Volvo EC15B mini - engine removal & injection pump overhaul - plus ......

[jackpreacher]

New Injectors or Professionally servicing the originals?

Just been quoted £685 plus FAT for 3 new injectors for the L3E engine

What should I do?

[jackpreacher]

Doug just worked solidly for 2 hours finishing the grading of the drive. Although he was a bit slow he never conked out. Is he fixed? No, but he's on the mend.. I wouldn't trust him with trench work though

I rang round a few Diesel Injection specialists earlier and the cost of testing each injector starts at £15.00 rising up to £90.00. Fully serviced and calibrated injectors the [the ones in him now] range from £45.00 to £120.00 plus FAT.

I'm going to remove the injectors over the weekend and try to service/calibrate them myself - there's nowt to lose. If Doug is still underpowered the injectors will have to be sent off for servicing.

BTW, the ECU that is controlled by the engine overheat sensor is something that I will check further but I have a hunch that it's ok. There have been many niggling little problems that all occurred around the same time: Injection Pump disintegrating, Fuel pump failure, contaminated fuel , and , of course, my own ineptitude & inexperience that have all culminated in problems which hinder analysis of what to do. Still, at least the cab doesn't leak.

TBC

[Muz]

Ah but you are getting there though .. I might have a working set of injectors you could try, and that would at least eliminate that problem I'll have a look

[jackpreacher]

Ah but you are getting there though .. I might have a working set of injectors you could try, and that would at least eliminate that problem I'll have a look

That is amazingly generous of you Muz, and a couple of hours ago I would have snatched your hand off - however, by chance a retired injection specialist from Workington rang me back and, to cut a long story short, I just got back from his place after delivering my injectors. He examined them, banged out my nozzles and then showed me what decent nozzles looked like.....what a difference! Cost will be approximately £60.00 per nozzle and guaranteed for 12 months, providing I use decent fuel. He works from a little add-on workshop at his house and retired a few years ago but still likes to tinker - he has all the proper test kit (he showed me round) and appears to know his stuff. I much prefer keeping business local so it feels much better to give him the job rather than send it off to the big boys in Lancaster or London.

When I get the injectors installed and tested I'll report back and name drop this Diesel injection specialist.

[jackpreacher]

Injection Pump timing



1. Got the injectors back today - fully serviced by a professional.
2. After reading the service manual PROPERLY the penny dropped that the 'gasket' for the IP is not a gasket at all - it's a shim to calibrate the timing of the Injection Pump, and these 'shims' come in varying thicknesses from 0.2mm up to 1.0mm, and the timing is set up by getting the correct height of the IP above the timing camshaft. I thought it was just a gasket, and CHUCKED the @#^%+ng thing weeks ago and used silicone gasket sealant instead.


Ordered a set of shims for around £16 plus FAT.

Will set the timing up on Thursday.

[Stock]

Does it require spill timing??

[jackpreacher]

Does it require spill timing??

I think so - the manual doesn't mention the term "spill", but it amounts to the same thing - using the timing marks to see when fuel is delivered to the injector by removing the pipe from the injector and observing the exact crankshaft location when the IP port opens and let's fuel 'spill' out.

I'll add photos of the procedure on Thursday, unless life blunders in the way........

TBC

[Muz]

1. Got the injectors back today - fully serviced by a professional.
2. After reading the service manual PROPERLY the penny dropped that the 'gasket' for the IP is not a gasket at all - it's a shim to calibrate the timing of the Injection Pump, and these 'shims' come in varying thicknesses from 0.2mm up to 1.0mm, and the timing is set up by getting the correct height of the IP above the timing camshaft. I thought it was just a gasket, and CHUCKED the @#^%+ng thing weeks ago and used silicone gasket sealant instead.


Ordered a set of shims for around £16 plus FAT.

Will set the timing up on Thursday.

Hmm .. I didnt know that .. but it isnt really timing .. thats done by the gears in the timing case, which are notched accordingly, and cannot be 'out' otherwise the engine will not fire.

What you may have found is a way to 'advance' or retard the injection process, which can over fuel the engine a little or otherwise

Ive had One of volvos fitters , a few years ago re seal with silicone and I thought nothing of it, it didnt change the engines performance .. be interested to see what you find Jack

[Stock]

Might have something to do more with the correct displacement volume of fuel than timing.........

[Muz]

Might have something to do more with the correct displacement volume of fuel than timing.........

I think you are right .. Plunger height is displacement

[jackpreacher]

Might have something to do more with the correct displacement volume of fuel than timing.........

Yeah, Muz got it - it is the equivalent of advancing or retarding the ignition and NOT the timing of the IP. I assume the volume of fuel 'squirts' will be fixed by the IP port capacity, but when that volume is released to the injector may/may not be critical. Anyway, the procedure to get the angle of the IP cams correctly setup is straightforward but a little daft. I'll copy the relevant part of the manual tomorrow and post it here - you'll see what I mean by daft

[jackpreacher]

I think you are right .. Plunger height is displacement

Of course it is!,, stooopid Jack

Thanks chaps - that's possibly why the blue smoke was occurring after the IP repair - far too much fuel, hence injectors fouling, hence less power, hence....er.......hence

[jackpreacher]

Might have something to do more with the correct displacement volume of fuel than timing.........

Bang on.

[jackpreacher]

So I'll start with the thickest shim (which, from memory is thicker than the one I chucked) and work downwards. The thicker the shim the less plunger displacement, the less fuel 'shot'.

[jackpreacher]

Time waits for no Volvo, so Doug has to wait until the first week in January before I can try him out with his serviced injectors and proper 'timing' shims in place. I will continue to notate/photograph from then.

There is more to the IP shims than meets the eye though, as Stock & Muz observed. I suspect that the original shim (which I chucked) was probably the correct thickness.

TBC