but it is blank in the columns that i need data for (the lb/hr rating) so i still don't know the rating.

I'll let you know when the package arrives, thanks again!

max

Max... If you wrote down the EFI Part # and it is handy... Post it here... and I'll poke around and try to get the other data elements filled in. You know... it might be that Stan's Online EFI Chart has a trick with using the dashes ( - ) (No ...That is NOT a symbol for a 'Tight Ass'... ) to indicate the data ABOVE the listing you want is relevant... but to quote a ZZTop lyric from the song "La Grange":

"I might be mistaken..."

[tkoforpresident]

thanks Bob!! I found the injector part# in the chart you gave me a link to but it is blank in the columns that i need data for (the lb/hr rating) so i still don't know the rating.

I'll let you know when the package arrives, thanks again!

max

[60dgrzbelow0]

Okay Max... Your 1999 Set of EFIs are on the way...(Santa stopped me on the way to the U.S. Post Office and tucked something into the box that he thought you might need. He kept saying something about saving him some grief because of his, "...not having a lap BIG enough for THAT Kid!" LOL... Anyway... I told him, "No Sweat...Let's combine shipping and save you a trip to "Southern Canada"...

If you have the Part Numbers for your EFIs...you can use this excellent, search-able On Line EFI Database at the link below that will give you all the dope on the ones you have installed right now. If not ...when you send them down to me in the reusable containers your new ones will arrive in soon, I'll put them through Hell on "The FrankInjector" when they get here and investigate their entire pedigree for you. In the meantime ...have a look at this place (the data sets are organized in ascending Alpha-Numeric Order...so the Rochester Multechs are down towards the lower pages)

http://users.erols.com/srweiss/tableifc.htm

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/HOMEMADEEFICLEANER/

Please let me know when your package arrives so I know everything got there safe and sound...

[tkoforpresident]

oh, see i was hoping to remove the fuel rail without having to disconnect the metal part of the fuel lines into the fuel rail. I don't know if i'm comfortable with doing that. It won't take long to remove the UIM... it's just a huge PITA putting it back on.

Man i wish i had sent you my 19lbers before i installed them...

btw, could you do some snooping for me?? Find out if the "19lb" injectors that come on the 3.8 firebird/camaro 95-2001 are a true blue 19lb or maybe they are like our 3.4 "17lb" injectors that are actually 17.7

this will help me out with my tune right now.

thx

[60dgrzbelow0]

In the mean time...FWIW... you might start to figure out your next BIN set up so that when these arrive and you install them... your "Time to Tune" won't take such a Long...Time...to...Tune...At the very least...the fuel delivery won't be quite so rich as was the problem you are having with the current set. I hope these necessary adjustments don't put you right back to Square One...but unless I'm mistaken...these EFIs are also sported in the Lumina cars as well and your new ECM/PCM might feel more friendly towards them.

[60dgrzbelow0]

yes Bob, by all means keep my old injectors. Are you sure you don't have to remove the UIM to swap out the injectors? because i KNOW it's impossible to remove the fuel rail with the UIM still in the car.

And yes, of course i will send you the 19lbers to run on The FrankInjector Machine!!

Okay Max... I'll hang on to the old set...and Thanks. On the subject of changing EFIs without having to remove the UIM. What I said is completely true... The first time I had to do this was when the FPR bladder went on his Fuel Rail and after eyeballing the situation... I realized that taking off the UIM was completely unnecessary. The most difficult part involved the removal of the In/Out Fuel Lines and Brackets and controlling the fuel that wanted to leak out onto everything because as you well know...the engine sits so far back under the cowl...and with my hands as big as Ham Hocks...it was a tight fit trying to work with the wrenches and funky gimmicked Torx Screwdriver I had to concoct to be able to loosen the Fuel Line Flange on the back end of the Fuel Rail to remove the lines at nearly right angles. After unhooking the EFI Harness and unsnapping the connectors from each EFI...it was simply a matter for using a non-destructive wedge in the form of a slender board and a cut-off broom handle to dislodge the injectors from the Lower Intake Manifold...and just lift that baby out. At the time...I swapped in the Fuel Rail Manifold and just did everything in reverse and it worked out fine. I have done it at least two times since to swap out injectors (long before I ever dreamed of designing and building anything like "The FrankInjector") and always with the same results. It might actually be easier to R&R the Fuel Rail with the removal of the UIM...but like you...I did not want to have to mess around with replacing gaskets and the problems of trying to reach back into the engine compartment to properly torque everything back to spec. I'm not saying this is an easy repair...just that it can be done... and has been done ...by me. Just bear in mind that you want every last spec of dirt solvented, washed and and air blown off the top of the motor so no grit can travel inside the LIM and head intakes to do their dirtiest work inside the cylinders.

[tkoforpresident]

yes Bob, by all means keep my old injectors. Are you sure you don't have to remove the UIM to swap out the injectors? because i KNOW it's impossible to remove the fuel rail with the UIM still in the car.

And yes, of course i will send you the 19lbers to run the Frankinjector machine!!