How to replace fuel injector cups on 3RZFE?

Waiting for new fuel injectors to arrive and found a few of my injector cups chipped/cracked. The front one is the very worst. I saw LCE sells a set of new ones: https://www.lceperformance.com/Fuel-Injector-Cup-2RZ-3RZ-Set-of-4-With-O-Rings-p/1065013.htm

However, since they are hard plastic I'm worried about them falling down into the engine when I attempt to remove them. I don't see any other way to get them out other than chipping away and picking up the pieces.

Right now my throttle body is already off and I'm thinking of going ahead and removing the entire manifold to put new gaskets on and clean out a bunch of carbon build-up in the plenums. Would I have access to catch the plastics from the intake holes once the lower plenum is off?

Anyone who's done this before on a 3RZFE know any tips? Is it even worth the trouble at all? I'm definitely not in any position to remove the entire head so it has to stay where it's at.





Thanks

 

You'll need a dental pick and tank vac. Keep the vac hose close as you pick the plastic out. If you work the pick around and under the ring may come out in one piece.
Looks like your order includes everything needed except crush washers.

 

The reason the outer edge of these cups are all beat up ....
in some of these engines it is a royal pia to get the new cups in.....
to the point of actually breaking them.......problem squeezing in that o-ring...

Nobody got in there and jack hammered those cups for fun of it........
so think very carefully before you pop them out.....

 

Alright so I took the upper & lower plenums off and low-and-behold have I got a mountain of carbon build up on these suckers.

I tried going at it with a small pick and my shop-vac but it's barely doing a thing. Ports are too small to stick a brush into...Are there any products that are safe to spray into these intake ports? What are some good ideas of getting this gunk out safely?

 

@CitizenSnips5
Have you done a compression test and leak down test on this engine ?
Pull the PCV valve and check if it's constantly open.

 

Great time to swap the fuel filter too

 

I changed the PCV Valve and Grommet when I redid the Valve Cover Gasket a few months ago.

Haven’t had a compression check.

I have a diesel mechanic friend who said don’t mess with the carbon since it may fall onto the pistons, and that this doesn’t look that bad. I’m tempted to still clean it up though.

If I had known I would be pulling my intake out I would have waited until now! I changed it already through the wheel-well recently haha

 

To anyone else looking to solve this issue, I basically just did what this guy does in his video and it worked great:

https://youtu.be/c_VK-cUoccE

 

Regarding the injector cups, I used a 12" long bolt that I modified into a cup puller. Don't remember the diameter (might have been 3/4"), but it was just big enough for the threads to bite the inner walls of the cup. I tapered the end and cut two grooves in the threads, so that it would function like a big self tapping screw. I sprayed some penetrating oil around each cup and let it soak in. Gently screwed the modified bolt into each cup a bit and wiggled and pulled until the cup released. It worked pretty darn well. I can post a pic of the bolt if you'd like.

I also cleaned my intake passages of carbon build up. Mine were much worse than yours. I fabricated a sort of hooked scraper with a radius end that matched the intake. I'd stick it in, not touching anything, until it was past the carbon gooo, then pressed it against the intake wall and pulled/scraped the goo out. I don't think much fell into the intake and I wasn't too concerned if it did, as I figured it would either burn up in the combustion process or get blown out on the exhaust stroke.

 

Hey all, my original head is dead (see my post from last week) and I have a new bare head on order to swap my original valves and springs over to. Is there preferred source for new injector cups? The old ones are actually pliable - maybe I could heat them with a hair dryer and pull them out? Sorry if I'm overthinking this...
-Karl

 

MOTACO that was an outstanding idea, I fought these things for 15 mins on just one and still didn’t get it. Read your suggestion (I just happened to have 12” of 3/4” all thread ) and they were all out within 2 minutes.

 

@Ziggy297 did you cut the end of the all thread to make it like a selftapper? If so can you share that pic?

 

I did 4 small cuts to the end on the thread

 

Awesome, I appreciate the pic and the time you took to send it.

 

No problem, it worked really well for me and hope you experience the same result!