262 General: V6 not starting

[1978]

Have recently purchased a 262 coupe which has been parked up for many years. I will start and run on all 6 cylinders albeit for a few seconds. I discovered that there was no fuel coming out off the fuel distributor so replaced all the seals and tin gasket which was damaged (someone had been in there before) I now have fuel pressure at the injectors but only 3 injectors spray or should I say dribble or squirt to one side. I am assuming that the injectors could be blocked with fuel residue due to the car being unused for so long empty of fuel. My question is are the injectors serviceable or can they be cleaned? Or is it looking like new injectors.
Many thanks in advance Pete

[AndrewBrown]

Take the injectors off the pipes and see if you have fuel from all six of them at once

put them in jam jars before cranking as the delivery is a lot to soak an engine
also you can see if there is the same amount from each one

if its coming out OK the injectors need servicing, there's small filters in them

but you can get them cleaned or replacements

[Dippydog]

I believe there are places that do ultrasonic cleaning of injectors,although at what cost I don't know.

[Laird Scooby]

It sounds like the main pressure pump isn't working or if it is, not well enough.

As the car has been stood for a while, i'd get a couple of gallons of fresh fuel and mix ~200ml synthetic ATF (Carlube ATF-U for preference as i know it works for this) in with the fresh petrol.

Add this to the tank, start the car and get an assistant to keep it running by careful use of the throttle. Meanwhile crawl underneath with a small hammer and give the body of the main fuel pressure pump a few taps - you might actually hear it either start running or speed up.

Not a guaranteed fix but given the low cost and short time involved, well worth trying as it will lubricate the pumps, injectors and distributor (and clean them too), help to remove rust and revive old oil seals and generally help everything start moving again as it should.

Also make sure there are no leaks or possible leaks on the "sock" between the fuel distributor and throttle body. If there are leaks, there isn't always enough airflow through the fuel distributor to move the flap that alters the injection pressure.

Check to make sure you have a good supply to the warm up regulator and that the hole in the bottom of it is clear - if it's blocked it can create a vacuum which reduces the injection pressure, worse still when it's cold!

You may also have a lot of condensation in the tank as it's been stood so long. Assuming you don't have the long range tank (which is actually a separate tank mounted high up on the rear of the back seat broadly speaking) then if the fuel level is at or below 1/4 of a tank, add :

https://www.toolstation.com/methylated-spirit/p99550

Don't mess about with smaller bottles or just adding a bit, it won't work! Needs to be all of it in ~4 gallons of fuel, a 1/4 tank is ~3.5-4.0 gallons so about right. You can if you want add this at the same time as the synthetic ATF to your fuel, save having to do two or three separate adding operations as it can get fiddly with the small amounts. Also you can shake the Jerry can to mix it before adding which helps.

As an aside, also worth checking your air filter isn't blocked, collapsed through damp or whatever, check/clean the inside of the dizzy cap and rotor arm, check/clean the spark plugs and gap them to 0.65mm (usual is 0.7mm but given it might not have the full amount of fuel for idle at the moment, go a smidge tighter to help firing), clean the coil and dizzy cap connections where the HT leads fit in and make sure the PCV system isn't blcoked anywhere and no air leaks on the inlet manifold side from split breather hoses, vac advance lines etc.

Might not be an instant fix but should improve things as time goes on with some improvement almost instantly, even if not to perfect running order.

[1978]

Originally Posted by AndrewBrown

Take the injectors off the pipes and see if you have fuel from all six of them at once

put them in jam jars before cranking as the delivery is a lot to soak an engine
also you can see if there is the same amount from each one

if its coming out OK the injectors need servicing, there's small filters in them

but you can get them cleaned or replacements

Many thanks for your reply Andrew, yes we have fuel pressure at the injector connection but nothing coming out of the injector. I took the injectors off the connections and tried to blowing through them, a few blew what fuel had accumulated inside them out the tip end in a sort of fashion. 4 other wouldn't would blow through using the compressor air, I have soaked them, one injector let some fuel blow through under high pressure. All together there is 3 injectors letting the fuel through. So looks like they will need attention then.

