Any alternatives for Discontinued Fuel Injectors for 2009 GS SM5?

[RatFink]

I took my 2009 Spyder GS SM5 in for service - fuel pump failed... long story short, they pulled the fuel injectors and claimed they needed replacement. They cleaned them, but couldn't get them to spray consistently (?)

The problem is, Can-Am/BRP has discontinued the fuel injector (part# 420874487). The shop had no solution for me. I called BRP and opened a case with them. They confirmed that the injector has been discontinued and is no longer available. Uhhhhhh...

I've been calling dealers and repair shops in the US and CA to find a NOS part, but no luck. I also found in my research that the Aprilia AP0874487 is the same part. However, they have been discontinued too (makes sense). I did find two NOS Aprilia injectors, but the dealer wanted ~$250 each for them (!!) Do they really cost that much?? Supply and demand - I get it.

My question is: has anyone else had this experience and is there a Bosch or other injector that will work, has the same specs, etc. Unfortunately, I don't have the specs for the OEM injector. I've asked BPR for the specs and any cross-reference information they might have, but so far nothing but silence from them.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Dusterdude]

I bet an automotive injector will work. You need to find out what connector style the BRP injector has, and the flow rate, and you should be good to go.

 

[Peter Aawen]

I've had a similar experience with injectors (not Spyder) being difficult/impossible to source, and all I can say is - if you've looked elsewhere, everywhere you can think of to source them (have you tried looking for injectors from wrecked/parted out Spyders?? :dontknow: ) and yet you've come up blank, but you HAVE found some NOS injectors that you can buy for anything much less than the value of your Spyder, THEN WHY THE BLOODY HECK HAVEN'T YOU PURCHASED THEM YET?? :dontknow:

You say "... the dealer wanted ~$250 each for them (!!) Do they really cost that much??... " Well, if that's what he's asking and they're the only injectors that you can find that suit, so it's a choice between buying them or scrapping the Spyder, then YES! They really DO cost that much - it truly IS a case of supply and demand! :banghead:

To me, this is a no brainer - if they're the only injectors you can find, and it sounds like you've already looked fairly hard; and your Spyder is effectively worthless without them, but it's worth more than $500 WITH them; then $500 a pair for the injectors to finish the job is BLOODY CHEAP! nojoke

I got screwed over for a helluva lot more - after balking at paying $1000 total for 6 injectors that I thought I'd fairly easily find cheaper elsewhere, only despite extensive searching, I discovered that I couldn't, so I hadta go back to the original supplier... only by then, because I'd been asked everywhere about them and he'd heard from some I'd asked that I was still looking for them, he'd gone looking too and quite quickly worked out that he had the last readily available set of 6 working injectors of that type in captivity :gaah: So he upped his price to $1000 EACH!! :cus: I had no real choice tho, apart from spending waaaaayyy more to scrap & re-do a whole LOT of other work, and in the process negate a big part of my reason for doing it in the first place, so I paid!

I don't think that $250 for an injector is all that bad to start with, but after my experience, if you've already looked extensively for them and come up blank, then I'd strongly suggest that you buy those injectors @ $250 each while you can! :lecturef_smilie:

Just Sayin!

 

[RatFink]

Thanks, Peter -- yep, well put. I was hoping that somebody would have a Bosch replacement part number so I wouldn't be relying on a discontinued part. I don't have a ton of experience swapping injectors, but I would think that there must be some standards and a replacement or upgrade part isn't out of the question -- maybe I'm wrong. And, maybe I should explore this more *AFTER* I get my machine back on the road. Thanks again for your reply!

 

[RatFink]

I bet an automotive injector will work. You need to find out what connector style the BRP injector has, and the flow rate, and you should be good to go.

Yes, I requested specs from BRP... waiting... waiting... I don't have the shop manual. Might be in there. Anybody know the specs or have a reference?

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

IMHO I'd get another opinion about cleaning the injectors. Today most if not all Car dealers either can do it or have a source for someone who can .... I doubt your injectors are the only ones that would fit made ..... I don't know how you might find them .... Try a salvage yard ... .Good luck :thumbup:

 

[Freddy]

I've had success cleaning such injectors with a fuel rail, used fuel pump, tub of kero and a 9v battery. The injectors can be go into the injectors the opposite was after removing the tiny inlet filter/screen, reverse flushed, then fitted the correct way to check spray pattern. Here's a link to a Triumph post from a decade ago. No thanks to Photobucket.

https://www.tiger1050.com/index.php/topic,13601.0.html

 

[RatFink]

Thanks all - my original plan was to find replacements then figure out how to refurb the old ones. For example, I saw a few places like "Injector Planet" - https://www.injectorplanet.com - that specialize in rebuilding injectors. I'm still at the 'find replacement' stage and will probably just bite the expensive bullet and get the Aprilia injectors.

