Cold Start Injector

The used injectors showed up in Saturday, 2 days after I bought them on eBay. Spent all day Saturday cleaning the shop, including pressure washing the floor so I didn't get back on the 4runner until Sunday morning. I checked the used injectors all worked. installed one in place of the plugged one, and put it back together. The miss was gone. Took it for a test run and it ran like a top, pulling like it should up the long hill. Parked it, started it a 1/2 hour later, and it was missing again!

Back in the shop. Pulled the plugs, it looks like #3 isn't firing. Before yanking the intake chamber off again to get to the injectors (2 hour job) I decided to jumper the fuel pump ON and let it run for a long time, which would cycle the fuel through the fuel filter and the fuel system. The idea was to knock whatever crap is in there loose.

I put the plugs back in this morning and it wouldn't start. Sounded like no fuel. I verified it had fire, shot some carb cleaner into the intake and it fired a little but wouldn't catch. I kept doing this and was able to get it started, and it actually ran pretty good. Then it just died and I was unable to get it restarted. I knew it was fuel related, but what? Electrical problem on the injectors because of some sensor (crank, temp, fuel pres?), or low fuel pressure, or low flow, or plugged something??? I checked everything electrical and my vacuum lines - nothing. Then I pulled the return line off the regulator, started the fuel pump, and verified there was fuel flow.

Then I unhooked the cold start injector feed line and there was no fuel that sprayed out. Normally when you unhook something on the high-pressure side there's enough residual pressure that fuel will shoot out, even after several hours. So the pressure at the CSI was low. Hmmm. I pulled the fuel filter thinking it may be plugged from the garbage in the tank (even though it's new) - it was okay. I tried up-ing the pressure by clamping off the return line hose with some vice grips; pressure should must higher now. Still wouldn't fire. Next I completely unhooked the CSI feed line, started the pump, and let about 1/2 cup go into a catch pan. I hooked it back up and it started! My theory is I had some crap plug up the CSI line and unhooking it was enough to flush it out. It ran the one time because I put enough carb cleaner in the intake to get it fired to where the normal fuel injectors could feed the engine. Whew!

Tonight I bought 5 gal of gas because the tank was almost dry, which meant it was sucking more crap into the system. Before I put it in I pulled the pump to inspect the tank. It's pretty clean but I could have done a better job with the pressure washer. If it gunks something up again I'll try to find a radiator shop to vat it out (they're getting hard to find anymore). I called one yesterday and they said it'd be at least $90. I can get a new tank for $180, shipped.

Taxes: Got my last K1 today. Now I can do this for real...

United States of Zimbabwe: I don't think a lot of people get how serious it is that the US credit rating my drop. Once confidence drops our dollar isn't worth as much, which means it'll take more dollars to buy things from other countries, i.e. oil, clothes, autos, etc. Oil is the big one; I predict gas will be $5/gal by next summer. That means anything requiring transportation will also go way up in price, i.e. food, electricity, etc. It all means massive inflation. If you want proof, next time you see me ask to see the Zimbabwe money I have in my wallet.