Copper washers?

Replaced my injectors in a working 2002 Jetta ALH engine. Torqued the hold down clamps to 15 FT/LB and seated them with a punch and hammer tap. Started the engine and injector #3 has fuel vapor and pressure shooting vertically. Removed the injector. Checked for tightness and put it back in. Repeated the process. Still visible fuel vapor and pressure shooting vertical. I originally had the injectors professionally set up for 520's, but recently decided to go back to stock 184's. Its an automatic and smoked even at an IQ of 10. Is the fuel vapor a function of the 520's set up? Or are the copper washers not seating? Or is it something else? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

The bores in the head clean? Usually a brass brush is OK, but sometimes they need more. The flat in the bore where the copper seats should be clean and free of debris. If it is not silver aluminum, it is not clean.

Also, there are some incorrect washers floating around out there that do not fit. They look OBVIOUSLY different (bigger, bigger than the tip of the injector) but people still manage to cram them down in there and cause all sorts of problems.

Thank you. No, it wasn't silver aluminum clean. I tried for washer diameter clean. I will go and make the bore silver aluminum clean. Thank you for the advice. I will reply tomorrow, hopefully with good news.

Just a tip: sometimes the carbon in there is really hard, and baked on good. There is a product called X66-A GM top end cleaner, comes in a spray can. The stuff works really good, albeit a bit slowly, to dissolve that stuff away. It is the ONLY thing that works on MB diesel Black Death.

The issue is, you'll need to blow the cylinders out with compressed air, or if you have the ability to crank the engine with the injectors out (I still like to blow them out first, though). Because some will eventually seep down into the engine, and you need to get it out.

But that stuff works wonders. Sprays out a liquid but turns to foam, like toilet bowl cleaner. Spray enough to fill the injector bore with foam, let it sit for 20 minutes, blow it out, repeat as necessary, follow up with a bottle brush on a drill (start with plastic, see what that does before switching to a SOFT brass).

Thanks for the suggestions. They don't carry the X66 cleaner locally and so I just ordered some on line. The Jetta will be fine in the garage until it arrives. I'll post a reply after getting the injector bore silver aluminum clean, just so you know I tried your suggestion, and to let you know how well it worked out for me. Thanks again.

Oilhammer, are you using old stock (X66-A GM top end cleaner). Seems searches end with a new product number. Curious if it is the same stuff the guys were talking about in forums going back to 2001.

Perhaps goes without saying... but you never know... you're using new copper washers?

Yes, new copper washers. In fact I have another new set of 4 waiting for me after I clean the injector bores out.

AndyBees said:

Oilhammer, are you using old stock (X66-A GM top end cleaner). Seems searches end with a new product number. Curious if it is the same stuff the guys were talking about in forums going back to 2001.

Click to expand...

I've got some as recently as a month ago, aside from the newer ACDelco paint scheme, it seems to be the same stuff from 30+ years ago. There is an additional number on the can, 12302498. It still has the word "carburetor" on it, LOL.... we've thankfully not had anything in this shop with one of those things in a long, long time. Aside from the boss' old museum queens. Oh, and some leaf blowers.

Oilhammer, you were spot on. Cleaned the bores with spray ACDelco X66-A and finished with a soft brass bottle brush. Clean as a whistle. No more pressure shooting vertically and the car runs like a top. Thank you for your advice and help.

Just thinking out loud, perhaps that product can be purchased at a GM dealer.
Nice work on the fix, thank you for posting back!

Awesome, glad you got it fixed, and thanks for posting back. It always helps others who stumble across a thread when an issue has a resolution posted.