Did the above job last night. Make no mistake, it is a tw*t of a job. having said that we were lucky that my 1997 banger is in quite good shape, and has an aluminium head and not an iron one.
Firstly you will need some special tools. TORX head T40 for some of the screws, and a star socket for the studs which have to be removed.
1. the cast aluminium top of the engine (the plenum chamber) will have to be removed to gain access to the glow plugs. To do this, remove the 4 screws (TORX heads)attaching the plastic rail which carries the electrical plugs at the front of the plenum chamber. This can be pulled forward and tied with string to the radiator to allow access.
2. With this out of the way. you will see the shouldered nuts holding the front of the plenum chamber. Remove these, (without dropping them;) ), You will notice that 5 of the nuts to be removed, are located on studs which have star points on their tips. Because these studs are long, they will need to be removed to allow the plenum chamber to be removed.
3. At the rear left of the plenum are 2 x 13mm bolts these will need to be removed.
4. At the rear right of the plenum, is a component connected to a rigid pipe with 2 x TORX head screws. This rigid pipe passes through the slot in the plenum chamber and will need to be free to allow the plenum to lift up. At the other (lower) end of this pipe you will see 2 studs with nuts holding this pipe to the head. Remove these nuts (the studs should come with them) and the pipe will be free to pass through the slot in the back of the plenum. Remove the 2 TORX head screws holding this component to the rigid pipe, and remove the 2 TORX head screws holding the component down on the plenum. You should now have 3 gaskets, 1 from each end of the pipe, and 1 from the component as it attaches to the plenum.
5. Under the above mentioned component you will see a large rubber tube attached to the plenum by 2 jubilee clips. Undo the left hand (outer clip) and slide the rubbed tube off the plenum.
6. The plenum chamber should now be free to lift sufficiently to allow access to the injectors and glow plugs. Be careful not to hit the injector feed pipes as the plenum rises.Once clear, we tied the plemun to the bonnet catch with string to stop it falling.
7. The removed plenum chamber now exposes the inlet ports to the engine and you should blank these ports to prevent anything falling in the cylinders.
Also be careful with the gaskets that are used to interface between the plenum and the inlet ports. I was lucky and mine stayed intact. (I used HYLOMAR gasket compound for the refit).
8. A 7mm socket will undo the nuts on the top of the plugs, to free the electrical cable.
9. the core plug body needs a 10mm long reach socket. Be careful as room is limited, and these little beauties do have a tendancy to shear. I used some penetrating fluid about 10 minutes before trying to undo the plugs. I would not risk using a 10mm ring spanner as there is very little room, and if the plug did release suddenly or shear, you risk damaging the injector feed pipe. Long reach socket is the answer.
10. remove the plugs 1 at a time and replace them. (top tip, take the nut off the top of the new plug so you dont jam it inside the socket as you try to do up the new plug).
Do not use anything on the thread of the glow plug, screw it straight in the hole.
11. Reconnect the electrical cable to the plug. (My replacement plugs had 8mm nuts not 7mm as on the old plugs).
12. Now you can replace any damaged gaskets from the inlet ports, or Hylomar them up ready for the refit.
13. The good news is, the plenum goes back on easier than it came off. Lower the plenum and we found the easiest thing to reattach first was the large rubber hose and jubilee clip at the rear right of the plenum.
14. Now replace the hylomared gaskets (3 off) at the back of the plenum..... (remember the pipe which passes through the slot at the rear of the plenum?) do that next.
15. Now you can refit the 5 studs through the plenum into the head. (Don't over tighten them they should not have been very tight when you took them out).
16. Now you can refit the shouldered nuts, 5 on the studs you have just refitted, and I think it's 9 at the bottom front of the plenum.
17. Now refit the 2 x 13mm bolts at the rear left of the plenum.
18. Now the plastic rail carrying the electrical connectors can be refitted with its 4 TORX head screws.
I also replaced the fuel filter, but that should be that.
Good luck.
ioan
January 2008
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