REPAIR GUIDE FOR

DENSO COMMON RAIL INJECTOR REPAIR

DISCLAIMER
TH E FOLLOW ING DOCUMENT IS BASED ON TH E
RESULTS AND EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM STRIPPING,
REBUILDING AND TESTING NEW GENUINE DENSO
INJECTORS USING H ARTRIDGE ALL MAKES TEST
EQ UIPMENT.
TH E INFORMATION CONTAINED W ITH IN IS NOT
INTENDED FOR USE AS A SUBSTITUTE TO TH E GENUINE
DENSO REPAIR PROGRAM.IT@S CONTENT IS FOR
INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS TO BE USED AS
A GUIDE AND INTRODUCTION TO DENSO COMMON
RAIL INJECTOR REPAIR.
DIESEL DISTRIBUTORS AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED AND
DIESEL DISTRIBUTORS LIMITED IN NEW ZEALAND
ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILTY FOR ANY DAMAGE OR
INJURY TH AT MAY OCCUR FROM TH E UNAUTH ORISED
REPAIR/ADJUSTMENT OF DENSO CR INJECTORS.

Introduction
Technicaland repair inform ation surrounding Denso Com m on Railinjectors outside ofthe
Denso netw ork islim ited and scarce,yettheir use and presence w ithin the Australasian
dieselm arketis w idespread.
The follow ing docum entaim s to provide a guide to using the tooling and shim kits together
w ith genuine and non genuine parts,to strip,rebuild and testDenso @G@@type com m on rail
injectors.The inform ation herein has been gained from the dism antling,rebuild and
consequentflow and response testing ofnew Denso CR injectorsusing the H artridge CriPC
and IFT 70 allm akes program m e.Alterations to the shim adjustm entofindividualinjectors
w ere m ade and the results recorded.These results have been used to determ ine w hat
effects any changes to the shim adjustm enthave on the overallperform ance ofthe injector.
Correction codes (Q R codes)cannotbe w ritten and produced for any Denso injector using
this inform ation.The production and creation ofQ R codes requires com plex softw are and
intricate flow testing using genuine Denso/H artridge authorised equipm ent.Denso CR
injector repair involves stringentclean room practicesand very tightquality controlon build
tolerances.Please take this into consideration w hen attem pting any dism antling ofDenso
CR injectors.
H opefully this guide w illprovide an insightinto w hatcan be achieved w ith tooling available
outside ofthe Denso officialrepair program m e.Consideration should be given to the
im portance ofcorrection codesw hen undertaking any adjustm entor unofficialrepair of
ANY com m on railinjector thatuses a correction code.

Com ponentO verview and Identification:

The photo below show s an exploded stripped Denso G2 injector and labelled com ponents:

Solenoid

Calibration Shim
Solenoid Spring Shim
Solenoid Spring
Solenoid Valve
H alfBallValve
Valve SeatRetaining Nut
Valve Seat
NOP Shim
NOP Spring
Pressure Spindle

Com m and Piston

Nozzle

Dism antling
The follow ing dism antling,rebuild and testinstructions are based on the use ofthe CR
injector kit(partnum ber @ 850901)and Shim Kits (850276,850296,850301)available to
purchase from DieselDistributors,together w ith genuine and non genuine repair parts.

STEP 1 @ Solenoid Rem oval

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mountthe injector uprightin the vice using the correctholding jaw s,depending upon the
body type and using the 27m m @@r@@ @@ @@@@@gently loosen the solenoid (fig 1).Once loose
continue to loosen by hand and CAREFULLY and GENTLY rem ove the solenoid,taking care
notto drop the solenoid valve spring or tensioning shim (Fig 2).
Rem ove the @@@@@calibration @@@@ @thatw illeither stillbe saton the injector or satup inside
the solenoid body (Fig 2).
The solenoid valve can then be rem oved using long nose pliers.TAKE CARE NOT TO DROP
TH E @@ ALF BALL @AL@E@(Fig 3).This is situated in the end ofthe solenoid valve.Itis sm all
and very easily lost!!@ (Replacem entvalves and halfballvalves are available through Diesel
Distributors).

