How important is this gasket? Topic is solved

1998s70GLT · Post by **1998s70GLT** » 17 Nov 2020, 15:00

While pulling my injectors on ‘98 S70 GLT some months ago, I bent the little rail that appears to be a gasket for the injectors. I bent the metal back in place, seated the injectors back in and everything was fine for hundreds of miles.

Today, I smelled gasoline wherein I figured out that it was coming from this injector. I’m onside of the road and want to get back home— 10 minutes or so driving to get back home.

Does this gasket prevent gas from coming out of the injectors? Is it safe to drive back home with the potential of gas leaking?

I’ll go to a junkyard tomorrow and pull a gasket off of another car.

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 17 Nov 2020, 15:26

It's not so much a gasket, as it actually does secure the injectors and the fuel input line into the fuel rail. I lost one of the screws once and that alone was enough to have the fuel input line leak a lot of gas all over the engine while I was driving on the highway at high speed/heat. Yours looks bent enough to have the injector not all the way in. It's definitely not safe when you have gas leaking from there. That being said, I was possibly driving for up to an hour before I recognized my car was leaking and I didn't explode. Mine was pretty heavy and spraying all over the place, but I ended up successfully using zip ties to get me to where I was going with no leaking.

Personally, would I risk the 10 min drive to get home with a minor leak knowing what I know? Probably, but only if I could stop the leak somehow with a zip tie or something. Safest answer is to not drive it.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 17 Nov 2020, 15:43

Lay it out on a flat straight edge and tap it back true with a small hammer.

1998s70GLT · Post by **1998s70GLT** » 17 Nov 2020, 16:00

I seated the injector in snug, ran the car for ~10 minutes to make sure there was no leak and then I drove back home. I got back home and noticed that there is still no leak. Tomorrow I’ll pull a new rail and replace it.

When replacing that rail, can I just remove the three T25 bolts or di I have to pull the injectors first?

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 17 Nov 2020, 16:15

1998s70GLT wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 16:00 I seated the injector in snug, ran the car for ~10 minutes to make sure there was no leak and then I drove back home. I got back home and noticed that there is still no leak. Tomorrow I’ll pull a new rail and replace it.

When replacing that rail, can I just remove the three T25 bolts or di I have to pull the injectors first?

If you just have the fuel rail out like you did, it's super easy with just the 3 bolts. Not sure if I'm misunderstanding you, but you can't remove the injectors from the fuel rail without removing that metal plate.

Post by **scot850** » 17 Nov 2020, 17:06

Like the guys have said. The metal 'comb' is just a retainer. It locks into the slots on the injectors to prevent them sliding out under pressure.

As suggested remove the metal, and gently hammer it flat again. What seals the injector is the injector 'O' ring. With the comb bent it allows the injector to slide out enough to weep gas out.

If the comb in the area of the injector is soft, it may straighten but bend again in use. Careful use of a hammer should help harden the metal again as it is straightened.

Good Luck!

Neil.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 17 Nov 2020, 17:16

scot850 wrote: ↑17 Nov 2020, 17:06 Like the guys have said. The metal 'comb' is just a retainer. It locks into the slots on the injectors to prevent them sliding out under pressure.

As suggested remove the metal, and gently hammer it flat again. What seals the injector is the injector 'O' ring. With the comb bent it allows the injector to slide out enough to weep gas out.

If the comb in the area of the injector is soft, it may straighten but bend again in use. Careful use of a hammer should help harden the metal again as it is straightened.

Good Luck!

Neil.

+1
volvolugnut

Post by **Sveedy** » 17 Nov 2020, 18:43

So did all of the 850's have that retainer ? I know mine doesn't so I am wondering. Seems like a good idea.

Post by **abscate** » 18 Nov 2020, 05:12

I think all cars retain the fuel injectors with some sort of clamp, your might be missing Sveedy

Yikes

Post by **Sveedy** » 18 Nov 2020, 08:34

Well I found another post here that said that cars with the orange injectors did not have that retainer. Cars with blues or whites did.
I'm going out to the junkyard today to look at a recent arrival so I'm going to check this out. Seems like the two bolts hold the fuel rail down so I don't see how an injector could pop out anyway.