 

[BertRemington]

Do you have the injectors in hand? Examine them closely they may have a Bosch part number. I have a number of parts from eBay and most of them included the Bosch part number. Having said that some of the Bosch parts cannot be purchased retail only by BRP.

Used injectors on eBay (you might have to buy the entire air intake) are probably your best option if the second injector service says yours are faulty.

Failure of injectors is unusual, even for high mileage engines. However high temperatures can degrade them (eg heat soak after engine shutoff).

 

[Mikey]

I find it really weird that BRP would have discontinued a part without having a backup part, they are using that motor in other things I would think. And I would think that maybe one of these test and tune places that profess to tune and make things better wouldn't be able to turn you on to a set of better injectors for your motor. :dontknow: Bosch would be my go-to company, take the numbers off your injectors and give them a call! If BRP don't have a replacement part for that motor than they are working on an issue with that part, that's why you are hearing crickets in the background! Good luck, that motor's not worth a crap without them, that's the bad part of fuel injection... with a carb, you could try something else, and there's all kinds of aftermarket places making bigger and better stuff!!

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

In 2013, BRP changed the injector part number. Judging by the parts list diagram, it looks different and probably is not a substitute... and they were only 115 bucks. So, even though they continued to use the 998, they changed the injector design.

But my little pea brain is just having problems with why the injectors were pulled in the first place, since the machine was taken in for service in order to replace the fuel pump. One thing is not the root cause of the other. Injector replacement is very rare. You know the drill - take in your vehicle for one thing and the mechanic finds other "problems" that you never knew that you had. I can hear the sucking sound of dollar bills leaving your wallet from here. But Rat, if you are convinced that you want to go down this path, then maybe this outfit can help. Less expensive and quick turn around. Follow the menu link to the motorcycle pages.

https://www.injectorrx.com

 

[RatFink]

Again, thanks to everyone's feedback and help - A couple of things and updates:

1. After the shop replaced the fuel pump, it still ran rough and was not starting easily (according to them). So, they pulled the injectors, cleaned them, and spray-tested, and found that they were not spraying like they should (according to them). That is why they recommended replacing the injectors. It was a simple, "yeah, why not" response from me until THEY found out that the injectors had been discontinued. That is what started this mess.
2. Yes, I found a few options on eBay, but all used. There are several used Aprilia AP0874487 injectors, and I think a Chinese knock-off made by Wonyton (?) Not really interested in the Chinese one.
3. I have yet to acquire the old injectors that were removed. I'm getting them back next week when I travel to the shop. The last remaining reputable shop that works on the Rotax in my area is quite a distance away.
4. Thanks for the link, Doug. That's my plan - to rehab the old injectors, but also getting the bike out of the shop as quickly as possible to stop the $sucking$ sound is also the plan.
5. I did contact Bosch, but they need the specs of the OEM part (flow rate, etc.). They couldn't do anything with just the OEM part number. I asked BRP for the specs (see item 6).
6. I got a response back from BRP/Can-Am. Basically, and with a smile, the "Customer Relations Specialist", Angie, wrote, and I quote, "I regret to inform you that the fuel injector with part number 420874487 is now obsolete. Unfortunately, no superseded part number is available to replace it." She DID NOT give me the specs or further information that I asked for (gonna ask again and as many times as it takes). I must give her credit though, she did tell me to "Have a great rest of your day."

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Hi Rat. A lot depends on the tech and his ability with the test rig. With regards to the 998, we’ve all learned over the years that there are a few other boxes to be checked, when it is rough and hard starting, before you dive into fuel injectors.

[ ] Replace plugs and wires (BajaRon)
[ ] Replace vacuum hoses
[ ] Perform Canisterectomy
[ ] Run some Seafoam through it

Yeah, I know that maybe that’s all too late now, but next time you get a chance, check those boxes. Good luck.

 

[BajaRon]

Though I'm not convinced that your old injectors are bad. I would be very tempted to try the injectors for a later model Spyder. Part # 420874488 was used on all 998 RT's as well as the 2013~2016 RS, RSS & ST. They never really changed the 998 V-Twin. Just because they changed part #'s, doesn't mean it won't fit. It is a bit disconcerting that they don't list the new part # as superseding. And maybe someone knows that it won't work. But short of that, I'd say it's worth a try.