I decided to replace the number 4 fuel injector and distr. cap and rotor myself instead of paying the $800 I was quoted. I took everything apart just fine, put in the new injector, replaced o-rings and put everything back together with new manifold gaskets. When I tried to start the car, it revved up to 3-4k, then dropped down to 200 or so, where it sometimes stalled, but was always on the verge of stalling. I usually had to give it some gas to make it stay alive. I heard a loud hissing noise on the right side of the engine, near or just beneath the upper IM. I also found a hose with a metal elbow that started on top of the transmission case that was loose. I don't remember unhooking it, but maybe I did. What kind of leak in that area would cause it to lose idle, and does anyone know what that hose is? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Miles

 

sounds like a vaccum leak to me. is the engine stumbling/rough at idle and when you rev it?

 

yes.
Do you know where the hose coming up off the tranny is? it's fairly large, has a metal elbow to it, and comes off of the black plastic housing on top of the tranny. I really think its a leak as well, but I just couldn't find what was loose/disconnected.
Thanks for the reply chris

 

i'm not sure what hose you're talking about off the top of my head and my FSM is in the garage where i'm keeping the ride right now. to determine if you have a vaccum leak i belive you can clamp the blow by hose (above upper intake manifold when looking at the motor from the bumper) w/ grips, pliers or whatever and the idle should rise. Just run across all the hoses and make sure everything is on tight and no air is escaping from anywhere...

 

also what condition were the injector harnesses in? rubber boots worn or cracked? also i assume there was green corrosion on them as well as the injectors...did you clean those before plugging everything back in?

 

The rubber boots were in very poor shape- almost all of them were cracked. I didn't notice any green corrosion, and all I did was unplug the 1 harness- but I'll unplug that and make sure it's seated properly first thing tomorrow. Could the fuel system make the loud hiss? I didn't smell a very strong fuel odor.

 

the idling is most likely die to a pinched O0ring on one of the injectors...you have to be EXTREMELY percise and have them lubricated very weel when you seat them, I went through the same thing 3 times when I replaced my injectors.

that hose is the trannys vent hose, its not supposed to connect to anything.

 

Ok that makes sense with the hose- I really didn't remember disconnecting it- but will a pinched o-ring cause the loud hissing? It's not that it just has a rough idle, but it basically can't idle. At this point though, I'll take the manifold off again, remove the injector, and reseat it. What should I use to lubricate it? Fuel? And also, is there a trick to getting the injectors out? Last time, I had to chip away at the injector to get leverage. 1 more: what is the best way to seat the injector? When I did it, I used the cover over the injector to screw it down into its spot, but it was hard to push it into place. Thanks for all the help guys.
Miles

 

the easiest way i got my injectors out was to twist them first and once they turn somewhat easily i took a flat tip and twisted it under the connector and they pooped right out.vaseline works really well to lube them back up. they should pop right in like that. don't screw the top in to get them in. that is what will pinch the o ring fastest. if you use the vaseline and it pops in twist it a little. if it moves easily then screw the top on.

 

the hissing could be a few things:
1. improper torqued intake manifold bolts
2. you didn't tighten the upper and lower manifold bolts in the CORRECT ORDER
3. you changed the gaskets right(lower metal one and paper upper)
4. there is another hose you forgot to re-connect somewhere

like latinmax said use vasoline to lubricate it, take your time and try again, it took me 3 tries, its ***** with teeth but it works out!!!

 

1. I didn't tighten the manifold bolts to any specs, I didn't see instructions for it in the FSM
2. I definitely tightened them in the correct order
3. Both new gaskets- I don't need any sealer or adhesive for them right?
4. I don't like this one very much- I'll check again when I pull it all apart again.

To lube, should I just rub the fat end and the o-rings, or the entire injector, including the tip?
Thanks for the help guys- this will let me get back to building the vg33e which everyone will be happy with

 

I could have sworn there is a proper torque spec for the bolts, I could be wrong though...

 

I thought it was just for the heads

 

Nope. There's a torque sequence and spec for the manifold bolts. I just did all of my injectors last month (VE, btw). And it goes a little something like this (hit it!!):


-----4-----2-----6
--5-----1-----3 <---- this is for the VE (13-16 ft. lbs)


-----1-----5-----3-----7
--8-----4-----6-----9-----2 <---- VG upper intake (5.1-5.6 ft. lbs)



---1----5----7----3----10
9--------------------------2
---11------
---------6----8----4 <---- VG lower intake (13-16 ft. lbs)

Kinda crappy description, but I did the best I could. Plus, I'm reading this straight from the FSM. Good look.

 

As of now I have taken both manifolds back off, reseated the injector, whose o-rings looked to be in good condition, cleaned everything, lubed it, and put the injector back and the lower IM back on. When taking stuff apart, I found that the upper IM gasket wasn't seated well in the front- right where the hiss was coming from. Later today I'll put it all together and make sure everything is seated properly. Nubiannupe- I tightened the bolts in the correct order, but how do I torque them to any specs when they need an allen wrench? Is there a torque allen wrench? I just tighten them about as hard as they go- because I remember that when taking them off, they were super tight. Thanks for the replys

 

Home Depot sells torque wrench bits with allen heads built into them...they have a 3/8" head so they fit most torque and ratchet wrenches!!!

 

Yep... what he said!

And for the love of Pete, get the torque right!! I snapped off two IM bolts because I dialed in my wrench accidentally to 26 ft. lbs.

 

Alright, I got the car back together and it runs, with no vacuum leaks! The bad news is that the car still doesn't like to idle smoothly, and when I took it for a test drive, it had problems moving at under 2k rpm, it would lug for a while and then when I gave it more gas, it would take off at about 3-4k. When its at high rpm, it doesnt seem to have problems, but at low rpm, it stutters, lugs, and makes a put-put from the exhaust. The trouble shooting is a little out of my league, so any help would be great.
Miles

 

You don't think it's a fuel delivery problem? Maybe at the filter, or maybe a kinked line somewhere? Just a thought.

 

it could be fuel, but I really haven't touched any of that- the fuel rail is solid, and I just haven't touched hoses that aren't connected to the IM. I'll check it out though. Also, the car seems to pull just fine when it is at high rpms, it just bogs at lower revs. Could it be a problem with the idle contollers?

 

Alright, I've diagnosed as far as I know how: I unplugged the harness and plug wire while the car was running and it made no difference, while others did. This is my mind ruled out spark as the problem. I then checked resistance on the injector harness, as well as one I believed to be working correctly, and got ~12 ohms for both, which i believe is acceptable. What that leaves then, is the injector itself, which appears to have been faulty from the dealership where I just got it. Also, I have taken the injector out once already, lubed it with vasoline, cleaned out its seat of any build-up, and replaced it, taking care to put everything back together correctly. Tomorrow I go to get another injector (blue dot) and try it all over again. Suggestions? Questions?
Thanks for all the help you guys have given already

 

Well, I decided to switch the #4 and #6 fuel injectors, to determine if the new fuel injector was faulty. I forgot to get new o-rings for the #6 injector, but put it in anyway. When I got it together, aside from a slightly lowered idle, the car ran fine! I would like to say that I diagnosed the problem, but I think that either the 'bad' #4 injector was put in completely wrong the first and second times, or I got lucky somehow. Whatever it was, I've now readjusted my idle on the AAC, and everything seems to be good. I hope that this thread can be of help to someone- I would highly recommend doing the install if you have the right tools because it is absolutely the best way to learn about the engine. Thanks for the help guys.
Miles