Where's my balls at?
 

I pulled #4 and #5 injectors this weekend and swapped them out with some I had pulled, disassembled, and cleaned. Car has one less nail in the early AM starts.

I identified #5 as being the main offender by cracking lines when cold. I looked down in the hole and all I saw was a nub so I pulled #4 for comparsion and trying to look around. When cracking lines it always seems to have the least affect so I figure I would poke around. I was pressed for time and couldnt get an accurate seal on #4 cylinder but it was atleast in 275psi+ range. I mostly just wanted to make sure it wasnt completely hosed.

Anyways there were no balls in the prechambers, just nubs. I've looked around and it seems no one has DIY tool solution for the prechambers. Do you really have to pull the engine for them?

I don't think so. just pull the GP's and the injectors, then get or build a large slot tool for removal of the seal ring. then the PC's should pop right out, with a slide hammer.
John
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/107253-sale-new-prechamber-removal-tools.html

Ya but what do I need to attach the slide hammer to the PC? Anyone figure out how to do this with AZ rental tools :)? How tight is that locking collar?

Does the head HAVE to be removed?

nope, the PC should come out fine on the motor. THE GP's DO have to come out!
John

Cool. Anyone knows what happens to the balls? My stubs were very pitted. I took pics but ofcourse that far down didnt show up to well. Detonation causes this? Changes in fuel acidity?

I am so suprised that nobody has taken this thread down another road.....
:):):)

Cause it's not beer thirty yet...:D

Well its beer thirty today. I have diagnosed 3,4,5 all to have bad PCs. All missing balls. The nubs were the gp's of course and there were no balls.

Symptoms were :

LOTS (think Mt St Helens) of smoke on start until it warmed up and even then it was a minor smoke screen. Once warm the car would run fine.

While GP on, the car would run ok, as soon as they went off the car would start missing.

Poor fuel economy and poor low end power


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I had trouble with the lock ring removal but on a whim today I tried on another car at pull a part and got 3 PC's in decent condition. Still waiting for pelican parts to get in gear with the lock ring tool but I was able to replace 3 and 4.

This is what I found:
http://winmutt.com/images/prechamber1.jpg
http://winmutt.com/images/prechamber2.jpg
http://winmutt.com/images/prechamber3.jpg

Having replaced 3 and 4 with decent used PC's the car is running much smoother, almost no smoke and LOTS more power. #3 was bubbling and seeping so when I get the right tool and do #5 I will redo #3 as well. I just couldnt get the socket to stick all the way to the torque specs. The car still smoked on start up. However this could be valv guides. Some where in my pistons was the ball and the bottom of these chambers. The only thing I could see was metal flakes about 1cm x .25cm or so. I thoughtfully taped a smaller hose onto my vacuum and proceeded to vacuum my pistons. There's a first! I realize this means all kinds of awful things and that I probably would be better off with a new engine but my 30minute test drive showed me that can probably be put off for a while.

May I interrupt this thread?:P;)

Does that prechamber damage indicate a bad spray pattern?

I dont know. Know one really seems to know. The general concensus was that the wall was to thin and the balls would fall of. I think in this particular case it was the ****ty Autolite GP's I found in the trunk with missing tips. The balls seem to have broken off, not worn off.

Winmutt in response to your reply in #10, the majority of any pieces of the PC's have luckily long departed your cylinders. I have an example of what a disintegrating PC can do to a piston and cylinder.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...i/e65c2ebb.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...i/7da7bb70.jpg
Luckily not this.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...i/97f4f9a4.jpg

jeeze....


Now I want to pull my injectors and inspect mine...