Help! Trying to change injectors

[pig4bill]

I'm trying to change injectors on a 90 325i. All the how-to articles and the Bentley make it sound so easy. I knew I was in trouble when I raised the hood and couldn't see 95% of the stuff I needed to wrench on.

After two hours of swearing, sweating, and squinting, I have gotten as far as disconnecting the battery and two electrical connections. That's it. I've printed out the instructions from Dave's site, the Pelican site, and I have the Bentley. I can't even see how to get that plastic cover off the electrical injector connections. I can't see any fuel line at the rear of the fuel rail that I'm supposed to disconnect either. Lord knows how I'll disconnect and connect that electrical connection under the intake manifold on the driver's side. I can barely touch it with my fingertip much less grab hold of it.

First things first, any hints on how to get the plastic cover off the injector connectors?

[Axxe]

Remove the intake manifold. Good opportunity to clean it up.

[pig4bill]

Ugh, then I have to go buy gaskets? This one is still clean from the previous owner's working on it. Is that really the simplest way?

[Axxe]

I would think so. With the intake manifold off, you just flip it and bam, easy access.

[pig4bill]

I don't know, there looks like there's a lot of crap attached to the manifold. Plus I still don't know how to get the plastic connector cover off.

[Axxe]

Take it to a shop then. I managed to pull it off with no problems. I just unhooked everthing, and took the manifold off.

[rwh11385]

you don't need to take off the manifold. :roll:

All you need to do is:

1. Disconnect the 2 fuel lines going intot he fuel rail and FPR.
2. Unbolt the manifold/valve cover bracket.
3. Unbolt the 4 bolts holding in the fuel rail.
4. Yank up on the fuel rail (with the injectors still installed).
5. Shimmy the fuel rail/injectors/regulator out and change the injectors.
6. Installation is reverse of removal, be sure to oil all of the o-rings with some engine oil (just a little bit so they slide in nice and easy and wont break the o-rings)

[rs4pro3]

Pull the AFM and Airbox, makes getting to the large round connector easier. But the wiring for the injectors, just pull very firmly on the black plastic box, It will pull off. Then you can get to the 4 bolts holding on the fuel rail. On some 325i's the fuel lines are both at the front, some one up front one in the rear. I've got 3 different styel 325i fuel rails in the basement.

[pig4bill]

Pull the AFM and Airbox, makes getting to the large round connector easier. But the wiring for the injectors, just pull very firmly on the black plastic box, It will pull off. Then you can get to the 4 bolts holding on the fuel rail. On some 325i's the fuel lines are both at the front, some one up front one in the rear. I've got 3 different styel 325i fuel rails in the basement.

Thanks. I was afraid to really wail on the plastic box for fear it had some fasteners holding it down.

How long should this job take for someone reasonably competent? I'll figure on triple that time for me. :)

[rwh11385]

I could probably do it in under an hour now, and maybe less like a half hour. There was a lot of pauses when I did it before.

but the FPR is the round black thing next to your fuel rail (and you should want some towels, fuel does leak....and when you remove the fuel rail as well, etc)

between manifold / valve cover is the bracket, easily enough

yank up on the injectors/fuel rail. you can disconnect the injectors from the electric unit and there are some clips or whatever holding onto them, then tug on the injectors to get them out of the fuel rail.

I remember there was a car part and I think that was re-installing and getting the clips on right or something. Then there was the fun of getting all injectors lined up and the fuel rail back on, but not too difficult.

[kowalski]

to tkae care of the leaking pull the fuel pump fues and run your car till it dies then theres no fuel in the lines and i agree with the rest.

[rwh11385]

to tkae care of the leaking pull the fuel pump fues and run your car till it dies then theres no fuel in the lines and i agree with the rest.

oops, left that out. but there'll be a little left over.

[Matto]

Take off the manifold. I didn't when I swapped my injectors and spent 30 minutes just trying to get the new ones lined up with the holes so I could get the fuel rail back on. You can't see anything you will be working on.