STEP 2 @ Valve SeatRem oval

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Insertthe Three Pronged Valve SeatSocketinto the guide (Fig 4),ensuring thatthe 3 prongs
are located in the 3 holes in the valve seatretaining screw and then screw the guide over
the socket.Tighten the guide allthe w ay dow n by hand untilitisfeltto @@@@@@@ @@@@@then
unscrew by approxim ately 1/8th ofa turn (Fig 5).W e need to ensure thatthe inner 3
pronged socketw illturn,w hilstm aintaining m axim um supportfrom the guide,m inim ising
the risk ofthe sockettilting.
W ARN IN G @ This nutis usually very tight!.Use a suitable breaker bar and a 14m m socket
placed over the hex on the 3 pronged socketto undo the valve seatretaining nut(Fig 6).If
unsuccessful,use an electric heatgun to apply GENTLE,MODERATE heatto the nut,then
using the brass drift,strike the nutand re try.DO N O T U SE A BLO W TO RCH !!Excessive heat
w illdam age the injector!

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

W ith the valve seatrem oved (Fig 7),carefully rem ove the 2 locating dow els (Fig 8).Rem ove
the injector from the holding jig and turn upw ards,w hilstholding your hand over the open
end ofthe body (Fig 9).The com m and piston should slide out,or atleastbegin to protrude
from the bore.W ithdraw the piston from the body.Ifthere is no m ovem entofthe
com m and piston atthis point,itm ay signify thatitisseized or tight.Ifthis is the case,then
itcan be leftin situ to be rem oved after the nozzle end has been dism antled.

STEP 3 @ Cap nutRem oval

Rem ountthe injector in the holding jig w ith the nozzle assem bly pointing upw ards.

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

As w ith the valve seatretaining nut,the nozzle retaining nutcan also be notoriously tight.
One m ethod thatcan be used to rem ove the nutm ore easily and m inim ise the risk of
dam age to the body thread and locating dow els involvesthe use ofa pipe cutter to score
the cap and @@r@@@the thread prior to rem oval.Itiscom m on practice to renew the cap nut
on CR injectorsanyw ay,so the cap nutw illhave to be discarded and a new one (available
from DieselDistributors)w illbe fitted on rebuild.
To rem ove the cap nut,score a line no deeper than 0.5m m approxim ately 15m m from the
base ofthe nut(opposite to nozzle side)around the cap nut(Fig 10).Then,using a good
15m m single hex socket,undo the nut.There is a 15m m @r@@ @@ footsupplied in the kit,but
this is bestreserved for tightening,ifusing an injector aligning jig.
Once the injector cap nuthas been rem oved,the nozzle can be rem oved along w ith the
locating dow els (Fig 11).Finally,rem ove the injector body from the jig and carefully turn
over,w hilstholding the needle spring and rem ove the spring and spring tensioning shim
(Fig12).
Ifthe com m and piston w as notrem oved earlier due to being tightor seized,then itcan now
be gently tapped outfrom one end.USUALLY,IF TH E COMMAND PISTON REQ UIRES FORCE
TO BE REMOVED,TH E INJECTOR BODY AND PISTON CAN BE CONSIDERED UNSERVICABLE
AND NOT W ORTH REPAIRING.

Inspection
Solenoid assem bly

Figure 13
Resistance checks should be m ade to the solenoid.The specific resistance m easured w ill
depend upon the type ofinjector and should be com pared to a new unit.The resistance
recorded on the particular G2 injectors thatw e tested w as approxim ately 0.5 @ 0.7 Ohm s.
Obvious signs ofany dam age to the outer casing or splits/cracks on the electricalconnector
should be observed.Check for erosion/corrosion ofthe electricalterm inals and ensure that
the inner surface ofthe solenoid is clean and free from dents etc (Fig13).
Ensure thatthe solenoid spring is in good condition.Itm ay be a good idea to check and
record the length againsta new one.

Solenoid Valve and H alfBallValve assem bly

Inspectball,seatand shank

Figure 14
Check the condition ofthe solenoid valve assem bly ,paying particular attention to the half
ballvalve face and the seatinside the valve stem .The flatface ofthe halfballvalve is
responsible for sealing the controlcham ber,so itm ustbe in good condition w ith no erosion
or w ear.These com ponents are bestinspected under a m icroscope.Check the conicalseat
thatthe ballseats on inside the valve,as w ellas the valve stem for any signs ofw ear,
scratches and erosion (Fig 14).
Renew both com ponents ifthere are any abnorm alitiesor doubton their condition (both
available from DieselDistributors).

