Removing Injectors

[Wandering Star]

Following on from my earlier post re my seized VP MD7A, the engine is now sitting in my garage. Following advice, I want to start by pouring some diesel onto the top of the Pistons via the injector holes. Plan being to leave the Pistons to soak and hopefully free off without the need to remove the head.

So, first problem is that I can't remove the injectors. Each injector appears to be held in place by 3 separate steel plates each one lying on top of the next, all 3 plates are clamped down by nuts tightened onto a threaðed bar screwed into the cylinder head. I've removed the nuts and the plates are free to wobble around BUT I can't lift them off because the centre holes in the plates won't fit over the flange (?) on the injector into which the fuel return pipe is screwed (I've removed the fuel return pipe).

The injectors won't budge and I want to remove the clamping plates so I can use a spanner on the flats of the injectors in order to twist them and hopefully draw them out.

So my first question is, how can I remove these oval shaped clamp plates from around the body of the injectors? My second question will probably be (once the clamp plates are removed) how can I withdraw the injectors which seem at present, without having had the opportunity of trying any mechanical pursuasion, to be immoveable?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Tomahawk]

Photos would be good..

 

[scottie]

Don't try to remove them that way as you will most likely move the sleeves in the head
Turn the plates one at a time and get the proper removal tool or it will end in tears

 

[Wandering Star]

Photos would be good..

i'll take a couple of pix tomorrow.

 

[RivalRedwing]

Don't try to remove them that way as you will most likely move the sleeves in the head
Turn the plates one at a time and get the proper removal tool or it will end in tears

+1 on the removal tool it is by far the best option, something like this:
http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Bosch-Delphi-Diesel-Injector-Puller-Sealey-VS2049
I borrowed one last time I needed it from a local garage

 

[Wandering Star]

Don't try to remove them that way as you will most likely move the sleeves in the head
Turn the plates one at a time and get the proper removal tool or it will end in tears

I'm unsure how I can turn the clamping plates one at a time - this is my problem. The clamping plates are loose and at least the top one (of each set of 3) has a wide hole which looks like it's there to enable it to fit over the flange thingy, but I can't swivel it round to line it up with the flange because the threaded bolt which is screwed into the engine block and which is used (with the nut) to clamp the plates down, prevents me from moving the plates more than a few mm.

If I could remove the bolts (studs?) by unscrewing them from the engine block, i could get the plates off without any bother (I think).

 

[nigelmercier]

Proper tool a bit cheaper on eBay http://r.ebay.com/3jWDpu

 

[Wandering Star]

I don't know how on earth these tools work but will the tools mentioned by RivalRedwing and yourself fit my injector, i.e the injector fitted to an MD7 engine? The injectors seem a bit puny compared to car injectors and the YouTube vids all seem to show car injectors being turned 90 degrees and then pulled, whereas I think my injectors just pull straight out? I will buy one if it'll fit my injectors but it's a lot of money to waste if it won't!

 

[VicS]

I don't know how on earth these tools work but will the tools mentioned by RivalRedwing and yourself fit my injector, i.e the injector fitted to an MD7 engine? The injectors seem a bit puny compared to car injectors and the YouTube vids all seem to show car injectors being turned 90 degrees and then pulled, whereas I think my injectors just pull straight out? I will buy one if it'll fit my injectors but it's a lot of money to waste if it won't!

Its a slide hammer by the look of it !

Interesting that there is no special tool shown in the workshop manual.

Puzzling though because I cannot relate anything in the manual or in the parts catalogue with your descriptions

 

[30boat]

I've googled the workshop manual.It covers the injectors removal
http://www.ballad.no/Volvo_MD6A_MD7A_Workshop manual.pdf

 

[Wandering Star]

Its a slide hammer by the look of it !

Interesting that there is no special tool shown in the workshop manual.

Puzzling though because I cannot relate anything in the manual or in the parts catalogue with your descriptions

I've got the engine manual and was surprised there's nothing to explain the correct procedure to remove the injectors. The only reference to the injectors is just a picture and a line saying "remove injectors".

Not sure and interested to know what you're referring to when you say you can't refer my description the manual or parts catalogue? Are you talking about my description of the clamping plates? I plan to take a photo tomorrow so hopefully you'll see what I mean.

 

[VicS]

I've googled the workshop manual.It covers the injectors removal
http://www.ballad.no/Volvo_MD6A_MD7A_Workshop manual.pdf

Not in a great deal of detail though.

