h motor distrib. connector

[saabfan9]

following the fuel flow i'm good into the warm up and back out to the distributor but that's where it ends ... I undid the fuel lines at the injectors and nothing there, then moved to the lines at the dist. and nothing there.... but I am good at the return from the warm up regulator.. thanks guys

[saabfan9]

is there anything i can clean or look into at the fuel distributor?

[DrewP]

If you run the pump and lift up on the air flap, you get no fuel flowing out the injector lines? Is that what you're saying?

If fuel is flowing in, then the metering piston may just be gummed up in position, it's easy to take apart.

The instructions and photos are in the factory 99 and 8-valve C900 manuals if you have one, but this gist of it is:


1) Take the whole distribution block / air filter housing out, be careful with the injector lines, remove the air boot that goes to the throttle body
2) Clean around the top of the fuel block really well (where the injector lines come out)
3) Remove all the lines
3) Remove the 4 screws that hold the upper part of the distribution block on, I think they are flat-heads.
4) Lay it on it's side, and carefully pull the block straight off (the metering needle will fall out the bottom if you leave it vertical)
5) You should see the metering plunger in the center of the underside of the block, and the needle roller on the air flap shaft that pushes on the metering plunger.
6) If you can, slide the metering plunger out the bottom. Be VERY careful not to drop or scratch it, it's hard chrome plated and is a very very tight fit in the distribution block
6b) If you can't slide it out, soak the whole block in acetone, or carb cleaner, or gasoline with injection cleaner in it for a while and try to get the metering plunger loosened up.
7) Once you get the metering plunger out, carefully clean out any varnish you find, and flush all of the passages in the metering block liberally with brake cleaner. You should be able to blow solvent down into where the little piston plunger goes and it should come out of the injector ports on the other side. You can use compressed air too. Don't clean the piston plunger with anything that might scratch it, like steel wool or scotchbrite, just solvent and a rag. If it's really varnishy, maybe some brass wool or something much much softer than the chrome plating.
8) Find the fuel return port banjo fitting. Next to it is a hex headed plug. That's the pressure regulating valve, works just like the oil pressure regulating valve in the engine. It's a spring loaded pin. Unscrew the hex plug, and carefully pull out the pin and the spring, make sure that passage is clear too.
9) Once everything is clean, make sure that you can easily slide the regulating piston in and out of it's bore in the distribution block. It should not hang up or catch or bind, and should be a very tight smooth fit. The clearance between the block and the plunger is less than 0.001", I believe they are lapped together to be a very precise fit
10) Make sure the air metering flap moves smoothly up and down, that the air disc is centered in air flow housing, and that the roller bearing that the regulating piston sits on turns smoothly. You can put a little bit of grease where it touches if you want.
11) Carefully re-assemble everything, the fuel pressure regulating valve, regulating piston, and distribution block, making sure you didn't introduce any dirt or grit into any of the passages.

Then run the pump and lift up on the air plate, and you should get fuel flowing out the distribution ports. Then you can move on to hooking the injectors back up and see how their spray pattern is.



The part you are removing and that gets seized in place from varnish from sitting is labelled here as the 'control plunger.'

[saabfan9]

wow thank you very much .. started to rain tonight so at least i have a game plan for sat.

[saabfan9]

can you undo the lines at the injectors to see if fuel has gotten up there? not sure if the whole system had to be sealed or not....with the fuel lines cracked open no fuel

[DrewP]

Yes, fuel should flow out the line if you remove the injectors. If you crack the banjo fittings where the injector lines go into the top of the fuel distributor you should obviously get fuel there too.

If you jumper the fuel pump to run and lift up on the air metering flap, the higher you lift the flap, the more fuel should flow out.

[saabfan9]

looking at the "flap" I would say it's about flush it goes down a little I did not try to lift it up.... checking misc. lines at the dist. I have decent pressure (a nice spray when I crack a line) ..if I was to some how grab that nub I should be able to lift some? (looking at this pic shows quite a large upward gap http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a301/ ... -setup.jpg

[Crazyswede]

looking at the "flap" I would say it's about flush it goes down a little I did not try to lift it up.... checking misc. lines at the dist. I have decent pressure (a nice spray when I crack a line) ..if I was to some how grab that nub I should be able to lift some? (looking at this pic shows quite a large upward gap http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a301/ ... -setup.jpg

incoming air flows up from underneath that plate lifting it as it passes by. You can grab that center nub and the plate will lift an inch or two.

[saabfan9]

thanks for all the help guys ... when I get to work i'm all over it, i'll post an update I feel she's soo close to starting (for the first time in 10 years)

[saabfan9]

hey guys the dist. connector on my car was broken i found a complete dist out of a 1986 (mine is a 84) both 8v engines but different part numbers on the housing do you think i could use this dist or did they change the hall effect internally? i now have fuel at the injectors thanks for the help... now have to figure the dist... i do have spark but i'm not sure about the ignition timing...thanks for the help

[DrewP]

If you have spark it should work. I think those distributors are interchangeable.

[saabfan9]

was not getting fuel out of my injectors (the joys of a long sleep) pulled them and soaked them in fuel overnight and blew them out got them to spray...threw them back in the car and after sitting in a barn for 10 years she fired up (only ran her for about 15 sec. it was getting dark and I wasn't ready to do the full start yet)... saved the car from the crusher (seriously next stop) mouse nests-po tore apart the engine-interior has mold-but no rust and I fell that I've saved one right now I have $200 into her, i'll get some pics up as the project progress'

[saabfan9]

FORGOT...THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP GUYS

[saabfan9]

[SwedeSport]

If you end up getting rid of it, I would be interested in the rear mudflaps for my car.