I finally finished replacing the injectors on my '88 coupe. I was having problems with an extended crank time on a warm restart. I contacted FIC and ordered the Delphi replacements which arrived promptly and look nearly identical to the originals. Since the car has very low miles and is nearly all original it is important to me to keep it that way.

Some of the things I have experienced while doing this project may be of interest to others who are contemplating doing an injector replacement themselves. They are not listed in any particular order.

1. Plan on replacing the throttle body to intake bypass hose, thermostat and its gasket, and fuel rail o-rings. Reasoning: Alot of labor is involved with just getting to these parts, and while you are in there anyway, now is the time.

2. Plan on purchasing a o-ring kit for the fuel rail so you can replace all the o-rings on the rail. Reasoning: ditto above.

3. The Fel-pro intake gasket kit contains most but not all of the o-rings and gaskets you'll need. Buy the fuel rail o-ring kit mentioned above. You will also find that the Fel-pro kit includes two o-rings, one smaller and one larger o-ring, for where the fuel lines connect to the fuel rail. In my case both lines were the same size and took the larger o-ring. This required me to go to the local GM dealer to purchase the correct o-rings. Even the dealer said that they should be two different sizes. However that was not the case in my experience. Perhaps there was a changeover to two same size steel lines somewhere in production.

4. You'll need an EGR valve gasket.

5. Be real carefull with the injector retaining clips. They bend real easy and are easy to lose.

6. Do not drop debris, sockets, gasket scrapings, etc. into the holes of the manifold. DUH!

7. The fuel rail is easier to remove and reinstall in two pieces. Disconnect the left side from the right side by dissassembling the crossover tubes.

8. In order to get the plenum off, at least one of the runners should be taken off too. In my case the passenger side. The front cross bolt can be easily accessed from the drivers side if you remove the electric vacuum switch that controls the EGR which is attached to the rear thermostat housing bolt. Remove the bolt.

9. Check the functioning of your FPR (Fuel Pressure Regulator) BEFORE reinstalling it.

10. Check for leaks by pressuring the systems (running the fuel pump)after you have reinstalled the fuelrail but before you install the plenum and runners.

11. You will become intimately acquainted with a T-40 torx bit, and hopefully a torque wrench when reassembling things. Remember, ITS ALUMINUM!

Take your time, don't rush and Good Luck to anyone who tries it. Many thanks to the helpful crew over at FIC. It is a rewarding experience, and the results speak for themself.

 

A lot of good advice in your post but the one thing I disagree with is the choice of injectors. I bought and installed the Bosch IIIs from FIC and the installation was easier than changing the spark plugs. Example: no clips to worry about. Jon was super with advice and price. The appearance of the injectors was not a concern to me.
If you are happy, that's a good thing!

 

Also the runners don't need to come off; done it twice.

 

Stock runners can stay in place but work space can be a bit tight so removing one will give some extra space and speed up the swap. If you have a larger oversized aftermarket TPI runners the passenger side runner and plenum will have to come off at a minumum.

To the OP - well done! A wet/dry shop vacuum works well to clean debris from the area before you begin take it apart and for sucking the dirt/debris from the open ports before assembly.

FIC rules!

 

Thanks, Walt, for sharing your valuable experience with us. As I am planning to tackle this job next summer, I am sure your notes will prove very helpful.