Potential Hydrolock Situation-Q45

[Q45denver]

I would appreciate any advise anyone might have regarding a potential hydrolock situtation that came up while replacing a fuel injector on a 90 Q45. I let the car sit overnight with one of the injectors removed and noticed the next day that the top of the cylinder was filled with gas. I sucked up as much as I could and blew with compressed air. Do I need to remove the spark plug in this cylinder (a several hour job) or should I just take a chance that most of the gas will flow past the rings if I let it sit a couple of days. Alternatively, I could attempt to move the engine with a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer bolt. I'm afraid that the starter has too much torque and could bend the rod.

[Q45tech]

Remove the spark plug, hand rotate to open valves and use shop air.

Till you've bent a rod and spent 35-40 hours changing it, you haven't lived.

Didn't drain and blow out the rails before changing an injector shame.

[Q451990]

I'm not sure how well isolated a shop vac is from creating a spark, but I once used a wet/dry vac reduced to a small tube to suck water out of the intake on my truck. I was flushing the radiator while I had the throttle body off and forgot that one of the hoses that went to the throttle body was aimed right over plenum openings! Worked pretty well - but in your case I'd be extra careful and pull the spark plug...

I would change the oil too, since the fuel has probably seeped past the rings and into the crank case.

Q45Tech, would it be worth squirting some oil in the cylinder after the gas is removed to help with compression since the rings are probably washed clean?

Heath

[DAEDALUS]

Bad idea on the shop vac. If the gas doesn't ignite it will damage/break the shop vac. Gasoline is a strong solvent.

[Q45tech]

The head space is 55 cc, so a small amount of motor oil would be good a spoonful...........definitely change oil and filter after it has been running a few minutes.

But even if 200cc flowed from rail thats only 200/24000=~~1% dilution.

Never really measured how much gasoline could flow out of a fuel rail but it is definitely double what the head space is!

[Q451990]

Bad idea on the shop vac. If the gas doesn't ignite it will damage/break the shop vac. Gasoline is a strong solvent.

Thought so... looks like pulling the plug is the only answer.

[squeefoo]

My Q has a newer engine from the "import experts" doing that.From what I heard just after I bought it, "they" were putting in injectors, and put a rod through the block when they turned it over. Cost them at the time around $4k for this motor, and didn't even put the new injectors in! I found lots of disconnected hoses and connectors too. Be fussy it's worth it. (didn't loosen the gas cap EH?) :smile

[Q45denver]

Thanks for tips guys, forgot about the gas cap. Mine develops tremendous pressure and seems to retain it for days on end. Only took about an hour to get the spark plug out. The new injector made a big difference-ran rough at first then smoothed out as the BG 44K cleaned it up. It had been in storage for several years so was probably pretty gunked up. Is there any way to bench clean these? I think the old no. 2 injector (which only had about 10K miles on it) was done in by a small coolant leak from the filler neck that sprayed on the injector. The new updated filler neck is cast aluminum and fits the filler cap much tighter. Also I noticed that I had a loose connection on the IAC which I think I fixed temporarily with a wire tie. Idles at about 650 now with A/c on and in drive. Are replacement connectors available separately for these or do I need to replace the whole wiring harness?

[squeefoo]

There is a guy around here who bench cleans injectors. He has a machine that cycles methyl chloride through with ultrasonics, I've used him for some stuff including my dads Q, in which it worked well. Haven't done it on mine yet. Call Scottsville for connectors, I know they have others maybe those, talk to Joe. I forgot to loosen my cap when I put in my fuel pump, right in the eye!