Well I finally found out whats wrong with my 92 RS just purchased, some bad fuel injectors, bastard car dealership Now I need to replace them the shop quoted me 2 1/2 to 3 hour job @ $45/hr and $100 an injector, the labor sounds normal but I know a friend with a firebird V6 3.1L who got his injectors (new) for $50 a piece. I have decided to either do this job myself (pending difficulty check here) or buy the parts and have them do it. I need to know 3 things.
#1 How hard is this job to do?
#2 Which injector is the right one or are all of them here ok?
#3 What is everything that I need to do this job right?

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85 POS
92 RS

 

When I replaced the ones on my swap project, it took some effort to get to them. Length of labor time, may be quite correct.
IF you check out your 1985 POS, it'll look the same, I'll bet.
Disconnect battery and possible remove it (fuel will splash out from the pressurized fuel inlet rail, why not be safer!), remove layers of intake manifold (for the throttle body, just disconnect it and move it aside, not disturbing ANY sensor setting or cables attached), start with the fuel inlet at the back of the fuel rail. Remove that. With the fuel rail exposed (as I beleive it should be now) get the CLIPS off the wiring for the individual injectors. BUT LABEL EACH WIRE CONNECTION FIRST, any way the makes sense to YOU. Then unbolt the fuel rail from the lower manifold. GENTLY, wiggle the rail loose, removing the injectors, also.
Take the whole unit out, & then remove each injector. I used a small flat blade screwdriver, to get off the clips. Be careful, clips DO bend. When you rebuild this assembly, get silicone spray, to lubricate the rubber o ring going into the intake.

DO NOT LOOSE
The rubber seals behind each wire block/injector connection
clips
o rings for injectors.
You can put the injectors back in any position, but the harness, must match the proper cylinder.
MAKE SURE THE FUEL RAIL DOES NOT HAVE ANY DIRT IN IT!!!!
The nuts are probably 10mm 12 point sockets.
When you retighten, remember you are going into aluminum. Be careful.

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

 

Thanks for the tips! But I still really need to know which injectors are the right ones on the link I gave? or are all ok? and what about the $100 an injector is that bullcrap or what?

I am not one to argue with someone who has done this before :-) but when I look at the chiltons book they talk about the 3.1L having rotating locking clips instead of ones you need a screwdriver to remove? I could be wrong. Chiltons doesn't seem to be on the ball in thier manuals, the manual with all types of cars in it actually has more and better info on how to replace fuel injectors in a camaro than their 8?-92 camaro book. go figure....

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85 POS
92 RS

[This message has been edited by auxout (edited March 20, 2001).]

 

The clips are rotating locking clips. My 1985 were and so were the ones from the 1995 engine I swapped in.
Cost of injectors?
Didn't dive that much into the link.
Why not just get them cleaned? I've heard $10 a injector.
Why not try fuel rail injector cleaner? Maybe that'll do ya OK.

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

 

call summit racing you can get a six pak of
accel fuel injectors for 173.69 ask them to check this part #acc150617 thats cheap for new performance injectors 2.8 15lb-3.1 16lb
3.4-17lb check it out

 

I JUST finished this project on my '89 tonight. It's really not too difficult. I removed my injectors and sent to them Rich at www.cruzinperformance.com . Before, 2 of them were leaking and had messed up spray patterns. Now none of them leak and they all flow within 2% of each other. Cost me $66 total, $10/injector, plus $6 shipping. Excellent customer service as well.

KED85 described the project pretty well. My retainer clips were really stuck good and I ended up breaking one of them and bending a couple more. My local GM dealership was able to order them for me this morning and I picked them up this afternoon. Everything went smoothly for me and it didn't take more than 2 hours total labor with just basic hand tools. As long as you're careful and moderately mechical, you should be able to do it yourself.

Brandon

 

Thanks for all the info guys.
I'm not having em cleaned cause the guy at the shop said that out of the 2 he checked, the 2 you can get at without taking off the plenum 1 was bad? But i'm still trying to figure out how he check any of them without taking off the plenum? Oh well i think i'll handle this one myself, my prices are alot better :-) and i'm assuming the 16lb injectors are the same as stock right? you guys just saved me a ton of $$$ thanks alot

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85 POS
92 RS

 

The injector "balance test" is probably what he did. Here's how it goes! The shop has two things; a fuel pressure gauge, and a special switch. The switch connects between the fuel injector and the battery. It has some circuitry inside so the fuel injector isn't damaged, and I believe it also has a timer built-in. (Either that or they hold a stopwatch near the thing, but that wouldn't be too accurate!)

With the engine off, the fuel pump is wired (at the relay) to be forced "on". This pressurizes the fuel rail. (Since the car's not running, left-over fuel goes back to the tank- that's why two fuel lines run from the driver's side of the car up to the injector rail. One's the feed line, the other's the return.)

Now, with the rail pressurized, the guy connects that switch to one injector. He hits the switch, and watches the fuel pressure gauge. For however long the switch is held (according to the timer), the fuel pressure gauge should drop by a certain percentage. This is repeated for all 6 injectors.

If the percentage varies greatly between 1 injector and the other 5, you've got the problem injector. If none of the numbers are remotely close to each other, then the injectors are all bad. It's possible the two he said are "bad" might not have flowed at all.

Of course, this doesn't take into account a very dirty injector. Rich (at Cruzin' Performance) takes them, disassembles them, sonically cleans them, and flow-tests them. I had a "spare" set of injectors (from an '87 Camaro's broken 2.8 engine), and I sent them off to Rich. He did his job to them for about the same price as CS_US (I also wanted an extra set of o-rings).

SO, this means, you might want to get a spare set of junkyard injectors, mail them out to Rich, and have him do his work. Or, since you've already been "quoted" for $720, those Accel injectors sound like a damn good deal.

Karl's right, you use the screwdriver to spin the "C"-shaped rotating retaining clips. A drop or two of WD-40 or "light" motor oil (5w30) on the clip might help it spin better. I used motor oil to lube the o-rings where they went into the fuel rail & intake. If the Accel units don't come with new o-rings, you can use the kit by the Standard company, part # SK-9. Any "real" (not Pep Boys/Strauss/AutoZone/etc) auto parts store will have that one (or can order it). The o-rings are special guys that are fuel resistant.

Hm, what else... I didn't disconnect the rubber fuel lines, like the Haynes 82-92 (and GM Service book!) say to do. I just removed the TB, plenum, two fuel rail bolts, and swung the fuel rail towards me. Remember when the injectors are out, the fuel rail still has fuel in it- even after you depressurize the rail. (Do that by removing the cap from the Schraeder valve at the back of the fuel rail. Put goggles on, remove the battery, put out your cigarette, etc. Put the tip of a screwdriver over the center pin of the valve. While covering the valve (and screwdriver end!) with a shop rag or old t-shirt, press down on the valve. If the rail was under pressure, fuel will spray out and soak the rag.)


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

So the 16lb injectors are the right ones or same as stock for the 3.1 engine?
(really want to make sure i get this right)

Thanks for the additional info, I was thinking to depresurize the system i'd just take the fuse out of the fuel pump and run it out of gas like chiltons says to do, or will that cause a problem?

I think i will wind up buying the accel injectors and send the old ones off for cleaning & sell em.
Thanks for all the help I will post and let you all know how it goes.


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85 POS
92 RS