Injector Removal!! Using The Right Tool!

Injector Removal Can Get Complicated

If you landed on this page because you saw this picture of Facebook and wondered if there was a story behind it..... Yes there is! If on the other hand your looking for information on 'Injector Removal' then your also in the right place!

I'm going to preface this by saying that the article relates specifically to the Renault M9R engine. This engine is commonly fitted to Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall vans, however the theory can be applied to nearly every Diesel vehicle, on which Injector removal is proving to be tough.

So here's the background.... The vehicle (a Vauxhall Vivaro) was brought to the workshop because the engine management light was indicating a fault, also the engine was misfiring. A quick code read revealed error code P0204, tests were carried out to ensure the wiring and ECU signal were not at fault and we quickly established that the number 4 injector was indeed faulty. 

We had only just carried out a simple Injector replacement on a Vivaro that was a year older than the current one in the workshop, it was assumed that this would prove to be just as simple. Well we was either just wrong or plain stupid!!! 

Now I have witnessed some conventional methods of Injector removal, and some less conventional. Anyway methods can include:

• Using an Injector Slide hammer kit like this one Injector Removal Slide Hammer Kit  

• Disconnecting the Injector wires, slacken the clamp and turn the engine over. This uses the engines own compression to loosen the Injector and make removal easier. (Not Recommended)

• Using the method above but leaving the Injectors connected, then running the engine to loosen the Injector. (Not Recommended)

• Soaking the Injector in a substance designed for to breakdown corrosion (think WD40). Leaving to soak for an extended period and then trying again.

• Making a puller and using the puller to remove the Injector.

The way I usually remove a stuck Injector is a combination the first and forth methods. This though is not possible on some solenoid and piezo Injectors. So I resolved to making a puller however without quick access to high tensile threaded rods this proved to be unsuccessful.

After exhausting various methods, it was time to spend some cash. The first tool purchased was a Sykes Pickavant Universal Injector Removal Pulling Kit. We purchased this with the pump, in total costing circa £1,500. See here Hydraulic Injector Removal Puller Kit. Initially our supplier was out of stock and this needed to be ordered in. We waited.... It finally arrived a few days later. The kit was eagerly opened, like an early Christmas present we got rather excited to try this tool out! (Sad I know but as a Mechanic we look forward to things like this...) 

The kit was set-up in minutes and we started to pull the Injector. Bit by bit we applied pressure, stopping to apply impacting blows to the Injector body. BANG!!! We thought we had loosened it. Further inspection revealed... Nope.

Top Of The Injector

 We had only succeeded in removing the Injector pipe fitting and destroying our chances of removing the Injector in one piece. This unfortunately was the limitation of the Sykes Pickavant kit which by the way was non-returnable once used. Back to the drawing board, we came across Darwin Diesels. They claimed to have the kit specifically for M9R engine Injector removal. See here Pichler Injector Removal Kit From Darwin Diesels

Again costing in excess of £1000 for the full kit, it was not ordered lightly but the guys at Darwin Diesels seemed confident in the kit and even supplied full instructions explaining with pictures how to remove each part of the Injector if it breaks in nearly every conceivable place. The kit arrived and it was fully loaded with everything from the hydraulic cylinder which conveniently was compatible with the pump from Sykes Pickavant. In-fact here is a picture.

Injector Remaval Kit

Unfortunately this Injector was stuck so bad that it even pushed this kit to the limit. First when trying to unscrew the Injector body from the nozzle it snapped flush with the rocker/cam cover. Using a big drill bit though we were still able to utilise the thread cutting taps provided in the kit to drill and thread the Injector body, using the puller to remove which ever part wanted to come out at the time. We would then repeat the process... Removing the Injector in many pieces then following the detailed instructions, to successfully remove every single part of an Injector that put up a good fight, but one it was never going to win.

So there we have it... The story of the picture! 

Hopefully the moral of the story came across but just in-case it didn't.

Using the right tool doesn't always save you money but it will save you time. For example you can not remove the cylinder head on many engines without first removing the Injectors. 

Got any tales of Injector removal yourself. Tell us in the comments below. I would love to hear them. Also if you have any ideas on how to get the £2500+ back to cover the cost of tools?