2.2dCi injector removal and re-seating

I did eventually get around to solving the Renault Dealer induced problem of an injector they replaced not being seated / torqued down properly and then experiencing blow-by.

Because the injectors are so far under the dash there is no way that a slide hammer type injector remover can be utilised because there simply isn't the headroom. So, rather than strip everything only to find that I couldn't remove the injector I decided to buy the Renault tool and be sure that I could complete the job without having to wait for tools or damaging the injector and needing a replacement at over £200.

The injector that was blowing was the one nearest the timing end and so to ease access and removal I first removed the wiper mechanism. So here was the procedure if anyone is interested or needs the information in the future.

1) Remove the air filter housing and intake pipe
2) disconnect the screen wash pipes from the wiper arms and remove the wiper arms
3) remove the plastic scuttle panel at the bottom of the screen to gain access to the wiper spindle nuts and remove
4) disconnect the electrical connector from the wiper motor and remove the 4 retaining bolts the lift out the motor and wiper assembly
5) remove the bolt from the bracket supporting the oil filler extension pipe and remove the filler neck. This does not simply lift out, there is a locking cam just like the oil filler cap that requires the filler neck to be rotated about an 8th of a turn to release it. I then put the oil filler cap on the opening to keep out any dirt
6) the sound deadening moulding on top of the engine needs removing ~ or as I did release the retaining plug on the left side looking at the engine from the front and then lift it up and fold backwards. There are two retaining pegs on the top of the valve/cam cover that locate in sockets on the underside of the sound deadening moulding. I also removed, and then replaced on reassembly, the 2-piece foam absorber that sits just behind the injectors. The original one had started to decompose.
7) I then carefully chipped away at the carbon build-up around the injector and used an air line to blow it out.
8} after cleaning out as much carbon as I could get at with the injector and all pipes still in place I removed the fuel return pipe from each injector by removing the retaining clip. I bought the pack of blanking plugs available from Renault to blank off all the pipes and the injectors to prevent dirt ingress.
9) I then removed the injector to common rail pipe, blanking all the unions off with the plugs as I uncoupled each one. A 17mm crow foot socket is required for the injector pipe nuts
10) before commencing removal of the injector I got at what more carbon I could remove with the pipes removed and the connector to the glow plug out of the way and then used vacuum suction to avoid it potentially falling in the injector orifice and possibly the cylinder as I removed the injector.
11) A long T30 Torx bit is required to undo the two injector retaining bolts. This is when I believe that I found the cause of the problem. The torque setting for these bolts is quite low at 0.6 daN but the bolt nearest the flywheel needs to be tightened a further 360 degrees plus or minus 30. I don't think that had been done by the dealer because they both slackened with the same amount of force.
12) I tried at first to position the injector extraction tool on the top of the head with the sound deadening material that is on the underside of the dash still in place but the headroom is so tight that even that had to be released and folded back in order to be able to get the extractor in position.
13) Then use the extractor to pull out the injector and once removed place a protective cap on the nozzle
14) To get any carbon particles out of the injector orifice I used a short piece of 15mm plastic plumbing pipe taped to the nozzle of a Dyson.
15) I then re-cut the seat in the head. Ideally this should be done with the head removed but I liberally greased the cutter to capture the small amount of shavings.
16) After a final clean of the injector orifice the injector was replaced with a new copper washer, plastic sleeve and 'O' Ring and torqued down in they prescribed manner.
17) I refitted a new injector to common rail pipe to ensure effective sealing to withstand the 1300bar pressure

Then as they simply say in the Haynes books. Reassembly is the reverse of dismantling.

The only thing that I haven't managed to do is replace the plastic cover for the glow plug connector that became brittle and parts of it cracked away. It only comes as part of the complete engine harness and even though many of the connectors are listed in Dialogys along with clips, wiring retainers etc I could not find that particular connector as being available separately

I've attached a few photographs if anyone is interested

Martin