 

[scottie]

I'm unsure how I can turn the clamping plates one at a time - this is my problem. The clamping plates are loose and at least the top one (of each set of 3) has a wide hole which looks like it's there to enable it to fit over the flange thingy, but I can't swivel it round to line it up with the flange because the threaded bolt which is screwed into the engine block and which is used (with the nut) to clamp the plates down, prevents me from moving the plates more than a few mm.

If I could remove the bolts (studs?) by unscrewing them from the engine block, i could get the plates off without any bother (I think).

You have given your own answer double nuts on the studs

 

[rosie]

I have rebuilt two MD7As! The injector clamping plates, surprisingly do not lift off the top of the injector - they have to slide down the injector and are removed from the bottom. I removed stiff injector by removing the clamping plate studs (doubled nuts) to gain working room. I then wrapped a strong cloth around the injector and used a mole wrench for a very tight grip. I then applied pressure to the injectors (back & forth) until there was movement. I then kept on wiggling injectors back & forth while pulling upwards. I soaked the injector/head joint for some time with WD40 before starting to extract them and I also used lots of WD 40 as they were being wiggled & pulled. You need to be careful where you fasten the molegrip so any graunches are cosmetic only. From whatI remember you can replace the molegrip with a spanner as the injector withdraws and the clamping plates slide down. Hope this helps!

Dave

 

[RivalRedwing]

I don't know how on earth these tools work but will the tools mentioned by RivalRedwing and yourself fit my injector, i.e the injector fitted to an MD7 engine? The injectors seem a bit puny compared to car injectors and the YouTube vids all seem to show car injectors being turned 90 degrees and then pulled, whereas I think my injectors just pull straight out? I will buy one if it'll fit my injectors but it's a lot of money to waste if it won't!

Hi

Yes, a glorified slide hammer but with the right fittings for an injector . The one I borrowed screwed into the bleed rail thread at the top of the (Delphi/Lucas) injector and with a few fairly sharp slides of the hammer the injector came out. From the MD7 images in the workshop manual it looks like on those injectors it will screw on in place of the feed from the imjector pump. the beauty of it is that you are applying force in exactly the right direction to get the injector out, most other options are not as effieicent and risk damage to the injector. If they appear well stuch then the additon of some plusgas or diesel a day or two in advance may assist.

 

[Wandering Star]

Well, having just watched Ireland get thrashed by the Argies, I decided to add to the depression by carrying on where I left off in respect of removing the injectors. As per the advice offered here, I double nutted the studs that were preventing the plates from moving and successfully extracted them from the engine block, using a fair amount of force, I also managed to slide each plate over the injector and removed them all.

I left the injectors soaking in WD40 overnight but despite then now being clear to remove, I'm still flummoxed. I've tried pushing, pulling, wobbling, levering, twisting with a spanner on the flats, nothing budges them at all, it's as though they've been welded into the cylinder head. I honestly can't imagine the extractor tool being promoted as a solution by a couple of forumites would have an effect. Am I wrong? Does the tool have some magical property or exert some special influence? The injectors look to be permanently seized inside the block.

I've attached (if it works) a couple of pictures of the plates I'd been trying to remove plus the njectors as they now are.

 

[prv]

Does the tool have some magical property or exert some special influence?

Apart from being a dirty great hammer, you mean?

Pete

 

[BabaYaga]

I've tried pushing, pulling, wobbling, levering, twisting with a spanner on the flats, nothing budges them at all, it's as though they've been welded into the cylinder head. I honestly can't imagine the extractor tool being promoted as a solution by a couple of forumites would have an effect. Am I wrong? Does the tool have some magical property or exert some special influence? The injectors look to be permanently seized inside the block.

I had a MD7A from which I managed to extract the injectors a couple of times. Used no special tool except something with a long extended handle to get leverage – cannot remember exactly, long time ago.
Could you put a spanner across the flats, put a suitable piece of hardwood beside the injector and extend the handle by a 50cm steel pipe or similar?

 

[RivalRedwing]

Remember that the injector is a fairly snug fit in a long sleeve - lateral movement has little effect, it is a linear direct pull that is needed and the slide hammer approach is the simplest way of doing it with minimal risk of damaging the injector

Let youtube be your friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyD81685Lo8

and one you don't want to watch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwZOTf8vYhE

 

[Wandering Star]

H

Let youtube be your friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyD81685Lo8

and one you don't want to watch...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwZOTf8vYhE

Right, the first video was an education for me, I've been trying to fathom out how any sort of hammer blow would loosen the injector, I hadn't realised it was an upward hammer blow, thanks for that, it makes sense, I'll see if I can borrow the tool from a local garage tomorrow. The second video seems to capture the essence of what I'm fighting against! My injectors are truly stuck!