Injector Problem! Help!!!

LARRYEBOYER

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Apr 2, 2004
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READING, PA
I just completed the wiring of the ECU for my EJ-22 fuel injected engine and the panel. I hooked up the fuel lines and I tried starting the engine.It fired right up which is the good news.The bad news is that it had a roughness in it. I thought that it was acting like one cylinder was not running. I started pulling spark plug wires to see if the engine quit or didn't run any different. It turned out #4 cylinder was not firing. The spark plug wire has spark, but the plug is dry. I am assuming fuel starvation to that cylinder. Is there a way to test the fuel injector to see if or why it is not giving that cylinder fuel? I appreciate your help.
 
Larrye...

Larrye...

....if the manifold has been sitting for a while there could be a "gummed up :( injector from stale fuel, I have had a few of them over the years.

Have it running a little above idle, say 1500 rpm, and gently tap the no. 4 injector with a light hammer. :eek: This will usually "unstick" an injector.

'hope this may be a simple solution.

Aussie Paul. :)
 
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Paul, you are a true mechanic. Try the hammer first! I like your style. I will . thank-you for the advice. If that doesn't work. any electrical test I can perform, or should I disasemble and check for cleanleness?
 
Hello,

Give a couple of little knocs with the basic tool.
You can measure the resistance with an ohm meter.
You can also swop the wires from one to another injector.
Open the injector anyway because they have a vey fine filter inside.If the fuel dried up over a long period of time ispection is required.

JOS
 
Based on some previous experience with a rough running engine, after I spent hours taking everything apart, don't assume every spark plug is working. I had fairly new Bosch plugs installed and if I would have checked them first and found the bad one, I'd have saved hours of time and frustration. The plus side is that I got to know the workings of my FI system intimately...the injectors, the throttle body, the jetting, etc. (I have an Airflow Performance FI system).

I don't know if the Soob system is the same, but I checked my injectors by cutting some soda cans in half, loosening the injectors and placing each nozzle into one of the cans. Turn on a fuel pump to see if they're all getting fuel.
 
I had a turbo fuel injected Chrysler 2.2 liter engine on my car for 16 years. When it ran rough I would dump a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in it (available from most automobile part stores), and it would clear up. I don't know if this is advisable for aviation use.
 
To check the injector wiring, there is a small light called a Noid light available from most good motor accessory shops. It has a standard injector plug pin pattern so you remove the lead, plug the light directly into the lead and crank the engine. The light flashes with every injection impluse. This is a positive check on the integrity of the injector wiring.
To check the injector, make up a two wire lead with an injector plug on one end. Plug it into the injector and touch the other ends, on and off, on your battery (polarity insensitive). every time the wires make contact, a distinct "clicking" will be heard if the injector is in good working order.
If these two tests come up OK then there is likely a more expensive problem within the engine.
 
Paul,
The engine and the turbo lasted 150,000 miles, until I gave the car away to a relative. However, I lived for a number of years in an apartment complex with (in my mind, unneeded) speed bumps, which I ignored. The dealer couldn't figure out how almost every rivet holding the rear end was broken.
Heather
 
The wack worked.

The wack worked.

Paul! You are the man. I did as you said and wacked it with a ball peen hammer till the metal flew!!!! :D Then kicked the engine for good measure. To my amazement, the injector became unstuck, just like you said. It now has a 90 degree bend in it, but what the heck . It runs. :)
Truthfully, I gave it a few light taps as the engine ran and that #4 cylinder came to life. Thanks for the tip!!
Any tips on filling the cooling system to avoid air locks. I can't seem to get the water to circulate through the radiator. The smaller hoses all get hot including the ones to the heater. I pulled the thermastat and put it in hot water. It opened like it should. The temperature guage says I am 185 degrees. Is it possible I am not getting hot enough at idle to open the thermastat and let the big hoses and radiator do their job.
Also I have a Carter fuel pump running but not pumping fuel. I have gas to the pump but it is not pushing it. Any suggestions?Anyone?
 
I have no information on a Carter fuel pump but if its fuel injection, then it is probably a high volume rotary pump. They will often not work dry (and can be quite dangerous) and should be mounted below fuel level. Also they will run but not pump if wired up back to front.
 
What is the temp range on the thermostat. The Sub manual says it should have a 170 degree thermostat. If this engine came from RAF it probably has a 185 to 190. Mine did. I changed it and it ran at 180 cruise. Takin off it would go to 190 but settle back after leveling off.
 