Originally Posted by Dippydog

I believe there are places that do ultrasonic cleaning of injectors,although at what cost I don't know.

Thanks Dippydog, I will search the internet for such places.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It sounds like the main pressure pump isn't working or if it is, not well enough.

As the car has been stood for a while, i'd get a couple of gallons of fresh fuel and mix ~200ml synthetic ATF (Carlube ATF-U for preference as i know it works for this) in with the fresh petrol.

Add this to the tank, start the car and get an assistant to keep it running by careful use of the throttle. Meanwhile crawl underneath with a small hammer and give the body of the main fuel pressure pump a few taps - you might actually hear it either start running or speed up.

Not a guaranteed fix but given the low cost and short time involved, well worth trying as it will lubricate the pumps, injectors and distributor (and clean them too), help to remove rust and revive old oil seals and generally help everything start moving again as it should.

Also make sure there are no leaks or possible leaks on the "sock" between the fuel distributor and throttle body. If there are leaks, there isn't always enough airflow through the fuel distributor to move the flap that alters the injection pressure.

Check to make sure you have a good supply to the warm up regulator and that the hole in the bottom of it is clear - if it's blocked it can create a vacuum which reduces the injection pressure, worse still when it's cold!

You may also have a lot of condensation in the tank as it's been stood so long. Assuming you don't have the long range tank (which is actually a separate tank mounted high up on the rear of the back seat broadly speaking) then if the fuel level is at or below 1/4 of a tank, add :

https://www.toolstation.com/methylated-spirit/p99550

Don't mess about with smaller bottles or just adding a bit, it won't work! Needs to be all of it in ~4 gallons of fuel, a 1/4 tank is ~3.5-4.0 gallons so about right. You can if you want add this at the same time as the synthetic ATF to your fuel, save having to do two or three separate adding operations as it can get fiddly with the small amounts. Also you can shake the Jerry can to mix it before adding which helps.

As an aside, also worth checking your air filter isn't blocked, collapsed through damp or whatever, check/clean the inside of the dizzy cap and rotor arm, check/clean the spark plugs and gap them to 0.65mm (usual is 0.7mm but given it might not have the full amount of fuel for idle at the moment, go a smidge tighter to help firing), clean the coil and dizzy cap connections where the HT leads fit in and make sure the PCV system isn't blcoked anywhere and no air leaks on the inlet manifold side from split breather hoses, vac advance lines etc.

Might not be an instant fix but should improve things as time goes on with some improvement almost instantly, even if not to perfect running order.

Many thanks for the very informative reply Laird Scooby. The fuel tank was completely empty and I think was for a very long time, fresh fuel 20litres was added, (we'll now add the Meth's as there could be condensation build up which would cause a lot of water) new in-tank fuel pump fitted, there is another filter or what looks like a primary filter fitted just in front of the rear axle under the car (could this be the main pressure pump you are talking about?) and another filter fitted on the bulkhead, we have by-passed this bulkhead filter and there is good flow coming through, it was flowing into the fuel distributor but nothing coming out of this unit. I stripped the fuel distributor and replaced the internal parts and now have good flow out of the fuel distributor and down to the injector connections. A few injectors let fuel through but the rest don't, I have swapped the injectors over with the one that worked to eliminate the line blockage. You can't blow through the injectors by blowing into them with you mouth, only using the air compressor with 60+ psi to get them to work, some wont even work with more pressure from the compressor. The injectors might be passed it?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 1978

I stripped the fuel distributor and replaced the internal parts and now have good flow out of the fuel distributor and down to the injector connections. A few injectors let fuel through but the rest don't, I have swapped the injectors over with the one that worked to eliminate the line blockage. You can't blow through the injectors by blowing into them with you mouth, only using the air compressor with 60+ psi to get them to work, some wont even work with more pressure from the compressor. The injectors might be passed it?

