Guys....

I have a new Feul Pulsation Dampener that I just ordered from my local Mazda dealership sitting downstiars on my table.

Im a highschool student so I have the time, I'm farily adept with mechanics but definatley no pro. There is a guy named Marcus Williams that specializes in rotarys in my area (Houston) and would charge me 200 bucks to replace the FPD.

My question is, is it possible for somone like me to do this replacement? I want to do it as a learning experience and a way to save my self from spending 200 bucks !

I hear its a very labor intensive operation as its located almost at the very middle of the nest and consistis of the removal of the whole manifold and fuel rails, vacume lines etc.....

What I really need, is somone who has done this operation on their car already and could provide some insight as to where I should get started. I have a service manual to aid me but would prefer peoples thoughts on how I should tackle this.

Are there any sites out there that can help me with this, pictures, how tos? That is what I could really use...

Thanks,
Greg


And oh, my reasons for wanting to get this done quickly is due to the fact that my car is giving off a VERY strong raw gas smell and I know my stock FPD is still there and want to prevent an engine fire from occuring. The car has 90,000 miles.

 

First DO NOT drive the car until you fix this! You might want to replace the rubber fuel lines under the UIM while you're at it.

$200 seems like a good price, maybe a little low actually.

I've done the job, and it is a PITA. I was doing the vacuum hose job at the same time, so I'm not sure exactly what has to be removed. But I think the rat's nest has to come out. If I were you, just start by taking off the UIM, then removed stuff until you can get at the fuel rail. Check out Robinette's site for a how-to on UIM removal.

This topic has been cover many many many times... have you tried searching yet?

 

yep, remove rat's nest, coils, ACV, primaru fuel rail.

then you will have access to it.

it is probably the hardest job i have done on my car so far, changing an engine is even easier.

once the rat's nest is out, the hard part starts.

puma

 

Just FYI, you might want to do some more research on your gas smell problem first. There are MANY other things that can cause that problem besides the FPD.

I'd hate you see you go through all the work to replace the FPD and it's not your problem....

 

You do not need to remove the fuel rail (it's not even a rail, it's called the primary injector housings). Hasn't anyone tried to replace it by just removing the UIM and ACV? $200 is a very good price, but if you do it yourself, you will learn A LOT about the car. While you are in there, you might as well get your injectors cleaned, new injector o-rings, silicone tubing, new fuel and coolant hoses, and new gaskets. Plan to have you car out of commission for at least a week. You should also search, I and several others have written up some quality material. Also, if you are really serious about working on the FD, then get the factory service manual. I got the large print version for a $100, and it was worth every penny.

 

$200 is dirt cheap for the job. You should have the hose job done while you are there. Get the shop to do it and save yourself the headache unless you just want to know more about the car.

Also, check into other things besides the damper to make sure other fuel lines aren't overlooked.