Inline......
I did all 6 of my injectors on my '91 SE (same as your GXE). Why are you only keeping it for another 10K? You'll get another 50-100K out of this engine.
--- Didn't know that these things run so long. I am the 3rd owner and owner 1 (new-100k miles) drove it like he stole it from what I understand. Redline every gear, dumping the clutch, drifting, etc. so I am unsure how much life is left with that kind of initial abuse. Also, the front input bearing on the trans is horrifically loud, car was brought from Chicago so it's mostly rusted out.
See if he'll charge you $185 for labor even if you provide the injectors. I bet he won't.
--- already tried that. No dice.
Second, I wouldn't replace just one. All 6 injectors should match. Some have a Blue dot, and some have a Black dot. They should all be the same or the engine will have trouble adjusting the air/fuel mixture. You can try matching the new one with the old ones, but may not be able to.
--- I looked at AZ's website and again am looking to save a few bucks wherever possible. They do sell the blue and black dot injectors seperately so I was hoping to take out #4 (now the entire rail) and buy
3 more that were the corresponding dot that I took out. No hope in getting some from a low mileage wreck in the junkyeard eh?
Third, you can do it yourself. It is not difficult, but requires a somewhat deft touch, and it is time consuming, especially if the engine has never been taken apart. Removing the old gaskets can take some time. The only really difficult parts were removing the old / installing the new injectors into the fuel rail. They are very snug, and you don't want to roll the
rubber ring/seal out of it's groove, or you'll be leaking fuel. You also don't want to force them in, because they are somewhat fragile, and at $100 per, aren't something you want to break. The manuals suggest moistening the rings with fuel to help them slide in, but you could probably use petroleum jelly.
--- I read about this in the manual but all it talked about were O rings. I assume I need the O Ring set from AZ also ($10). The other gaskets, are they the intake gaskets under the plenum? And yes, this engine is severly rusted and never been taken apart so a lot of PB blaster and time will be necessary I imagine.
If you choose to do this yourself, here are a few suggestions.
- Replace the fuel filter. You will already have taken the pressure out of the system. It's very cheap and easy.
--- Just did that. At least that was a piece of cake
- While you've got the intake system off the engine, go ahead and take off the valve covers and replace the gaskets. They are cheap, and it's maybe 16 bolts extra work.
-- considering the rear main on the engine, not sure what this would help, but it's a good idea anyways.
- Also, buy a throttle body gasket so you can take it off and clean the TB (you'll need special cleaner). You don't have to do this to finish the
injectors, but taking it off does make it easier to handle the upper intake manifold.
-excellenti idea. 190k it's gotta be carboned up pretty good.
- Check the performance of the PCV valve. It's very cheap and easy to replace.
--- I will do that too as they are cheap.
- Make sure you either mark all the vacuum tubes/electrical connectors or know where they go. You will likely get a Check Engine light if something is disconnected.
--- I didn't think there were that many. Looks like an EGR valve of some sort, a PCV system and a few throttle cables.
- Might as well replace the spark plugs. All 6 will cost around from the dealer.
---already did, plugs, wire, cap and rotor
It will help if you have another vehicle available in case you need to go get a tool or parts. Plan on 2 days to finish this. It will take some time to get it all apart and cleaned/prepped for the replacement. It should go back together fairly quickly.
---I have an AZ right near my house and can do without the car for a few days so that is the main reason I want to tackle this myself.
You MUST use a torque wrench to do this job properly. And you'll likely need 2 of them, because the torque ranges are too far apart for any 1 wrench. The fuel rail is one part that has a very low torque setting, but is pretty critical. You can probably rent them if you don't own them.
---I have a good foot pounds wrench that goes from 20-100 and then a heavy duty one for 100+. I'll go buy an inch pounds torque wrench.
I used both the Haynes and a Chiltons. Between them, they had everything I needed. I found the Chiltons to have better pictures, and slightly better descriptions of what was next.
--OK, well that's good to hear. Buddy of mine has factory service manuals for a 96 so I might go borrow them as they couldn't have changed that much over the years.
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to help.
---Thanks Bill, I totally appreciate it.