Valve Seatand Retaining N ut

Inspectallsurfacesfor erosion & w ear

Figure 16
Inspectthe valve seatfor erosion and w ear (Fig 16).As w ith the balland valve assem bly,this
is probably bestview ed under a m icroscope or other m agnification equipm ent.Ifthere are
any m arks across the seating area thatw ould suggesta sealing problem @ renew the valve
seat(available through DieselDistributors).
Inspectthe sealing face ofthe retaining nutfor signs oferosion and w ear (Fig 16).
Due to the very fine tolerances involved in CR injectors,lapping ofthe sealing surfacesof
these com ponents isnotrecom m ended.Any attem ptto lap the surfacesshould be
undertaken w ith the utm ostcare and w ith the use ofVERY FINE lapping pastes.

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Com m and Piston & Injector Body

Figure 17
Check the piston for scoring and w ear m arks along w ith the inner bore ofthe injector.If
there isconsidered to be excessive scoring or w ear on either com ponent,then the unitw ill
m ore than likely be scrapped (Fig 17).The piston should be clean,free from scoring and
m ove freely inside the injector bore w ith no @@@@@@@@@@or tightspots.

N ozzle Assem bly,Pressure Spindle and Spring.

Guidelines for inspecting the nozzle assem bly can be considered the sam e asfor any
conventionalnozzle.Check for excessive w ear or scoring on the needle shank and seatand
renew the nozzle ifnecessary.(Genuine and non genuine nozzles are available from Diesel
Distributors,depending upon application and availability).
Check the spring for condition and the spindle for excessive w ear on the spring seat.

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Re Assem bly
W hen re assem bling any com m on railcom ponents,clean practices should alw ays be
observed and the utm ostprecaution should be taken to avoid any contam ination ofthe
com ponents before and during assem bly.
W ARN IN G The torque values m entioned in the follow ing procedure are a SUGGESTED
VALUE based upon our experience and NOT Denso specification.

STEP 1.2 @ Valve SeatAssem bly

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mountthe injector in the holding jig and place the 2 locating dow els into their bores on the
top face ofthe injector (these dow els are larger in length and diam eter to the nozzle
locating dow els).Ensure thatthe valve seatisthe correctw ay round before inserting itinto
the injector.The bore on the underside ofthe valve needs to be aligned w ith the bore hole
on the injector face (Fig 18 & 19).
Using the 3 pronged socket,insertand hand tighten the retaining nutinto the injector w ith
the sealing face tow ards the valve.Screw the guide over the socket,ensuring thatthe socket
can stillm ove,butw ith m axim um supportfrom the guide and tighten to 70 75 NM (Fig 20).

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STEP 2.2 @ Solenoid & Solenoid Valve Assem bly

Figure 21

Figure 22

Fitthe halfballvalve into the solenoid valve stem and ensure thatthe flatface ofthe half
ballvalve isvisible and levelw ith the stem .DO NOT INSERT TH E VALVE STEM INTO TH E
VALVE SEAT IF YOU CAN SEE TH E SPH ERICAL PART OF TH E H ALF BALL VALVE (Fig 22).IT
MUST BE TH E FLAT SIDE (Fig 21).

Figure 23

Figure 24

Figure 25

The halfballvalve should stay in the valve stem w hen turned over and inserted on the valve
seat.Once the valve stem isin position ensure itis free by rotating it(Fig 23).
Place the fuelcalibration shim on top ofthe injector (Fig 24).
Next,insertthe solenoid spring shim and solenoid spring into the solenoid and carefully fit
the solenoid onto the injector,ensuring thatthe spring seats in the centre ofthe valve and
hand tighten.Once hand tight,tension the solenoid assem bly to 10 12 NM (Fig 25).
OVERTIGH TENING OF TH E SOLENOID ASSEMBLY CAN H AVE AN ADVERSE AFFECT ON TH E
OPERATION OF TH E INJECTOR AND MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE TO TH E SOLENOID.

