Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

i got my injectors out for replacement, i cannot for the life if me get the gaskets out. they are all stuck pretty good and caked with carbon. i have been vacuuming and scraping with a dental tool..
something im missing?

i cant get anything under the gaskets. i cant get them to turn. if i try any harder ill surely mess up the cylinder head. ccglen suggested very carefully drilling and vacuuming the bits... ill surely mess stuff up if i try that.

i am so screwed..

once you remove the injectors, you'll see the small copper washers.

leave them in

you can reuse them over and over again.

Did mine last night. cylinders 1-3 were caked in there. massive carbon deposit. #4 came flying out when I was using the blow gun on it.

Make sure once you've scrapped off as much as you can in there (without hurting the threads), crank the engine a couple of times. That will blow out the carbon deposits before re-inserting new injectors.

FalcoColumbarius wrote:I am apprehensive to answer this post, Oil, as I am not a mechanic.

But I am a painter and have in the past had to remove difficult masking or paint and the like. Have you tried using a razor? If you go to a paint store or Home Depot, you can purchase a tool by "Richards" (often used for removing tape or paint from glass, &c.), it is probably the cheapest and smallest of these tools available (it's what I use).

When dealing with removing old tape that is sticking as if it has become a part of the surface it is adhered to ~ I will use an hair dryer to warm the tape up. This re-activates the adhesive of the tape making it soft so it doesn't rip the surface it is on. Obviously you are dealing with something different in regards to copper gaskets but I would suspect that the principle is similar. Maybe an heat gun if the hair dryer is unsuccessful but I would consider the hair dryer first because; a/ you probably already have one at your disposal and they're much cheaper ($8 at London Drugs); and b/ I would start with only as much force is deemed required.

Next I would consider a sharp knife to cut the seal of the gaskets, then use a solvent, perhaps gasoline, then get your dental tools in there. I use both a utility knife as well as a scalpel for the more tricky pieces of surgery. I take it that you have removed your IP, yes? So you ought to have some space to work in ~ start with the one inch utility blade.

I use dental tools for a number of things in my trade, as a matter of fact I go to the local hospital supplier for supplies. A tip for the application of paint to a scratch? Mais oui! buy a syringe with a catheter fitting (the needle will work if you use a reducer with the auto paint, but the catheter is a bigger feed).

Hope this helps .
Falco.

im not sure how i could get a razor into the holes, then under the washer, unless the tool you speak of is tiny and right angled.
im not sure i see a hair dryer creating enough heat to loosen anything, but i will certainly give it a try.
i have not removed the IP.
about the knife.. again, i cant get a knife into the holes. a one inch utility blade in a half inch hole??
thanks falco, every idea and advice is worthwhile

jfarsang wrote:once you remove the injectors, you'll see the small copper washers.

leave them in

you can reuse them over and over again.

Did mine last night. cylinders 1-3 were caked in there. massive carbon deposit. #4 came flying out when I was using the blow gun on it.

Make sure once you've scrapped off as much as you can in there (without hurting the threads), crank the engine a couple of times. That will blow out the carbon deposits before re-inserting new injectors.

i understand the the gaskets need to be changed every time you pull the injectors, is this not true? and now im not sure if i could get away with using them because i have damaged them a little trying to get them out. :(

the small gaskets near to the tip of the injectors came out. its just three of the four copper washers not to deal with...

YOU CAN REUSE THE COPPER CRUSH WASHERS!!

if they are really fighting to come out leave them.. just check your injectors carbon.gum around them after a short drive. If they are leaking you will see some gum and possibly some bubble- ing around the injectors.
Or to check you can fill up the hole around the injector with a bit of wd 40.. run the engine, if it bubbles you need to replace the copper washer.
dont worry about the wd40 as it will evaporate quickly when the engine is warm.. if you are the nervous type you can wipe most if it away.

Oceaneer77

That is the nice thing about copper being a soft metal. You can get them to seat a few times before they get too heat treated and hard to give you a good seal.
Well at least this meathod works for things that are not flying through the air !! On aircraft we replace copper gaskets every time ! (wink....wink...)

lots of luck......

cheers isaac

and make sure you have the smaller one's as well in there. There are two copper one's. skinny large one's and thick small one's.

oceaneer77 wrote:YOU CAN REUSE THE COPPER CRUSH WASHERS!!

i like your attitude... i think i have to reuse them and thats that.

if they are really fighting to come out leave them.. just check your injectors carbon.gum around them after a short drive. If they are leaking you will see some gum and possibly some bubble- ing around the injectors.
Or to check you can fill up the hole around the injector with a bit of wd 40.. run the engine, if it bubbles you need to replace the copper washer.
dont worry about the wd40 as it will evaporate quickly when the engine is warm.. if you are the nervous type you can wipe most if it away.

Oceaneer77

whats with the gum? funny you should mention that. the single injector whose gaskets came out no problem had a realy sticky yellow gum all around it..

and i got the smaller ones.. rounded side down right? ill check the wiki quiki before i go do it

i felt like gardening this afternoon so im waiting for a torque wrench to complete the job

couldnt get a torque wrenck, but i put it all back together and seems to run fine for now. theres no highway i can go all out on where i live, but sooner or later ill know for sure if its fine