Shell component to protect injector from corrosion

An electrically operated fuel injector for injecting fuel into an internal combustion engine having a fuel inlet, a nozzle having a valve seat via which fuel is injected into an engine from the injector, an internal passage within the injector for conveying fuel that has entered the fuel inlet to the nozzle, a metallic valve body structure of the injector that contains the nozzle and at least a portion of the internal passage, a mechanism, with an electrical acutator and a valve, for selectively opening and closing the valve seat in accordance with selective energizing of the electrical actuator, an annular seal disposed around the metallic valve body structure proximate the nozzle, a non-metallic cover on the fuel injector having a sidewall extending axially in covering relation to the acturator and to a portion of the metallic valve body structure spaced from the annular seal such that an axial section of the metallic valve body structure between the annular seal and the non-metallic cover is exposed metal,

• comprising:
• a non-metallic cylindrical shell is fitted onto the metallic valve body structure in covering relation to conceal substantially all of the exposed metal from view, said shell and the sidewall of the non-metallic cover come together in a mutually overlapping joint wherein a portion of said shell and a portion of the cover mutually axially overlap.