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Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:34 pm

Any tips for getting the fuel injector plugs off? I'm going through cleaning up all my contacts and I started on the fuel injectors. I got the cold start valve off easily and one injector had one side of the wire clip off so that came off pretty easy.

The 3rd injector I used a small screw driver to pry the metal clip to one side then wiggled it off. It worked but I broke off a small piece of the plug in the mean time. Is there a better way to do this than trying to pry with a screwdriver?

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:40 pm

Needle nose vice grips to pull the clip off...no prying, no pressure.
Penetrating oil and tiny tap-tap-taps to loosen the connector.

Work to prevent carnage, but don't be surprised if it happens... :roll:

Get 'r done!

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:47 pm

domromer wrote: Any tips for getting the fuel injector plugs off? I'm going through cleaning up all my contacts and I started on the fuel injectors. I got the cold start valve off easily and one injector had one side of the wire clip off so that came off pretty easy.

The 3rd injector I used a small screw driver to pry the metal clip to one side then wiggled it off. It worked but I broke off a small piece of the plug in the mean time. Is there a better way to do this than trying to pry with a screwdriver?

don't you press the wire inwards to release the plug from the injector???

also if the engine is filthy, dirt and gunk mixed with grease may gum things up and cause the plug to stock and the wire to not move all the way, so blast away with WD-40 from an aerosol can to clean it up before removal.

Anyway try pressing the wire clip inwards towards the plug, after you clean it if it is dirty. never pull on the wires or harness, only the plug body, use pliers if you need a better hold. If you need more room to work on a stuborn plug, it may help to remove the injector from the intake to gain better access or it is good to be able to twist the injector around if the injector plug is not facing up for easy access. (loosen fuel hose too so that hose my spin on injector when twisting, the plastic injector bodies are brittle, can leak at the plastic to metal seams thus don't put side forces on the injector, never drop them! ) (dose hose end and injector seal with WD-40 to allow to twist easy if they stick)

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:55 pm

Pressing the wire clip inward? That's what I read a while back in another thread but for the life of me I couldn't get that to work. I did both the injectors on the driver side now I'm onto the passenger side. I'm giving all my connections a good shot of lps1 to try to cure some wet weather running issues that I'm having. Once I get the injectors done I think other than the ecu and idle control I will have sprayed and cleaned every contact and connection in the engine bay.

Mon Sep 14, 2015 10:07 pm

Press and hold down the wire (pressing at the gap between wire and injector plastic body) and hold down while pulling the connector away from the injector.
Easy to do with one hand if you pinch the connector wire and pull away from injector.

Mon Sep 14, 2015 10:44 pm

I always remove the wire clip (especially sensors) unless it has the larger bail on it.

Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:13 am

Don,t go forcing those connectors off, you'll simply break some plastic that is intended to keep them from falling off.

Here's the injectors.... The side bumps retain the connector, the top bump aligns the connector, only goes on one way........

Here is the injector plug. See the metal piece? The metal on the sides clip over the side bumps on the injector holding it securely on.

When you depress the long metal wire it pushes the sides clear of the injector bumps and it pulls off easily......

Dave

Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:54 am

awesome pics but mine look very different than that. I'll take a photo later.

Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:09 am

Here is what mine look like, there is not the big gap where the metal piece can be pressed in, on mine it is flush to the body all the way around until it turns in to hold onto the mount.

2015-09-15_01-05-06 by Dom, on Flickr

Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:15 am

Show us a photo of one removed?

I do vaguely recall from my Mercedes Benz early EFI on the 350 SL that you pried the metal clip away from the plug where it "clicked" and you pulled off the plug.

Dave

Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:18 am

In the middle of baking a cake. I'll get a pic of one off here in a bit. My mechanic said you need to remove the clip first..It seems there must be a faster way.

Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:57 am

Ok here is some pics. I got the other two off below the airbox. One popped right off and didn't seem to be all the way seated. The other required pulling the clip off on one side. I've got both contacts cleaned now. Still can't figure out a way to get them off without popping the clip.

IMG_20150916_140840562 by Dom, on Flickr

IMG_20150916_140907884_HDR by Dom, on Flickr

Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:07 pm

I believe the metal wire clip is install backwards in the last photo, should it not be such that the wire extends over the gap on one side of the connector so that the wire can be pressed inwards (press into the gap) By pressing the wire into the gap the sides will bulge out and release the clip.

Try removing that wire clip and re-install 180 degrees rotated from what it is now, and see if that works better for you. this is only a guess. :?: :?: :?: :?:

Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:09 pm

thanks I'll have a look at that.

Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:17 pm

djkeev wrote:

Dave I hope your not running that motor with them fuel hoses, the one on the injector looks to be cracking!

Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:36 pm

No worries, that's a spare motor and wiring harness I recently acquired.

Dave

Wed Sep 16, 2015 1:16 pm

bluebus86 wrote: I believe the metal wire clip is install backwards in the last photo, should it not be such that the wire extends over the gap on one side of the connector so that the wire can be pressed inwards (press into the gap) By pressing the wire into the gap the sides will bulge out and release the clip.

Try removing that wire clip and re-install 180 degrees rotated from what it is now, and see if that works better for you. this is only a guess. :?: :?: :?: :?:

That's on on correctly. See the 3 keyways on the plug & how the wire would lock in the receiving plug on 2 sides? Now take a look at Dave's plug. The later plugs were designed as Q.D. units. The early injectors & all years sensors have the wire that needs to be removed (carefully)

Wed Sep 16, 2015 2:03 pm

tjet wrote: bluebus86 wrote: I believe the metal wire clip is install backwards in the last photo, should it not be such that the wire extends over the gap on one side of the connector so that the wire can be pressed inwards (press into the gap) By pressing the wire into the gap the sides will bulge out and release the clip.

Try removing that wire clip and re-install 180 degrees rotated from what it is now, and see if that works better for you. this is only a guess. :?: :?: :?: :?:

That's on on correctly. See the 3 keyways on the plug & how the wire would lock in the receiving plug on 2 sides? Now take a look at Dave's plug. The later plugs were designed as Q.D. units. The early injectors & all years sensors have the wire that needs to be removed (carefully)

Yeah, I remember them as being a Royal Pain In The A$$ to work on back in the early days of multiport EFI!

Dave

Wed Sep 16, 2015 2:06 pm

Yeah they are a pain. I've got a little tweaker screwdriver that is just the right size but it's still kinda fiddly...anyhoo..thanks for all the help. Hopefully my 02 sensor and temp II will arriver tomorrow and I can get on that.

Wed Sep 16, 2015 2:13 pm

domromer wrote: Yeah they are a pain. I've got a little tweaker screwdriver that is just the right size but it's still kinda fiddly...anyhoo..thanks for all the help. Hopefully my 02 sensor and temp II will arriver tomorrow and I can get on that.

You can get newer style connectors if you wish...........

There is a great supplier for OEM style plugs but for the life of me I cannot remember their name!
Anyone??????

Dave