Optimax Air Injectors

[clayc]

‘13 250 ProXS

Hey guys, need some opinions. I posted earlier about finding a bad compressor. It wasn’t blown, but the rod bearing and rod journal are trashed.

I sent the injectors off to a reputable injector service. Just got off the phone after being told 5 of 6 air injectors are “way” out of spec and are bad. Fuel injectors are fine.. At $750 ea for the air injectors, I about puked.

How often do you all see air injectors going bad? Any suggestions where to purchase them?

[David - WI]

There are a ton of them on Ebay... you could buy & test a whole set of used ones for the cost of one new one??

[XstreamVking]

Yep, bought some off inter web. New is crazy.

[clayc]

There are a ton of them on Ebay... you could buy & test a whole set of used ones for the cost of one new one??

Thought about it, but damn that’s a gamble. I’d be afraid to buy them, send em off for cleaning / flow test, to learn the ones I just purchased are bad.

[rock]

Call Chris Carson. He's an advertiser here and very reputable.

Rock

[clayc]

Just called the Injector Svc back, had a long conversation. Said he fails a high number of air injectors. He also warned me about how many brand new / right out of the box air injectors that fail testing and Merc will not stand behind them. That’s BS at $700 each.

Curious…. Do most of you have the air injectors flow tested? Or just run em until you experience problems? Wondering if this air injector failure is as prominent as it seems and if there’s been any legal action against Merc over it!

[XstreamVking]

That’s sounds like bs. You can initially check the air injectors by ohm meter, And mercury will warranty new parts

[clayc]

That’s sounds like bs. You can initially check the air injectors by ohm meter, And mercury will warranty new parts

I’ve made a couple phone calls. Starting to get the feeling I’m being shoveled a load of BS. I’m highly considering sending the Air Inj.s off to another service and get a second opinion. Blows my mind that 5 are bad and being told Merc will not back a new part if its bad!

[Jim Speros]

The air injectors are the single most important part on a DFI. They are a metering devise. Whether or not it works or not is not the point. It must meter properly. They need to warm up to stabilize for testing. Once metal goes thru them they are done.
Any electric part once opened is non returnable. If your compressor failed the entire hose and rail system should be cleaned.

[Jim Speros]

Additionally the rod journal relys on splash to oil it. Unless they have changed it and I doubt it, the oil that falls off bearing above it oils the rod bearing. It is imperative that the engine has time at start up to allow oil to flow before hammer the throttle.

[clayc]

The air injectors are the single most important part on a DFI. They are a metering devise. Whether or not it works or not is not the point. It must meter properly. They need to warm up to stabilize for testing. Once metal goes thru them they are done.
Any electric part once opened is non returnable. If your compressor failed the entire hose and rail system should be cleaned.

New compressor installed. Will flush the lines and rails before reassembly. Already flushed exiting oil lines from compressor and have new oil filters on order for those lines.

[clayc]

Additionally the rod journal relys on splash to oil it. Unless they have changed it and I doubt it, the oil that falls off bearing above it oils the rod bearing. It is imperative that the engine has time at start up to allow oil to flow before hammer the throttle.

I always let engine warm up, regardless of winter or summer.

[Jim Speros]

[QUOTE=clayc;3351791

Curious…. Do most of you have the air injectors flow tested? Or just run em until you experience problems? Wondering if this air injector failure is as prominent as it seems and if there’s been any legal action against Merc over it![/QUOTE]

The injectors are doing a lot of work. Think about it. They are holding compression on one side and equal pressure of fuel/ air mix on the other. The pulse at engine speed.

Its much better to service them at first hint of and issue. Like struggling suddenly to get on plane. Then to wait for a failure.

[clayc]

After a couple phone calls to reputable injection cleaning / service businesses, I was told the business I sent the injectors too are one of the best. A direct competitor told me this when I told him where I sent my injectors; “He a competitor of mine and if he said they are bad and out of spec, they are bad and needing replaced, he’s good at what he does”!

So, with that info I see no need to get a second opinion. Now to call the banker and start looking for someone who has 5 new ones. Damn they are expensive!

[boostalmighty]

i had a similiar situation to yours, all my fuel injectors were good, 2 air injectors were clogged beyond cleaning, and 2 were not pulsing at all. i absolutely could not believe it so i got them back and sent them to someone else, second company told me the exact same thing first company told me. he asked me who i sent them to first and when i told him he said vouched for them as well. long story short i ended up buying 6 air injectors from merten and they flow tested them before sending them over to me. also, fyi my engine was not showing any symptoms, i just sent them out as a preventative maintanence.