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K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

My 81 NA K-jet has a rough idle. I've fixed all the vacuum leaks I can find. Among other things, the car has a new harness, new cap and rotor, new plugs and plug wires, and the timing is right on. When testing the output of the fuel injectors, I discovered that #1 injector shuts off and/or dribbles sooner than the other three injectors when I lower the air sensor plate back into resting position. When doing the test, I neglected to switch the "bad" injector with another one to see if the problem followed the injector which would indicate to me a bad injector, as compared to a problem the fuel distributor. I don't really want to take the rubber boot off and the injectors out to repeat the test.

My question: Is this problem most likely with the injector itself? Or is it just as commonly caused by the fuel distributor? If it's most likely the injector, I'll risk it and spend the $45 it will take to get one here from IPD. If the problem is just as commonly caused by the fuel distributor, I'll do the test again, this time more thoroughly, to pin the culprit down better. I'm hoping some of you can help me with this.
--
Thanks everyone for all the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, turbo bars and wheels, M46; 86 244, B230, 150k , auto.








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    K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

    "I don't really want to take the rubber boot off and the injectors out to repeat the test."

    I seem to remember lifting the plate with the boot in place, by going in from the front with a slim screwdriver. A long social finger will do it too, I believe.

    You don't need much lift to simulate the idle condition.








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      K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

      Great advice. That'll save me a lot of unnecessary work next time I test the injectors. Thanks.
      --
      Thanks everyone for all the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, turbo bars and wheels, M46; 86 244, B230, 150k , auto.








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    K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

    The problem is more than likely an injector. The fuel distributor uses small valves at each injector line, but they rarely go bad. If the break pressure is different between injectors then an injector may be faulty, assuming the pump is building pressure fully. A weak main pump will show up during an injector test.
    You don't mention what the injector spray pattern looks like at large flow rates. The pattern should be conical, and the injector should make a whistling or whining sound while spraying. If any injector shows an offset stream of fuel which is not well atomized a few inches from the tip, it is bad, and will not form a good pattern at the small idle opening. Even a bad injector will work at high RPM and full load without much in the way of symptoms. It is at idle that the spray pattern is critical.
    Replace all of the injectors if you find one or two bad ones. A quick repair is to replace the bad ones only, but the best idle quality and engine performance comes from a new set.








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      K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

      The pattern looks good at anything above the lowest flow. All four injectors spray in a conical shape and whistle nicely. My son and I enjoyed watching them at all sorts of different throttle settings. The only irregularity we noticed was that Number 1 dribbled and shut down earlier than the others. Testing injectors is relatively new to us though, so we could have missed something a more experience person would have seen.

      Thanks for the advice.
      --
      Thanks everyone for all the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, turbo bars and wheels, M46; 86 244, B230, 150k , auto.








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    K-Jet 'Bad' Injector vs. Fuel Distributor Problem - 1981 200

    Since the fuel distributor regulates flow it adjusts pressure to each injector as necessary to achieve flow equal to the other injectors. The only way an injector could stop the flow is a clog strong enough to resist full system pressure. A partially clogged injector would actually work fine at low flow rates.







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