[Roadtrip]

INSPECTION POINTS

Take a mechanics inspection mirror and small flashlight with you when you inspect the car. To give the pump a good visual inspection ask the seller to remove the air cleaner box, altitude compensator, and spark plugs. If he doesn't want remove the air cleaner box and show you the FI pump, or doesn't know how . . . . be suspicious.

1. Look for any loose wires not attached to anything. For instance, a wire not attached to the top of the Fuel Cutoff Solenoid (see fig 1, item FCS) may indicate that the microswitch that actuates the FCS is shorted out and sending a constant fuel cutoff signal to the pump. (Hence why the owner disconnected it). While not a particularly serious problem, the lack of a functioning FCS can result in backfiring during deceleration. The cost of the part itself is only about $60, but the FI pump has to be removed from the car to replace it. A wire removed from the Cold Start Solenoid could indicate that it is inoperative, as well. (see Fig 1, item CSS).

2. Pull the oil sump dipstick. Smell the oil. Does it smell like gasoline? If so, the injection pump may be leaking gasoline into the oil sump past badly worn high-pressure pump plungers. If the oil seems very freshly changed, this could be an attempt to hide the problem. Fuel leaking into the oil requires a complete injection pump rebuild. (About $750, part only). Another way (and even better way) is to sample the oil in the logic section of the FI pump itself. If the owner acquiesces, (which is probably unlikely) ask him to remove the Barometric Compensator (BC) (triangular plate with 3 screws on top of logic section of pump)(see fig 1, item BC). Do not move the throttle while the BC is removed from the FI pump. Removing the BC opens up a large hole in the top of the pump that you can peer down into using your flashlight. Look for general condition, i.e. no rust, well-oiled parts, etc. Smell the BC. It should smell like oil and not gasoline. You can also sample the oil by inserting a long thin object or a plastic straw down to the bottom of the pump, being careful not to disturb any internal parts. Draw the sample out and smell the oil. If the pump section is venting gasoline past the plungers, then the oil will probably have a strong smell of gasoline. The amount of captive oil is really very little so you will barely be able to see it with a small flashlight. This section is splash lubricated. If the parts appear dry, then consider the pump poorly maintained and expect some accelerated corrosion and wear in some of the internal parts. Also, look just forward in the barometric compensator hole and look for a long vertical spring (see Fig 3). It’s attached at the bottom to a lever and threaded onto a screw at the top. Check to ensure it's secure and not rusted. A rusted or poorly secured spring will surely fail and cause the pump to instantly and seriously malfunction.

2. Very Important - Is the plastic anti-tamper cap missing from the SPICA injection pump reference screw? See figs 4 & 5. If so, this lowers the value of the car considerably. It could be an indication that the reference screw's position was changed, thus throwing off the pump's baseline calibration. Recalibrating the pump technically requires removal and special tools. Generally speaking, if the threaded screw has about the same number of threads on both sides of the boss, it may be that the screw wasn't changed and the plastic cap was capriciously removed by an amateur mechanic, or just simply fell off due to corrosion of the safety wire. However, it still lowers the value of the car. If the cap is missing and the car is running poorly, count on a pump overhaul at about $750, not including labor. It may be possible to get the pump back into proper adjustment while on the car, but it's a tedious and time-consuming process that is probably ineffective anyway . . . and well beyond the capability of a novice owner-mechanic. Also, any future knowledgeable buyer will almost certainly note the missing cap and deduct value from the car.

3. Check the "T" number on the injection pump. Is it correct for the year car/engine that it's matched with? You can use a mirror to see the placard on the side of the pump section. For “T” number/year cross-reference, see T-number appendix at the end of this section.

4. Are the metal fuel pipes from the FI pump to the injectors rusty or not secured? These pipes must hold over 350 lbs/sq inch of pressure, so, badly corroded ones could fail. Unsecured fuel pipes will vibrate during routine engine operation and weaken from
metal fatigue. Since during the injection cycle only a tiny amount of fuel is pumped, even an miniscule crack/leak can deny fuel delivery to its respective cylinder. The only replacements available are salvage parts or on Ebay, and are difficult to readily obtain.

5. Check the front fuel filter assembly. Is it clean or does it look like the filter hasn’t been changed in a very long time? Is there a wire attached to the fuel low pressure sending unit? See Fig 6.

6. Inspect the spark plugs. Do the spark plugs show a light brown color? If they look like they were just cleaned by the owner, that could be an attempt to hide a mixture or piston ring problem. Black or sooty deposits indicate an over-rich mixture. Shiny black would be excessive oil consumption. The typical out-of-tune system is set too rich. It could also be an indication of a bad Thermostatic Actuator (TA) or, less likely, a sticky Cold Start Solenoid (CSS). Rebuilt TAs cost from about $150 to $200, depending on the extent of needed parts. They are sold on an exchange/core basis.

7. Are the rubber fuel lines in good condition? Are there any leaks?

8. Is the tailpipe black and sooty?