[seventy1]

S3 fuel rails seem to be a popular topic lately, but I haven't found an answer to my question. I'm trying to remove mine without removing the throttle body and intake to send them off for cleaning. The isolator looks to be threaded into a weld nut on the fuel rail on the top side and held with a nut to a bracket on the bottom. Getting to the bottom nut is next to impossible. I can reach it from under the car with a bunch of extensions hooked together and a u-joint, but can't get on the nut well enough to turn it. I'm using a 10mm socket, maybe the wrong size? How do I get this thing off? Here's a crummy picture of the weld nut from the top. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Tifosi]

10mm is the size you want.
About the only way is as you describe: from underneath, kicking and screaming.

You might try removing the windshield washer bottle and going in via that route with a 1/4" drive ratchet as it's a pretty straight shot once you get your arm elbow deep in there.

EDIT: that would be a 1/4" drive ratchet with 10mm deepwell, not standard, socket.

 

[seventy1]

Thanks Tifosi. I'll go back underneath and try a deep well this time - maybe that was the problem. I tried to get my hand underneath with the bottle removed, but there's too much wire harness in the way.

Who designed this stuff? I have no idea how I'll get it back together! I think I might remove the weld nut somehow and use a loose nut on top to reassemble. Will the rail actually slide out with the injectors on it?

 

[ghnl]

It's been a while since I had it put but, 1) yes the fuel rail with injectors attached can be removed (once enough other stuff is removed/moved out of the way). And B) IIRC the square nut on the rail's bracket is welded to the bracket. You have to remove the hex nut underneath the plenum support brace to release the rubber support then once the rail is out unscrew the rubber support from the welded on nut. See picture of broken rubber mount here: Fuel Rail Rubber Grommet.

More pictures here: 89 Spider Fuel Rail Cleaning.

 

[Tifosi]

Who designed this stuff?

It worked just fine at the factory because all that is assembled onto the engine before the engine actually goes into the chassis.
Just gets a little tricky when you've gotta fiddle with it while everything is still in place. In any event, it can be done, but it won't be super easy~peasy.

Harness can be unplugged/disconnected and moved with relative ease if its in the road. Just label stuff before its uncoupled.
You could remove the plenum for more room if you've not already, but that's not a lot of fun either as it too was put on pre~engine install so has it's own share of hidden fixtures and give you fits angles to deal with.

 

[sloboy89]

You might try removing the windshield washer bottle and going in via that route with a 1/4" drive ratchet as it's a pretty straight shot once you get your arm elbow deep in there.

EDIT: that would be a 1/4" drive ratchet with 10mm deepwell, not standard, socket.

Having just dealt with this, I found that I had better access reaching down around the front side of the plenum with the coolant-overflow container removed, but it is still very difficult.

 

[Tifosi]

Either way you end up hugging the plenum for a while

 

[wingwalker]

In a few weeks I'll be re-installing the engine I just rebuilt back into my project '88 Spider. I cleaned up the outside of the fuel rail, but did nothing to the inside.

I have had the injectors cleaned and would really hate to re-introduce junk from the rail. This car has been inoperative for at least two years. So, the question:

Should I send this thing out somewhere or is this a cleaning operation I can do myself? And if it needs to be sent out, where?

 

[Tifosi]

Shouldn't need a whole lot more than getting some carb cleaner into it, shake hell out of it and flushing 'til it comes out clean.
You could even fill it and let it soak for a while if you chose.

It's basically just a bit of pipe with some stubs affixed to it.

 

[seventy1]

Thanks for the responses, guys. No easy tricks for this one, so I'll just have to roll up my sleeves and dig in. Second thought, I'll keep the sleeves down to minimize the cuts and scratches.

 

[Tifosi]

But then you lose out on the manditory blood sacrifice, which in turn will cause something else to flake out in retaliation.

 

[Superflow]

Platex latex gloves hold up great, keep the hands and wrist cuts down to zero (I used them to change the motor mounts on my Spider last month), and are reusable!

 

[seventy1]

Platex latex gloves hold up great, keep the hands and wrist cuts down to zero!

Great idea, wonder if my wife will mind

 

[wingwalker]

Shouldn't need a whole lot more than getting some carb cleaner into it, shake hell out of it and flushing 'til it comes out clean.
You could even fill it and let it soak for a while if you chose.

It's basically just a bit of pipe with some stubs affixed to it.

Thanks, Darren. I had hoped it might be that straight-forward. I love fixes that come out of a rattle can.

 

[Tifosi]

Kinda like a baby bottle with rat poison pellets in it to help agitate the formula while shaking? (the bottle, not the baby)