argh!!!...leaking injectors!!!

[chrissev]

So, the saga of the 380,000km jetta TD continues:  I got some new injectors from Jack at VW diesel parts.  Put them in tonight.  One injector, when I started the car, leaked really bad around the base (diesel was spraying out, got some in my eyes looking at it).  Car ran like cr*p.  So I shut it off and took the injector out and looked at it.  Looks fine.  Took heat shield back out and cleaned in the injector hole with a cloth.  Head is not cracked, all threads are good, no carbon build-up, looks very clean, cannot see any problem.  Noticed that the injector was also leaking out of both return lines, so this baby is just spewing fuel everywhere.  So I put it back in, torqued it another 10 pounds to 61 foot pounds (supposed to have 51) and tried again.  Car started better, ran still rough, injector, upon inspection, still leaking around the base quite heavily.  So I took the injector out thinking it must be defective and I put one of the old injectors in, torqued it, reconnected lines, started it up.  It ran, but get this, the old injector (that was fine before) now leaks, quite heavily, around the base.  So I'm like WTF? just scratching my head.  Why would a good injector (albeit a bit old) just start leaking, on the same cylinder as the other leaker?  All other 3 injectors are fine and don't leak at all.  So I took the old injector out and put the new one back in, and again, it leaks around the base, though not as bad as it did the first time, and the car runs better.  So I have just left it leaking.  I took the car for a long drive and there are no driveability issues.  Has lots of power, idles like magic at lights, fires on all four cylinders, just purrs.  But the 2nd injector from the timing belt leaks heavily around the base!  My theory is that maybe there is some air in the lines and it is pressurizing and causing the one injector to leak.  I don't know what else to do because I can't solve this problem.  Every injector I put in that cylinder, leaks.  The injector hole in that cylinder, as I said before, looks fine, no cracks in the threads, no carbon, nothing.  Looks like brand new.  I am just going to run it leaking and I hope it clears up by itself.  Other than that I don't know what to do about it.  Any ideas?

[vwmike]

Heat shields are not reusable. Every time you remove an injector, you must use a new heat shield. Sometimes even with new heat shields, it takes a couple of heat/cool cycles for them to completely seal.

I'm not really familiar with how the injectors go together. Is the heat sheld down in the head? I'm going to be putting those TD injectors in my engine as soon as the tools I need get here, so I assume I will have to change the heat sheilds as well?

[fspGTD]

Where exactly is it leaking, you say "around the base" - you mean there is fuel visible at the threads where the injector screws into the block?

I have a hunch since both injector - new and old known good all the sudden are leaking somewhere "around the base, I suspect that your little fuel return hoses are leaking.  You should probably replace all of that little fuel return hose if you haven't already...  just solved a fuel leak problem the other day that looked like it was an injector, but turned out was just one of those little hoses.  Sometimes it helps to bend the little hose nipples away from the injectors with a screwdriver, carefully, if they are too tight and close.  That is some food for thought...

Heat shields - only thing to make sure of there was that you cleaned the head sealing surface thoroughly (brake parts cleaner soaked paper towel wadded up shove in there and twist, works well.)  And make sure you are using new heat shields and install them the right direction.  But if those aren't sealing you will find carbon in your fuel injector threads when you go to remove the injector.  Hope this helps give you some food for thought.  Good luck

[srivett]

You need atleast 3 feet of the hose for a 1992 1.6D Golf.  FYI

Steve

[chrissev]

Where exactly is it leaking, you say "around the base" - you mean there is fuel visible at the threads where the injector screws into the block?

not just visible, man.  Spraying out.  Like someone put their finger in the end of a garden hose and turned it on.  I was hit in the eye and my head was at the level of the windshield, about a foot away from the injector top.  The front of the cylinder head was soaked with diesel fuel.  It was spraying everywhere, out of the base of the injector, where it screws into the head.  I'm not talking a little trickle leak here.  I mean like a fountain.    

I have a hunch since both injector - new and old known good all the sudden are leaking somewhere "around the base, I suspect that your little fuel return hoses are leaking.  You should probably replace all of that little fuel return hose if you haven't already...  just solved a fuel leak problem the other day that looked like it was an injector, but turned out was just one of those little hoses.  Sometimes it helps to bend the little hose nipples away from the injectors with a screwdriver, carefully, if they are too tight and close.  That is some food for thought...

replaced all the fuel return lines as a matter of course when I did the job, as I don't like reusing them once I take them off.  They are all new.  

Heat shields - only thing to make sure of there was that you cleaned the head sealing surface thoroughly (brake parts cleaner soaked paper towel wadded up shove in there and twist, works well.)  And make sure you are using new heat shields and install them the right direction.  But if those aren't sealing you will find carbon in your fuel injector threads when you go to remove the injector.  Hope this helps give you some food for thought.  Good luck

Thanks.  Still thinking, need more food.

[chrissev]

Heat shields are not reusable. Every time you remove an injector, you must use a new heat shield. Sometimes even with new heat shields, it takes a couple of heat/cool cycles for them to completely seal.

I'm not really familiar with how the injectors go together. Is the heat sheld down in the head? I'm going to be putting those TD injectors in my engine as soon as the tools I need get here, so I assume I will have to change the heat sheilds as well?

They're easy to change, and they come with the injectors when you buy them.  When you take the injector out you will see the heat shield sitting in the injector hole.  Just get a long thin screwdriver, poke it in the hole, and gently lift the heat shield out.