HELP needed ASAP - Look at my pix of my 1.8 injector
 

1.8L injectors - a set on Flickr

So I was taking out my 1.8's to send them out and have them cleaned and then I notice that there is a piece of one missing. I am not sure if it is in the engine or not, but I think it probably is. Also I don't know what cylinder it would be in...

Is this a huge problem? I assume it is as it will probably go through my engine now

Is there an easy way to vacuum it out? I was thinking of taking the plugs out and see if I can get suction and then see if anything ends up in the vacuum bag...

Any tips or ideas welcome...

Thanks

Are you talking about the plastic cover on the botto
of the injectors? If so how do you know that the injector had one in the first place? Or did you already have them out before? Get a bright led flashlight and shine it through the inj hole in the head and see if you can see it. I doubt one fell in there tho

Yes, I am talking about the plastic piece that is missing on that inj. I know it was there when I installed these a while back. I just dont know for sure if it went into the engine but as I cant find it anywhere I will have to assume that it is inside 1 of the cylinders. I just looked with a huge spot light and a small Led one too. I can't see it anywhere - inside or out...

he buys a new insulator cap.

Any suggestions, other than buying a new cap?
Thanks

I think you need to chill out there, hoss.

How long have you been running the injectors? That thing is probably molten slag by now.

I've only put on about 300kms now while tuning and making sure that everything is ok.
I am sure that this injector was fine until I took it out this morning.
I tried vacuuming it out with a tiny hose added to my shop vac but couldnt find it.

I guess my main concern is that if it is indeed in the engine, if it is a problem or not?
Should I be concerned with this issue or am I being too paranoid?
Should I just install my 1.6's and see what happens?

Thanks for the help

Me thinks that any piece that fell off, if indeed it came off in the motor and not after removing, has been eaten, melted and passed by now. If the car was running fine, I wouldn't spend the $ to tear it down, even if it is only the cost of a new head gasket.

Pintle caps are about $4 each, replace it and be done with it.

That amount of plastic wouldn't ding a spark plug or valve...so no worrys there unless a valve try to close right on it.

It would be enough to fuxor a turbine, but you would know by now. And considering that it's a thermoset plastic it would have been long gone unless it happened to find it's way out of the cylinder in the first few cycles. This is also highly unlikely.

It probably went into the cylinder, broke into a few smaller pieces which immediately began to burn, and a few small blobs of melting and charred plastic made it out the exhaust. Whatever didn't make it out stuck to hot parts and was carbon within a minute.



Check compression to make sure no valves were bent, run some water mist through motor if you want to decarbon it a little, replace that cap, and be on your way.

Thanks for the help.

I ended up leaving the injectors out, taking the plugs out and turning it over a few times.

I put my 1.6 inj in for now and everything seems to run fine.