Thought I finished the fuel injector replacement today but have major problems now.

First this is an 87 L98 stock.

The symptoms are as follows:

1. Car starts but immediately dies if I do not feather the gas peddle.
2. Once started it sounds like it is loading up and you’ll hear a small backfire.
3. There are no codes it is throwing.
4. No leaks of any kind.
5. There is no missing when I pump the gas peddle but I cannot leave my foot in one position to keep it running, I have to pump the peddle and then there is hesitation before it picks up the fuel.
6. Once it picks up the fuel there is a surge and then it acts like it wants to die and I have to pump the peddle some more.

The stock injectors I pulled out were Bosch 5235302 and they are rated at 21.6 lb/hr and are the aluminum tip. The replacements sent to me are Bosch 5235047 and they are rated at 19.3 lb/hr and are the plastic tips. The plastic tipped injectors are about a ¼ inch shorter in length than the aluminum tipped old ones I pulled out.

Along with the injector change we also pulled the intake manifold and replaced the gaskets and cleaned all the carbon out. I replaced the idle air control valve and EGR valve. We also cleaned the plenum and I used a compressor to blow out all vacuum line plugs. Made sure that the firing order was correct, and advanced the plug wires by one in both directions to make sure that we weren’t off by one tooth but if the timing was off it would sound different than it does. I also tested the fuel release valve but didn’t have a fuel pressure gauge but there is plenty of fuel in the rail.

Tomorrow I am going to contact the vendor to inquire about the injectors and also do a fuel pressure test to make sure I have the correct pressure. My thought is since they have almost a 2 lb/hr flow difference, ¼ inch length difference and different tip that this just might be the problem, otherwise I am at a complete loss and could use some suggestions.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

It does sounds like restricted fuel flow. Why did you go to smaller injectors?

 

I didn't know I was going to a smaller injector. I am thinking the vendor sent the wrong ones by mistake.

 

Seems to be a lot of that going around.

 

Saw some very heated posts about injectors on here. Those folks have forgotten more about injectors than I know about them. I just want to get my baby back on the road again. Sounds like an old REO Speedwagon song, "back on the road again I'm on my way".

 

I agree, It looks like you got the wrong injectors. There are new 22 lb. injectors out there that will work without a custom tune.

I assume you got rebuilts. Some rebuilders do a pretty good job and the others make me crazy.

 

Were you sent the wrong ones? Or were they advertised wrong?

 

Out of the clear blue the Vendor called me no less on a Sunday night. Said he had to go to the shop and get my number, said he was playing on the Internet.

Definitely the wrong injector and he asked that I send my old ones back next day air his expense and he would do a one day turn around on rebuilding my old ones.

Now this in my eyes is a CLASS ACT vendor!!!!!

To compare I sent the wife to AutoZone today to get 2ft of 5/8" heater hose so I could replace some of the old rubber on this thing while it is down today. Her not knowing any better comes back with 5/16 fuel line hose and the receipt is marked 25ft. Well she immediately calls them and they say oh were sorry we'll take care of it tomorrow we are closing in 5 minutes. Come back at 3:00 Pm tomorrow when I get in since your receipt is marked wrong and I'll take care of it.

I work for a large industrial distributor and use to work the counter for several years. If I made a mistake and we all do at times and someone calls me on it even if I had to wait an hour or so I would have corrected my mistake BEFORE I left.

It just goes to show you some of the vendors that are on here, they are best in class in my opinion.

 

It was a mistake, they weren't advertised. I talked to the vendor last Saturday and couldn't see any part numbers on the old ones. 21 years of crude will hide a part number. They took their best guess in what they thought I had on my 87 and missed.

It's all better now read my post about the phone call I got. You know the vendor jsup you had good things to say about them also in another thread.

 

That's very good customer service.

I once had a problem with an injector rebuilder and I had to dispute it with my credit card holder.

I did get all my money back. I had to prove that he ripped me off. He didn't want to refund all my money. He wanted to charge me shipping, handling and a 20% restocking fee.

He sent me dirty, used injectors that he claimed were brand new Bosch. He shipped them to me in a greasy sandwich bag.

The injectors had scuff marks on them. They were tarnished and they smelled like gas. I think he took them out of a junked car.

He also tried to add an additional unathorized charge to my credit card a month after the dispute was resolved. He told my credit card holder it was a mistake. I had to close that account because he had my info.

I can't believe he still sells injectors on Ebay and has a very good rating.

 

There are all kinds of deadbeat vendors out there. I am fighting one now on an Ebay purchase. Advertised a speedo bezel and by the picture it looked like it was in good shape.

What I received was a modified bezel with the wood trim following off, old glue every where and a drill hole in it about half way down under the light switch.

Sent a nice email explaining I wanted a stock bezel not one that was modified for wood trim and wanted to return it. Well that was 2 weeks ago and still no response back. If I don't hear something soon I will get with Paypal and file a complaint. It was truley false and misleading since his listing said nothing about wood trim. Had it said that I would have passed.

 

Cool. I am glad to see my experiences with these guys has been confirmed. I just received an email from them about my new injectors. They flow matched me a set of Bosch. As they said "it took a while to find a matched set".....but they did it, on a Sunday.

In a world full of thieves, it's refreshing.

 

What you received were injectors for the 305cid LB9 F-body TPI cars.

I wonder if you have a MAF problem even though you have no codes???

 

Once they are in, make sure you purge all the air out of the fuel lines. Air in the fuel rail can cause it run like crap as well.

 

Reading the FSM it pointed to the MAF so I pulled it and started it. It didn't run any different with it off but did throw a code as it should. Before putting it back on I blew it out with the compressor hoping that it might help and not wanting to drop another couple of hundred on a new MAF.

This could very well be true and might be the next thing replaced if the rebuilt injectors do not clear it up.

The engine is slowly eating away the money I was trying to save for a new paint job.

 

Reading through the Search I didn't find anything about bleeding the air out of the fuel lines.

I know there is air in the lines because like an idiot while trying to block off the fuel lines when I was about to pull the fuel rail I dropped a piece of plastic down the feeder tube. The only way I could think of getting it out without too much trouble was to use the compressor and at the top of the tank remove the feeder tube and blow air into the line to get it to come out. It came out alright not exactly like I wanted it too but the goal was to get it out and it did.

What is the best way to bleed the fuel lines?

 

Run 12 volts to terminal "G" on the ALDL connector. The pump will run for as long as you want.

 

Ok maybe I just missed something. I had an old truck act just like you described. I chased the fuel issue for days. It wasn't fuel. It was ignition. I would double check the timing from the ground up.

Would those "too small" injectors really cause that much havoc just trying to idle? Just a thought.

 

Agent 86 thanks for the information that will help.

Mechguy 79 I have done just about everything I can think of to check the timing except pull the number 1 plug and turn the engine by hand to feel for the compression and point the rotor towards it.

The firing order is fine, I am right on my marks I made when I pulled the distributor to change out the manifold gaskets. I have tried advancing the wires one place forwards and backwards on the cap and nothing and loosening the hold down bolt and turning the distributor a little by hand each way and still nothing. I checked the electrical lines on the distributor and they are fine, the tach is working correctly.

If the timing was off wouldn't there be a miss when you do get it to run and give it gas? There is no miss at all it is smooth until it surges and then it wants to stall and I have to pump the gas peddle to keep it running.

I am open to any and all suggestions.