Freaking out!

[Matt Holcomb]

I just received a call from my mechanic. I knew he wasn't calling to say the car was ready; he was calling to tell me I'm going to have to spend more money -- I'm already spending at least $800 more than I really can because I can't find an original RSR injector. But I digress.

Basically, one of the RSR injectors is refusing to come out of its hole because someone used Loctite to make sure it would never come out without a fair bit of effort and blasphemy. As it turns out, my mechanic broke the injector trying to unscrew it. And the injector is still in its threaded hole.

My mechanic called to ask me if I could visit his workshop on Friday so he could show me what's involved in getting it out. He thinks heat is going to have to be used, which, I assume, carries some risk with it.

Does anyone think it'll be as involved -- and as risky? -- as it sounds? What could go wrong? What's the worse case scenario here?

[svandamme]

heat is a common practice to try removing stuck bolts

the only thing risky might be an open flame where there normally is fuel involved... so i guess your wrench will have added work removing things that contain fuel , like the fuel lines...
also the shroud probably needs to be removed since it might melt..
so all the intake and injection parts might need to be removed...

[Adam]

Is the broken injector being replaced for you, or is it a "hazard of the job"?

[Adam]

Matt, I talked this over with Joe Cefai over a couple of beers tonight and he was totally shocked that your mechanic forced the injector so hard that it broke off! That's a lot of force!

We kicked the topic around for a while and he's of the opinion that the cylinder head will likely need to be removed (depending on it's location - ie, which cylinder) and the remaining piece of injector tapped out. It's (unfortunately) probably the only way to get it out without putting the car at major fire risk by using heat.

[chrisp]

Lock-tite releases with heat. You may be able to use a heat gun to get the temp up to the critical release temp for the red loctite. There won't be an open flame this way either.

On Loctites website there are specs for red threadlocker and it will outlne the release temp.

[Rick Lee]

What kind of engine is this? I recently had the pleasure of removing the original injectors from a '77 2.7 and it was quite a job. We used a flat tip screwdriver, a BFH and finally a C clamp to press them out. This was with the intake runners off the engine and it was still a b!tch.

[Matt Holcomb]

Adam,

Louis didn't mention anything about having to remove the cylinder head, but that's not to say it's something he won't have to entertain!


Chris,

Thanks for the heads up. If my mechanic isn't already aware of the release temp info, then I shall point him in the right direction.


Richard,

It's a twin plug, MFI 2.9; MFI injectors screw into their holes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you only have to push in -- or pull out -- CIS injectors.

[obrut]

Bugger!

[Early_S_Man]

Matt,

Sorry to hear of this big pain ...

I think the best course would be to remove the head ... it may not make the removal easier, but fewer things in the vicinity can get collateral damage!

[Zeke]

Originally posted by Richard LeSchander
What kind of engine is this? I recently had the pleasure of removing the original injectors from a '77 2.7 and it was quite a job. We used a flat tip screwdriver, a BFH and finally a C clamp to press them out. This was with the intake runners off the engine and it was still a b!tch.

Different kind of injector. It screws in.

[Adam]

Joe figured it would be best to remove the head anyway, because if you're tapping the injector out, the shavings and debris from inserting the tap would drop down into the combustion chamber.

[Adam]

LOL @ Richard! I just realized what a BFH is.