Removing/installing plastic injector spacers.

I recently replaced my fuel injectors on my truck and noticed a vacuum leak around my number 3 injector. While I had the injectors out, I replaced the plastic spacers that press into the head, and all the associated o-rings and such. The factory manual says to use a flathead screwdriver under the spacer lip and twist it to pry up the spacer. Every one of the old spacers on my engine shattered with barely any force applied. The brand new spacers felt really brittle and were fairly difficult to press into the head. Now I've got to take the number 3 spacer out and reinstall it correctly (the spacer is cocked and causing vacuum leak) and am wondering if anybody knows any tricks of either how to get them out or install them easier without breaking them.

(It's the black piece above the manifold ports.)

 

Okay, I got the new spacer out without so much as chipping it. The o-ring on it was torn from when I installed it into the head with a little too much force. Just a word of advice, if you are planning on removing the original (old brittle plastic) ones, be prepared to remove the head in order to remove all the plastic shards. I already had my head off to replace pistons when I replaced mine. Oh, I used a door panel tool to make it a little easier to get them out.

 

So question... how did the job turn out? My son & I are working on a 99 tacoma 2.7, 3rz, total gasket replacement rebuild, new head, and he took out the plastic fuel injector cup/ spacers and they did the same thing broke and crumbled so he ordered new ones and is struggling to get them in.. He thought they were in good, and cranked it last night for the first time since the tear down and fuel sputtered out of all the fuel injector lines and the engine ran ruff. so we both went on line googling and there isnt a bunch on the internet about the removal or installation. and advice?

 

Where did you get the orings from? When I did this job I had alot of issues because I used the orings out of the felpro master gasket set i bought.

After the 3rd broken cup on install. I went to the dealership and got OEM ones. They popped right in without any issues and zero leaks after that

 

I saw that but figured it was a legitimate question anyway

 

He bought oem from LC engineering, so I assume its oem. and yes its an old post, but the only thing i can find on line about this subject. Thanks for the reply. do you know if there is any videos out there? i have searched all over, and I know with people with experience, there are little tricks and things NOT to do.. lol
He said they went in there smooth, but of course I was like watch a video on the injectors to make sure your doing it right, and hes a teenage boy that loves his truck and wants it back ASAP. Hes been working every night after work and is frustrated with fuel going everywhere, but I'm just so proud for his first engine tear down on his own.. I mean Im there but its been so long and he doesn't want my help even if mom is right.. kids right..

 

There’s the old head with the old cups some removed and one just in pieces, and if you look the new one to me doesn’t look like it’s installed all the way.. is there a truck to putting them in.. my son isn’t always the most gentle and he tends to man handle them.. it took almost a week to get them after ordering them.. so any advised on how to put them in without breaking them...

 

I would assume the LC engineering ones would be OEM spec but after my experience with the felpro kit I bought i personally wouldn't trust it. I would go to your local toyota dealer and buy the orings from them.. as you can see from my picture there is ment to be a slight gap between the lip of the injector cup and the casting of the head.

After I bought the OEM orings I dipped them in a cup of gasoline for lube per the factory service manual instructions. They pressed into the head with about the amount of effort it would take to push a snap button together (like on a kids jacket?)

If your son bought brand new injectors from LC engineering did they come with brand new seals for the top and bottom of them? Something else to check would be to make sure the old injector seals weren't accidentally left in the fuel rail.. double stacking seals will cause a major leak in the system

 

Thank you ..

 

If you haven't already installed them, try putting a bit of silicone grease on their outsides. Comes in a tube the size of toothpaste.