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STEP 3.2 @ N ozzle and Cap N utAssem bly

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

Re position the injector assem bly in the jig w ith the solenoid tow ards the bottom .
Insertthe com m and piston into the injector body w ith the m ain shank m achined w ith
grooves tow ards the solenoid end (Fig 26).
Nextinsertthe nozzle opening pressure shim and the spring into the centralinjector bore
and then insertthe pressure spindle on top ofthe spring w ith the sm aller diam eter facing
the nozzle needle (Fig 27.)
Insertthe locating dow els into the sealing face and place the injector over them .Place the
(new )cap nutover the nozzle and screw dow n untilhand tight(Fig 28).
Ideally som e kind ofinjector clam ping rig should be used to unsure alignm entofthe nozzle,
ifyou can find som ething or m anufacture anything suitable to hold the body.The
arrangem entpictured below (Fig 29)features the Stanadyne Injector Aligning Tool(Part#
29617).An injector aligning toolw as notused in this exercise and no operationalproblem s
w ere experienced,how ever itw ould be better to use one ifavailable to m inim ise the risk of
m isalignm entor breaking the dow elpins.

Figure 29

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Testing
Alltesting ofthe Denso CR injectors used to obtain the inform ation given here w as
com pleted using the H artidge CRI PC and the IFT 70.(both available from Diesel
Distributors)
W hen testing Denso Com m on Railinjectors the follow ing elem ents should be observed to
evaluate and determ ine the functionality and condition ofthe injector:
1 Nozzle opening pressure
2 Injector Response Tim e
3 FuelDelivery
4 Back leakage
5 Back leakage tem perature
Each ofthe above w illbe discussed in m ore detailin the follow ing guide w hich hopes to
provide an understanding ofw hateffectaltering the shim adjustm enthas on the @@@@@@@r@@
perform ance.

1. N ozzle N eedle opening pressure

This can be setby the shim thatsits behind the nozzle spring.The nozzle opening
pressure setting on a G2 injector w illhave an effecton fueldelivery and Response
Tim e (see further dow n in section 2 for definition)particularly atlow er engine
speeds and railpressures.Ifthe opening pressure is settoo low ,the idle delivery and
pre injection w illincrease.Ifthe opening pressure is settoo high the idle and pre
injection w illdecrease and response tim e w illincrease.Fuelling and response tim e at
m ain fuelling settings w illrem ain largely unaffected.
W e can setthe opening pressure w ith the use ofa H artridge IFT 70 injector function
tester thatcan actuate the solenoid w hilstthe user can observe the spray pattern
and controlthe railor feed pressure.This exercise could possibly be perform ed w ith
a conventionalinjector tester and a m ultifunction CR injector trigger box such as the
IFT C (available from DieselDistributors).
TH IS TEST SH OULD BE CARRIED OUT AND SET (IF NECESSARY)BEFORE ANY FLOW
TESTING OF TH E INJECTOR.

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Mountthe injector into the m achine and connectthe high pressure pipe and
appropriate electricalconnector.

Figure 30

Figure 31

Using a large pulse w idth ofaround 2.5 m /s and low injection speed ofsay
100 injections per m inute (IPM)(Fig 30).Setthe feed (railpressure)to zero
and gradually increase untilthe fuelcan be seen to inject.Atthis pointtake
note ofthe pressure on the gauge atw hich injection started to take place.
(Fig 31).
The opening pressure on the particular Denso injector tested w as
approxim ately 130 140 bar.This figure m ay differ depending upon injector
partnum ber.Itw illbe up to the user to gain som e specifications from new
injectors.
Ifthe pressure needs to be adjusted,then the opening pressure shim w ill
need to be changed to increase or decrease spring tension accordingly.Since
the nozzle cap nutw illnothave been putinto service the loosening and re
tensioning should notcause any issuesand should be able to be re used after
rem oval.
A check ofthe spray pattern and generaloperation ofthe injector can then
be perform ed w hilststillm ounted on the IFT 70 after the opening pressure
has been checked.As a generalrule @ there should be no m ore than 30 40%
back leakage delivery com pared w ith fueldelivery on fullload settings(e.g.
500bar @ 1200PPM @ 1.2 m /s pulse w idth w hen using the IFT 70).
Ifthe injector is functioning properly w ith basic delivery,back leakage and
spray pattern allsatisfactory,the injector can be flow ed m ore accurately w ith
the H artridge CRI PC or AVM2 w ith CR injector allm akes capable ofchecking
fueldelivery,back leakage and response tim e athigh pressures (1600 bar +).

