Seized Injectors - Need Ideas to Remove!

[Olddan1943]

Dry ice can be purchased at Publix grocery stores. Use in an open space with good ventilation.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

Dry ice can be purchased at Publix grocery stores. Use in an open space with good ventilation.

Of limited utility for Wottie, bein' as how he is in Tasmania where Publix stores are kinda rare.

Jim

[sailah]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Thanks for the suggestions. What does EDM mean?

Electron discharge machine. Basically dissolves metal. Super precise, that what they use to remove broken taps.

For heating, you don't want to torch in 1 spot on cast thats asking for a cracked head. Heat the entire head up gently and evenly. Put in cold oven or grill and then turn heat on and let it ramp up slowly in stages. Work up to 225C in stages like 125 for 30 min then 175 etc..

Shocking the valve body seat with ice isn't going to hurt anything or risk cracking it but you want to apply the ice or cooling specifically to this area to get differential thermal expansion working in your favor to break the rust bond.

Then apply good penetrating fluid, put back in oven and turn oven down in stages then off. You want to heat and cool cast iron slowly to prevent warping or cracks.

If this were mine, I'd do this a few times over a couple days then on the final day I'd slam it with the impact gun right after i cooled the valve body.

Actually I'd do the impact first after i heated it once because I'm impatient and i have a milling machine

I would not attempt using Mapp or oxy acetylene because the danger of localized warping or cracking is to high with a precision surface in my opinion and i have both available in my shop.

I'd also check head for flatness after doing this since i just went through a warped head and had to get it machined

[Techtool]

I worked for Caterpillar in the 70's and 80's we worked on many marine rusted blocks. I suggest you use localised 1200 to 1400 degree heat. Use oxy acetylene or propane and oxygen. Warm the head in a line with the injector once the heat is uniform (use a heat gun) try to work the seized parts loose. Once the head has cooled soak the injectors with a decent oil (we used trans. fluid) and repeat the heat. Its not rocket science be patient and persistent. There were times when we had to drill out the injector body’s to save an expensive head but that was rare.

[sazarac]

High. Have you figured out how much a new head will cost compared to taking it to a machine shop? The head is not amenable to shaving if you warp it. Been there.

[sazarac]

Probably a large press. The plus is if they damage it they have to make good.

[lookinggoodrock]

Use transmission fluid. Best penetrating oil of them all.

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by Wotname

I have a Yanmar 2QM20 head (on the bench) and the injectors are well and truly seized / stuck in the head and I am looking for ideas or advice on how to remove them.
Any ideas (or cautions) are very welcome at this stage but please don't suggest soaking it with penetrating fluid - that hasn't worked so far

This is my specialty... at room temperature, no need to heat the head. Prepare a steel nut, place it on the injector. The objective here is to weld a nut on the injector to use a wrench to try and rotate it front right to left and back and forth. Using a mig welder weld the nut to the injector body by the inside of the nut and fill the weld to the top of the nut. By the time you weld to the top the nut should be red red hot. Then put a wrench on it and try to move, rotate the nut from left to right and apply enough force. At the same time spray penetrating fluid on the centre of the nut, not for the lubricant properties but to cool down the nut and the injector always applying wrench pressure. What this does... by welding the nut on the injector the heat is transferred to the body of the injector... warming up the head. By spraying penetrating fluid you do the opposite... the nut cools down and transfers down the cold and shrinks the injector body and frees up the carbon and rust. Do not be surprised if the nut does not hold on the first try. You might have to repeat these steps a few times. I have seen sometimes do it five times to be successful. Regards...

[JPA Cate]

So, how's it going, Wottie? Lots of approaches here that don't rely on penetrating oils...though I must say, we've had good luck using the acetone/ATF mix. Quite good. Cheaper than Kroil, too.

Ann

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

So, how's it going, Wottie? Lots of approaches here that don't rely on penetrating oils...though I must say, we've had good luck using the acetone/ATF mix. Quite good. Cheaper than Kroil, too.

Ann

So far the rust gods are prevailing, I need to pay homage a higher deity - but which one; I don't want to follow false leads so I am contemplating various theologies before taking another step into the void.

Put another way, I feel beat and am having a good sleep before venturing further.

I appreciate ALL the suggestions but at this stage I am still trying to preserve the head and the injectors although I realise this may be a fools errand - maybe the injectors will have to be sacrificed. They are the lower order item in this instance.

I will steer away from using intense localised heat in favour of longer heat soaking as I don't have enough experience in using intense heat without causing unintended damage.

I will try a rattle gun (impact driver) as a last resort before sacrificing the injectors.

I am still thinking about re-assembling the head and engine to try running the engine to blow the injectors out.....This could be an exciting experience!

I am still interested in considering an electrolysis bath to remove the rust but I do have reservations. So far no one has passed comment on this approach. Maybe because it doesn't work, maybe because it will cause further damage to the head, maybe because no one has tried it. However, if was a successful method, surely everyone would be doing it. So I just dunno!

And yes, I have moved into the acetone/ATF camp as well!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by seabreez

This is my specialty... at room temperature, no need to heat the head. Prepare a steel nut, place it on the injector. The objective here is to weld a nut on the injector to use a wrench to try and rotate it front right to left and back and forth. Using a mig welder weld the nut to the injector body by the inside of the nut and fill the weld to the top of the nut. By the time you weld to the top the nut should be red red hot. Then put a wrench on it and try to move, rotate the nut from left to right and apply enough force. At the same time spray penetrating fluid on the centre of the nut, not for the lubricant properties but to cool down the nut and the injector always applying wrench pressure. What this does... by welding the nut on the injector the heat is transferred to the body of the injector... warming up the head. By spraying penetrating fluid you do the opposite... the nut cools down and transfers down the cold and shrinks the injector body and frees up the carbon and rust. Do not be surprised if the nut does not hold on the first try. You might have to repeat these steps a few times. I have seen sometimes do it five times to be successful. Regards...

Thanks Seabreeze, your information is very much appreciated. At this stage though I will continue with less intense methods although it may come to this technique before I'm done.

[Olddan1943]

LOL, run the engine to blow out the injectors? Remember to be out of the ER and the ER deck plates closed. It could be messy too.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

LOL, run the engine to blow out the injectors? Remember to be out of the ER and the ER deck plates closed. It could be messy too.

Keep us informed of your progress.

[model 10]

You just need to make a puller that screws into the injector body.
Pull the guts out of the part that screws into body, use a bolt and a bar across the 2 clamp holes, pull it out. Easy peasy.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ecos

You just need to make a puller that screws into the injector body.
Pull the guts out of the part that screws into body, use a bolt and a bar across the 2 clamp holes, pull it out. Easy peasy.

Yes, I given some thought to this method and it is still on the books to try - thanks for the reminder

Not so sure about "easy peasy" but we shall see...