Clearly I did something that I wasn't supposed to do.

I was "checking" the rear fuel injector on my 1980 245 4cyl MECHANICALLY fuel injected motor. The car was running fine before I did this the "checking procedure," (I was getting a carbon fouled plug every 750 miles or so, which is why it was running fine right before I checked it). Now it won't start. I'm sure it was something I did. Who knows the fix?

I pulled the fuel injector out.
I set the injector up so that I could observe the spray pattern.
I pulled the wire going into the coil.
I tried to start it and nothing came out (but this was probably due to my testing, i feel sure that the injector does work).
I put the wire back on the coil and tried to start. Again no spray and no start.
So then I take the mechanical injector off the fuel supply line (I did not depressureize the system, which may explain my problem now).
I clean the injector.
I put the injector back on and in the head.
It won't start. Continuous cranking and it won't start. Pulling the fuses going to the fuel pumps and trying to start and them putting them back and trying to start, AND no start.

I think I have violated some pressurizing system issue. Anybody know how to resolve it?

thanks,
jon

Is there spark?
Is the cold start injector spraying during cranking? It's easy to remove and check.
If the above is ok then remove injectors without disconnecting anything. Slip on some clear plastic hose from the hardware store and run into individual plastic soda bottles. Jumper the pump relay, and with the air intake hose off the air meter, open it with a piece of hose. Check that each injector is spraying and
closely inspect the spray pattern from each injector. Let run until the bottles are about 1/2 full. Then compare the levels between bottles.

Disconnect the wires on the negative coil terminal if you wish to prevent sparking to plugs. Removing the high tension lead can damage ignition system parts. When the coil output has no place to discharge to it will rise to levels that can break down insulation and damage the semiconductors in the ignition module.

that makes sense. I will change my ways.

jon

Check the high tension lead that you pulled from the coil. Did you get it all the way back in? That might be the cause of your no start condition. It's about all I can see that you might have done.
You are going about testing the injector wrong. I would be tempted to say that, since you didn't remove the other injectors when you were testing the one, that you had flooded the cylinders with raw gas because if one is spraying, they all are. And that might be the cause of the no start. You might pull the plugs and see if they're soaked with gasoline. If so leave them out for a while until it evaporates. But no spray from the one would indicate none from the rest unless that injector is defective. You say it's good and it probably is. But you won't get any spray from the injector until you lift the air sensor plate with the fuel pumps running.
It helps if you have four hands so get someone to help you and do the following. Pull all the injectors because you don't want unburned fuel pouring into the cylinders and getting past the rings into the crankcase oil. Put the one you want to test in a big glass jar. Put the others in some other large container. Remove the rubber boot between the air cone and the throttle body. Put a jumper between fuses 5 and 7 to run the pumps. A remote starter device works good for this so you can start the pumps from the engine compartment when you're ready. With the pumps running lift the air sensor plate in the cone, but gently. It can be damaged. You might have to grab the hex nut with a pair of needle nose pliers. You can loop a piece of string around it to make it easier. You'll want to test the other injectors as long as they're out and that way you don't have to keep using the pliers.
Okay, string in place, injectors are out and contained. Start the fuel pumps. Lift up the plate. Observe the injector in the jar. Note the spray pattern. Do the same for the other injectors. Clean or replace injectors that don't have a conical or partially conical pattern.
The rubber boot between the cone and throttle is a bear to replace but there's a trick you can do with a piece of wire which I have never tried but if I cone locate the thread where it is described I'll post back unless Foster sees this and wants to explain it again.
--
'80 DL 2 dr

Bulletproof,

Thanks for the response.

As for my problem with the non-start, I kept checking the coil lead and it was properly installed. Today I went out and giggled the wires leading into the coil and then i heard the main fuel pump come on. Apparently I must have moved the female connectors slightly when I originally pulled the main coil wire. The odd thing is that the connecters were super tight, I guess they just moved a bit on to a corroded spot. Anyway, I cleaned the male terminals and all the symptoms above indicate that the problem happened when I originally pulled the coil wire when I started testing.

Thanks for posting the detailed account of how to clean the injectors. I am going to tackle that one next weekend.

jon