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2. Response Tim e
Sim ply explained @ this is the tim e taken from w hen the ECU sends a signal(current)to
the injector to w hen the actualinjection takes place.
Itisan im portantfactor in determ ining the condition ofthe injector.In general
increased response tim e points tow ards a poorly functioning injector.On vehicle effects
ofpoor response tim e can show as w hite sm oke,rough running,idling problem s,
detonation (knocking)and poor perform ance.
Injector response tim e is an im portantfactor for the ECU to be able to @@@@ @@@@@@@@
drive pulse for recalculating fuelquantities for on vehicle @@@@r@@@@@ofQ R codes.
Response tim e can be affected by opening pressure,com m and piston condition,nozzle
condition,solenoid valve condition and solenoid efficiency.Anything thatcan effectively
@@@@@ d@@ @@the operation ofthe injector w illresultin increased response tim e.
Ifresponse tim e can be read and seen then a clearer picture can be gained from the
injector teston the generalcondition ofthe injector,as opposed to only relying upon
m easuring delivery and back leakage.Itcan be considered im portantin our diagnosis of
injector condition.Itcan be affected by changing fuelling shim s and opening pressure.
Typicalresponse tim es recorded for the Denso injectors tested w ere in the region of
430 490 @@for higher pulse w idth and pressure settings (fulland m id load scenario).
Response tim e w illgenerally increase atidle and low er pulse w idthsand pressures (idle,
partload and pre injection).Typicalidle response tim es m ay be around 490 560 @@@
Again,the above figures are based upon the testing ofcertain Denso injectors and to
gain a m ore thorough understanding ofinjector specific response tim e figures,new
injectors w ould need to be tested and results recorded.

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3. FuelDelivery
After the opening pressure has been setand the injector hasbeen tested for basic
function itcan then be properly flow ed for a m ore in depth teston the H artridge AVM2
PC w ith injector allm akes kitor the H artridge CRI PC.
The injector needs to be given a @@@@@@@@@@ofsettings from w hich the results can be
recorded.These varying settings should putthe injector through differing testsituations
thatw ould bestsim ulate various engine conditions.An exam ple ofthese testconditions
has been included below for reference: (Fig 32).
TOYOTA 23670 0L090 BEFORE ADJUSTMENT
Injector #
Pulse
Pressure (bar)
Speed w idth @@@@
Idle
400 350
750
Mid Range 1000 800
800
FullLoad
1600 1500
1000
Static Leak 1600 1000
0
Pre Injection 600 1000
500
Mid Range 800 1200
800
Start
950 150
1000

Delivery Back Leak

m l/st
m l/st
12.4
14.9
49.3
22.8
95.2
33.8
0
0
9
14.7
39.9
19.6
64.2
105.6

Response
@@@@
Return Tem p @C
489
39
432
40
418
50
0
52
452
49
446
51
551
48

Figure 31 @ TestPlan Exam ple

Once a setoftests or @@@@d@@@@@@@have been decided upon,they can then be used asa
generic testplan for alm ostallinjectors.The testplan isthen used to record the results
from new injectors and used for com parison againstused or @r@@@@r@d@units.A database
ofresults can be builtup and tolerances can even be form ed by testing m ultiple new
units and taking average readings,from w hich tolerance bands can be decided.
Ifthe flow results from a used or repaired injector are deem ed to be @@@@of@@@@@w hen
com pared to a testresultfrom a new injector then the fueldelivery can be altered by
changing the Calibration Shim w hich sits in betw een the solenoid and the injector body.
CH ANGING TH IS SH IM W ILL H AVE AN EFFECT ON TH E OVERALL FUEL DELIVERY OF TH E
INJECTOR.
To INCREASE the fuelling a TH ICKER shim m ustbe fitted
To DECREASE the fuelling a SMALLER shim m ustbe fitted.

