Apparatus and methods for cleaning and testing fuel injectors

A service device for use with fuel injectors, said device comprising:

• a fluid manifold having an inlet opening and having a plurality of outlet openings in fluid communication with said inlet opening;
• electric power means operatively associated with said injectors;
• coupling means connected to said outlet openings, said coupling means being adapted to releasably receive said injectors;
• a reservoir of cleaning fluid;
• a pump having inlet tube means connected to said reservoir for drawing fluid therefrom, said pump further having outlet tube means in communication with the inlet of said manifold to provide a flow of cleaning fluid to said injectors;
• pressure control valve means operably connected to said outlet tube means;
• a flow meter connected in-line in said outlet tube means, said flow meter being adapted to detect the flow rate of fluid to said manifold and to produce an electrical output signal associated with the flow rate detected;
• display means operably associated with said flow meter, said display means being adapted to display the detected flow rate based on said output signal;
• an electronic controller operably connected with said electric power means and said injectors, said controller being adapted to energize each of said injectors one at a time, and
• means for associating each detected flow rate with the injector associated with such fluid flow and resulting in each said electrical output signal so as to enable correlation of each injector with its respective fluid flow.

A method for testing fuel injectors, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing:
• (i) coupling means having a plurality of positions for each releasably receiving an injector therein, and
• (ii) means for supplying pressurized fluid to the inlet of said positions,
• said coupling means being adapted to normally prevent fluid flow through said positions, and being further adapted to permit fluid flow through those positions having an injector installed therein;
• installing injectors into selected ones of said positions;
• determining in which of said positions potentially operational injectors are installed;
• operating said potentially operational injectors;
• sensing the flow rates through said potentially operational injectors;
• generating electrical output signals associated with the sensed flow rates through said potentially operational injectors;
• said operating, sensing, and generating steps being performed simultaneously on each of said potentially operational injectors;
• and
• displaying visually perceptible flow rate data indicia in response to said electrical output signals.

A method for testing and cleaning fuel injectors, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing apparatus comprising:
• (i) means for releasably receiving injectors into a predetermined number of positions, said receiving means including a fluid manifold having an inlet opening and a plurality of outlet openings at said positions, said receiving means further including coupling means connected to said outlet openings for releasably receiving injectors,
• (ii) a reservoir of cleaning fluid,
• (iii) pump means for supplying pressurized cleaning fluid to the inlet of said positions,
• (iv) electric power means,
• (v) electronic controller means connected to said electric power means, and
• (vi) switch means operable connected to said controller means;
• installing injectors into selected ones of said positions;
• actuating said switch means after said installing step;
• operating one of said injectors in a first of said positions for a first period of time, said operating step including (i) operably associating said one injector with said electric power means for energizing said one injector, and (ii) supplying pressurized cleaning fluid to said one injector;
• generating an electrical signal correlating to the flow rate through said one injector during said period of time;
• repeating said operating and said generating steps for each of said installed injectors, said repeating step including the step of determining when all of said injectors have been operated;
• and
• displaying visually perceptible flow rate data indicia correlating to each of said electrical signals;
• said controller means being adapted (i) to sense said actuating step, (ii) to control said operating and said repeating steps, and (iii) to execute said determining step in response thereto.

A service device for use with fuel injectors, said device comprising:

• means for releasably receiving a plurality of said injectors;
• means communicating with said receiving means for delivering a supply of pressurized fluid to said injectors;
• electrical power means operably associated with said injectors;
• control means operably associated with said electric power means and said injectors for selectively operating said injectors;
• means for detecting the fluid flow rate through said injectors, said flow detection means being adapted to provide an electrical output signal associated with the fluid flow rate detected;
• means receiving said output signal for determining accept/reject status of said injectors based on the fluid flow rate detected;
• and
• means operably connected to said determining means for providing visual accept/reject status indicia,
• said determining means being adapted to determine the average flow rate through the injectors and to identify those injectors with a flow rate greater than a predetermined deviation from said average as having a reject status.