They might be but so far what you've said doesn't put me off thinking that with some ATF in with the petrol they may just get clean enough to start flowing again. As you've already done more work than i thought, just adding the ATF to the tank would be all that's needed. However if you add the meths and ATF to a litre or 2 of fuel to mix it it will go in easier.

The in-tank pump is about 20psi but something like 80-100 galls/hour flow, the main pressure pump (sounds like you've located it) is lower flow but depending on the exact pump fitted will be in the region of 60-90psi. As you appear to have plenty of flow but very little pressure (compared to what the injectors need) the hammer trick on that underbody pump combined with the ATF might just get it running better. It's almost free so worth a try especially as ultrasonic injector cleaning is about £15 (+VAT usually) per injector :

https://www.emeraldm3d.com/emerald-s...ditioning.html

Not sure if they do K-Jet injectors, just electronic ones so i'd suggest a phone call to check before sending them off.

[1978]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

They might be but so far what you've said doesn't put me off thinking that with some ATF in with the petrol they may just get clean enough to start flowing again. As you've already done more work than i thought, just adding the ATF to the tank would be all that's needed. However if you add the meths and ATF to a litre or 2 of fuel to mix it it will go in easier.

The in-tank pump is about 20psi but something like 80-100 galls/hour flow, the main pressure pump (sounds like you've located it) is lower flow but depending on the exact pump fitted will be in the region of 60-90psi. As you appear to have plenty of flow but very little pressure (compared to what the injectors need) the hammer trick on that underbody pump combined with the ATF might just get it running better. It's almost free so worth a try especially as ultrasonic injector cleaning is about £15 (+VAT usually) per injector :

https://www.emeraldm3d.com/emerald-s...ditioning.html

Not sure if they do K-Jet injectors, just electronic ones so i'd suggest a phone call to check before sending them off.

Many thanks again Dave, I'll get back to the car next week and try the pressure pump hammer trick and a ATF. I contacted a company who cleans the injectors, however he does think that the injectors may not benefit from a clean as they have been sitting in the car unused and without fuel since 1998 that they may well have corrosion in side and even if they get them free of debris there would be a chance that the seats will be pitted and with the cost of cleaning, new injectors would be a better bet. We will check first though what you are suggesting just to make sure.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by 1978

Many thanks again Dave, I'll get back to the car next week and try the pressure pump hammer trick and a ATF. I contacted a company who cleans the injectors, however he does think that the injectors may not benefit from a clean as they have been sitting in the car unused and without fuel since 1998 that they may well have corrosion in side and even if they get them free of debris there would be a chance that the seats will be pitted and with the cost of cleaning, new injectors would be a better bet. We will check first though what you are suggesting just to make sure.

The thing to do then is try what i suggested, see if you can get them flowing and if tapping the main pump underneath gets it going and restores fuel pressure and if so, do they leak when the engine is switched off? If they leak then yes, you'll have to go for new injectors but if it's just a bit of dirt causing it, that should clear in time. Leaky injectors will cause hot start problems though so you may have to give it the hot start method when it is hot.

[1978]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

The thing to do then is try what i suggested, see if you can get them flowing and if tapping the main pump underneath gets it going and restores fuel pressure and if so, do they leak when the engine is switched off? If they leak then yes, you'll have to go for new injectors but if it's just a bit of dirt causing it, that should clear in time. Leaky injectors will cause hot start problems though so you may have to give it the hot start method when it is hot.

Many thanks Dave for your time in the responses, definitely be giving the pump the hammer treatment. Will keep you up dated
Cheers Pete

[DOUGIE68]

Having revived few old 262c ( and broken up some) I feel your pain but there is only one way to deal with it... New injectors and seals, the engine will simply not behave if there are any airleaks. they are about £23+vat each and available everywhere.
When you did the metering unit did you hone the cast faces flat and to a polish and did you smear a very thin film of Loctite on each face? If not you get leakage across the ports.
Another common issue is the tank rusting from the inside.

Was the car you got the one that went to auction with 20000mls a few months back?