The fuel pump had 2 white wires coming from the connector. i wired it wrong in that it was running backward. i traced the system back to the source and it was pumping in reverse.DAH!!! Anyway, it's rewired and the engine purrs happily.
I pulled the thermastat because my radiator was staying cold. I must have had a air block.The water circulates now and the radiator gets warm. I am going to put the thermastat back in, but any comments on how to make sure the water is getting into the engine case and down to the thermastat so it will work? The temp gauge was reading 190, but the thermastat was not opening. I read somewhere you have to be careful because you can get a air blockage. I must have had one.
 
The thermostat flange should have a small weep hole in it to allow air trapped below it to escape. Make sure the thermal actuator end of the thermostat is on the upstream or engine(hot) side of the fluid flow. A weep hole in the thermostat also allows a little fluid flow past the thermostat which helps to bring the heated water from the engine to the thermal actuator so it opens in a timely fashion.

As for a sticky injector, you could also try moveing it to another location and see if the problem moves. this will help to determine if it is a injector or a wireing/signal problem. You can listen to the injectors fireing(they are quite loud) with a mechanics stethescope or with earplugs in your ears and a long screwdriver or metal rod held with one end against the injector body and the other end held against the bone behind your ear. I listen to them at tuneup time to see if they all sound the same. If you had one stuck, they might all be dirty and not functioning at their best. If it was my engine, I would pull the injectors and have them ultrasonically cleaned.

Ron
 
Motor toast anyone.

Motor toast anyone.

I would not fool with a set of iffy injectors. You WILL run LEAN and burn valves, and toast your engine in short order. Rob a bank, spend the money, get 4 new injectors if this engine is going to power an aircraft. PLEASE !

If you want price them and I will see what my local sub dealer will shoot them to me for...

Jonathan
 
I purchased the engine from Colorado Rebuilders. The engine was suposed to be completely rebuilt. I am not sure wether that included the fuel rails. I will call to see whAt they did if anything. Thanks for the advice. Greatly appreciated. The thermastat is installed with the thermal end facing up and into the engine which I believe is the hot side. For what ever reason, it was not allowing water to circulate. Yes there is a small hole on the thermostat that has a little ball type object that allows water to pass but not retreat back.
 
Larrye, cut that little ball.........

Larrye, cut that little ball.........

......type object out and drill several 1/8" holes around thge edge of the thermostat similar to the hole that the little ball type object fits through.

I have had problems with air locks in some engines and not in others. I take it you have the heater hoses connect with no shut off taps in them. The water must flow through the heater hoses when the engine is running no matter what time of the year. On Hybrid, in which I do not have a heater, I just connected the heater inlet and outlet with a bypass hose at the engine. :)

Very frustrating when you have no problems one time refilling the cooling system, and then the next time have major problems. :mad: With the air lock problems the steam gathers right where the temp gauge sensor is located, so the gauge is reading steam not water temp.


The best system I experimented with, was to bolt two thermostat housings together with the thermostat inside. I placed that after the water comes out of the top engine coolant pipe. I did not run a thermostat in the normal position. I must get around to machining up a neater version in my spare time!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Never had any problen at all with that engine after I did that that. :cool:

Aussie Paul. :)
 
Thanks all for your advice. I talked to Don Parham and he echoed similiar comment to Paul's. drill a few holes to let air and water pass. Also he suggested removing the hose at the highesr point on the system( by the intake) and air will escape there also. I'll drill the holes and bleed the system from the top. Paul, I do have a shut off/bypass valve in my heater hose system installed in the cabin. I can reroute the water before it gets to the heater core for summer comfort. I went to the friendly hardware store and got 3 ballvalves. Two run paralell and 1 runs perpendicular to theothers. With the middle valve shut and the other two open I can circulate the water to the heater core. If I close the two and open the middle perpendicular one, I cut off the circulation to the heater core, but not circulation back to the engine. :cool:
 
As an aside, I have always run an official Subaru thermostat and have never had any problems with it for nearly 500 hours. When I refill the cooling system and/or change the thermostat, I fill it as much as I can and then let it idle and keep filling it until it won't take anymore. I have never had an "air-lock" or air in the system. I have had bad gauges and a bad ground, but I always run a hair below or a hair above 180 when it's grounded properly. I never had to drill any extra holes in the thermostat. My cooling liquid has always gone through the heater core and back with no bypass shut-off valves. If you're under or overheating, I'd suggest it's something besides the Subaru thermostat.
 
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