i just intalled the ford motor sports injectors in my fuel rail but the metal clips that lock them in dont fit on the new injectors ......... do i really need them? wont the bolts that hold down the fuel rail hold the injectors in?

 

The clips should fit...may take a little work, but they should fit. I had a hard time getting the clips on mine, but the went on. Just be careful because they bend out of shape really easy.

 

on my injectors the groove where u put the ring on is only like on the sides of the injector its not a full circle around like the stockers so i cant fit the rings on

 

I don't used them on my 388.

 

I'd cut them in half and use the side with the tab on it. Better than none, IMO.

 

rgarcia63: u dont use the clips and it works fine?

 

Yes, the reason I see for the retainer clips is on the factory assembly line, because once installed it's the fuel rail that retains them, if they leak at the fuel rail, or the intake boss, it's not because of the retainer clips. Either the bosses are to big, wrong/damaged O-rings, Fuel rail bolts not seated right, or they're the wrong injectors.

 

Not everything is totally the same from one part and one car to the next. I have seen some that you can move the injector all the way against the rail or manifold and break the o-ring loose from the seat. That could prove bad on a running car. Some people have cut the groove the rest of the way around. Are you sure it doesnt have the groove? Mine did.

 

I can't speak for others, but I took the factory set of injectors out for maintenance, and they needed to be fully seated in the fuel rail to install the retaining clips, when I upgraded to 30lb injectors I compared the retainer slots to top of injector distance to the OEMs and they were the same. I fully seated them without the retainers before installing into the intake, and checked the vertical play with the fuel pump on and pressure at 60psi for leakage, there was none.

 

As I said, not all the manifolds and injectors are the same from stock to aftermarket. I've not only unseated injectors without clips, there have been people that have had it happen to them.

There is a reason the factory used them, besides production. Anyone thats thrown an injector in a rail knows they arent gonna just fall out from gravity anyway.

 

Granted you do not need the clips. However, I have two practical reasons to use them,
1) if the clips go in, I know I have the injectors installed & seated in the fuel rail,,,
2) With the clips in, when I pull the fuel rail off, the injectors come off with the fuel rails.

My 2 cents worth.

 

IMO the clips are necessary. The bore on the fuel rail and the manifold are longer than the injector is. You can easily slide the injector up and down in the bores if installed w/out the clips, although this may not break the seal that the o-ring has made. Over time the seal may be broken and affect performance. My FMS 30lbs injectors had the full groove around the injector for the clip. Above that there was grooves only on the sides.

 

I agree with 12sec, the clips do force the injector to the best seated position to get the best seal at the top and bottom of the injector.

 

I didn't put mine in, although I could have, that was my decision based on measurements taken which didn't deviate enough to cause concern, but I don't have the stock intake, and I couldn't force the injectors into the intake bores all the way without using the fuel rail bolts, and I did lube the O-rings.

 

I didn't use them either. A lot of people don't. They're good if they'll fit, but not necessary.

 

I really have to use my clips. I lost one and considered putting it in w/out it, but I can move the injector so far up and down that it can almost come out of the bore. Plus I didn't want to risk it.