Took Off Intake Plenum and Found This (PICS)

[JusTheUsual]

These pics are from the intake plenum and fuel manifold. Notice the orange compared to the other ones. That is for cylinder 2, the cylinder that's been giving me problems and code 302

http://imgur.com/Qd9qdvB

http://imgur.com/UsSrYkw

http://imgur.com/uhlu20X

http://imgur.com/vlOPoCi

My other thread is here which explains more about all the tests I did:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=424036

I needed quick responses for I'm trying to finish it and need thoughts on it

 

[boominXplorer]

Is your coolant rusty looking? Its either fuel or coolant washing the cylinder down.

 

[joecrna]

My vote is coolant.

 

[JusTheUsual]

I don't think it(that cylinder) was getting any fuel. That's why I bought a new fuel injector. The link I posted said I did all the tests except a leak down test. I don't think it has anything to do with radiator fluid although if it's not getting gas maybe it could be orange from radiator fluid with lack of explosion. Would it look like that with no gas getting into that cylinder hence me tearing it apart and getting a new injector. Or is it orange from no gas or what? Could it be orange because of no gas?

 

[lobo411]

There's no fuel or coolant anywhere near that point. Only air and blow-by. Unless the plug is crapped up, I think you're just looking at run of the mill discoloration.

 

[JusTheUsual]

Yes, so is it run of the mill discoloration from it getting no fuel?

 

[lobo411]

I recall when I took mine off there were lots of colors, ranging from light amber to black. I wouldn't be surprised to see the color you saw. What causes it? Who knows...it doesn't much matter b/c you need to deal with the problem you have, which is the misfire. The plugs are more important in this regard.

 

[JusTheUsual]

Yeah I just didn't want to do anymore to it until I found out more about colors and if no gas causes that and well its raining now and will be for the next day or 2 so I wont be doing any more to it until the rain and snow goes away in a day or 2. So anymore input definitely helps while I wait for bad weather to pass. Sucks not having a garage. Thanks for the input so far fellas. Always looking for more opinions/facts

 

[JusTheUsual]

Also, what do you's think is the best way to clean off all that stuff on the fuel manifold stuff from the intake plenum? Carb cleaner and soft brush or?

 

[lobo411]

Also, what do you's think is the best way to clean off all that stuff on the fuel manifold stuff from the intake plenum? Carb cleaner and soft brush or?

You can spray a little carb cleaner on a big lint free rag and wipe it down a little, but I wouldn't go with the brush. If you drop that brush, the cap, the red sprayer hose thing, or the rag and it goes down the intake...

 

[JusTheUsual]

You can spray a little carb cleaner on a big lint free rag and wipe it down a little, but I wouldn't go with the brush. If you drop that brush, the cap, the red sprayer hose thing, or the rag and it goes down the intake...

LOL talk about worse case scenario. I will be more careful now. I changed the spark plug to begin with to make sure it wasn't just sparkplug. It wasn't white or burnt up, if anything it was more on the oily side and not smell of gas but didn't look hardly different at all compared to rest or normal. Then replaced wires and coil. Resistance test on plug wire checked out fine even though brand new I was making sure. So I know its getting spark, compression, noid light worked, and fuel pressure is right. So all I could think of is the injector is shot but its only 3years old, I replaced all injectors then with new heads and gaskets. There's no valve rattles or chattering and the pressure holds on compression so 99percent sure without leakdown test done its injector and not valves.

I just don't know how it could be anything else but injector then seeing that orange when I took it apart I guess I was just hoping people would be like yeah that's definitely that color from the rest because of no gas and injector was bad.

 

[SoNic67]

My vote is for air being slowly sucked in (trough a bad gasket). I would say coolant too, but I can't see how it would get there on a V6...
See for example in the top-right side, how the rusty color goes over the gasket lip line? Same with lower-right corner.
Even with "enough" gas being injected, the spark plug won't be able to fire a lean mixture of air and gas.
The others are black because they suck in oil from EGR valve. The cleaner one sucks the air from around gasket and doesn't have enough vacuum left to bring in also the oily air trough your butterfly air vane (especially at idle)... it chooses the path of least resistance.


In case you didn't saw this:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171819

 

[boominXplorer]

It looks like that one cylinder cleaner is than the others? If so it is fuel injector wash and you have way too much fuel for that cylinder and its not burning. Either way I would replace the injector just to cross it off the list and prevent bigger problems.

It is common in the newer mod motors to get stuck injectors and they always clean the whole passage and sometimes will hydrolock the motor if you screw with it enough.

Another thing it could be is an issue with the pushrod or rocker arm on the intake valve of that cylinder. the valve could be staying closed holding all the fuel up top and not letting it down into the cylinder. Remember fuel does evaporate very quickly so there will be no evidence of it. If it was coolant it would be wet still.

 

[SoNic67]

How would the injector spray gasoline all the way up into intake manifold, against air flow and opposite of injector orientation?
The injector is blowing straight into the intake valve...

 

[JusTheUsual]

Definitely not gas causing it. If anything the opposite is true of no gas getting into that cylinder. This engine has a big loss in power, motor shakes not a lot but does, and the check engine light flashes when going over 40-45mph. It's definitely missing at least 25percent of power.

 

[boominXplorer]

How would the injector spray gasoline all the way up into intake manifold, against air flow and opposite of injector orientation?
The injector is blowing straight into the intake valve...

If the intake valve isn't opening then there is nowhere else but up to go. Also in my case with the trash in the injector on my ranger I had fuel all the way into the upper intake manifold.

 

[SoNic67]

Well, now you assume the camshaft lobe is not spinning? Otherwise a valve can't stay closed... worse case it stays open, when the spring is broken.

I really think in this case is too much air getting by.

 

[boominXplorer]

Broken rocker arm or bent pushrod and the valve won't open. I suggest pulling the valve cover off for a quick peek while your this far.

 

[JusTheUsual]

Sigh, the more possibilities of whats wrong and having me think even more, and even possibly more work and money... This project is killing me

I was going to take valve cover off if something was wrong still after all back together BUT you are right, I should just take it off now. I know what valves look like and how they work but anything in particular or knowledge of what I should do or be looking for. If no visual evidence of anything wrong with valves I know I will shake and try to move them but what else should I do or look for that's wrong with valves. I really don't want to take rockers off.

 

[boominXplorer]

Just pull the cover off and turn the crank by hand and watch, touch and wiggle everything, it should all look the same cylinder to cylinder. You turn it with a ratchet and socket by the balancer bolt.