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0.1 m m difference in shim size w illequate to an approxim ate 7% change in fuelling

across the w hole range ofthe injector.H ow ever,the response tim e w illalso change as
w e have effectively changed the totaldistance thatthe solenoid valve has to travel.In
an effortto counteractthe resulting response tim e change,the solenoid spring shim can
be changed to try and lim itthe resulting difference in response tim e.Although a
difference in response tim e is seen w hen the solenoid spring shim is changed,itis
m inim aland doesnotreturn to the originalresultsafter a m ain calibration shim
alteration.
Itw ould therefore be prudentto m ake only sm allalterationsto the calibration setting
w hen considering any changes to the fuelling ofthe injector.
Changing the solenoid spring shim w illalso affectfueldelivery asw ellas response tim e,
asw e are reducing or increasing spring tension on the solenoid valve,m aking iteasier or
harder for the solenoid to pullup the valve.Again,consider the effects to the fuelling
throughoutthe range w hen attem pting any shim adjustm ent.

4 Back leakage & Back leak Tem perature

The am ountofback leakage fuelthata CR injector produces isan indicator ofthe
internalsealing and condition ofthe injector.Any problem sw ith the sealing ofthe
solenoid valve or the nozzle needle w illshow up as high back leakage.Usually,ifhigh
back leakage is experienced itw illbe seen in every testand can indicate valve seat
problem s,solenoid valve problem sand nozzle sealing or w ear issues.
Back leakage tem perature is also w orth m onitoring,asany excessive leakage ofhigh
pressure fuelw ithin the injector w illcause the tem perature ofthe back leakage to rise.
This is because the high pressure fuelcreated in the railis a lothigher tem perature than
the low er pressure ofthe back leakage,therefore any excessive rise in back leaked fuel
w illshow up asa high back leak tem perature.

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Correction Coding & Batching

CR injector correction coding isim portantand allow s the CR system asa w hole to
com pensate for m echanicaland hydraulic tolerances w ithin the injector.No tw o
injectors w illnaturally flow the sam e and the vehicle ECU can com pensate for this by
altering the pulse w idth to individualinjectors w hen the correction code given to the
injector during m anufacture is program m ed into the ECU.
W e cannotproduce this code w ith conventionalallm akes equipm ent.Itrequires a
considerable investm entand OEM backing to do so.
One m ethod oftrying to lim itthe problem ofour inability to produce an individual
correction code isto @@@@@@@injectors.This m ethod involves flow testing and adjusting
the fueldelivery on injectors so thatthe differencesbetw een them are m inim al.Say for
instance w e had around 30 injectors thatw ere @r@@@@r@d@and flow tested.The batching
concept assum es thatoutofthose 30 injectors there w ould be @@@@@@thatw ould display
sim ilar flow and response characteristics.These injectors could then be further @@@@@
@@@@d@w ith m inor adjustm entto m ake them as sim ilar to each other aspossible.
Sets of4 or 6 injectors are then sold or fitted together to m inim ise any m ajor differences
in flow .
Another conceptis to build lengthy data base on the flow rates ofdiffering new injectors
from sam e partnum ber fam ily by recording their flow and response characteristicsand
the code on thatparticular injector.Over tim e a database can be builtand any future
injectors thatdisplayed sim ilar results to a previously recorded unitw ould be given the
code from thatsim ilar flow ing new injector.This w ould be a long and com plicated
process,butnotim possible.

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SU MMARY
There are parts,testequipm entand tooling available through DieselDistributors to
service and testDenso CR injectors.There is no concrete setofinstructions or testdata
to produce a perfectly repaired product.There is how ever,an opening to be able to
offer som ething m ore than justa new unitin box.
The repair conceptoffered here is to enable the user the ability to @@@@r@ as you @@@and
base repairs on data obtained from new units.
H opefully,the inform ation in this docum entis enough to getyou started.
For further inform ation please contact:
DieselDistributors Australia @ Peter H unter peterh@ ddal.com .au
DieselDistributors N ew Zealand @ Kevin Morris kevin@ dieseld.co.nz

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