VW Baywindow Bus - L-Jet Fuel Injectors by Richard Atwell (c) Copyright 2004-2020

Bosch L-Jetronic components don't vary much from model to model. Despite the 1600-2000cc difference in engine displacement between models and model years, you can swap fuel injectors into your FI bus from other L-Jet based VW engines...

• NOS L-Jet Injectors
• Fuel Injector Cleaning
• L-Jet Part Numbers
• Aftermarket L-Jet Injectors
• D-Jet Part Numbers
• Hose Styles
• Spare Parts

NOS L-Jet Injectors:

At the time I wrote this article in 2004, NOS injectors were in good supply available at prices half the $60-90 cost of new injectors. The reason? Many Type 1 and Type 2 VW's were happily converted to carbs by their owners or the owner's mechanics lowering the demand and freeing up the supply for others.

Fast forward to 2020 and new Bosch injectors (both Made in Germany and Spain) have been NLA for about a decade. The Bosch Master Price List listed the fuel injectors as "C" meaning "FAIR" shelf popularity all the way back in 2006!

I'm big on stockpiling original parts for the future, especially from Bosch as they abruptly discontinue them. If it's still available and you have the cash, grab it!

NOS injectors on eBay now cost anywhere from $100-200/each or more and the prices continue to increase as the supply dwindles...

Fuel Injector Cleaning:

Luckily, as injectors are rated for 1 billion cycles, the Bosch design has proven to be a very durable and reliable one but they require periodic cleaning to obtain the best performance and drivability for your bus.

If you haven't thought about having your fuel injectors cleaned to restore their factory flow rate and spray pattern, I can speak from my own experience...

Here's my injector cleaning report.

Cleaning is done using ultrasonic cleaners which thanks to China are now low cost items that can be purchased for home use. The flow testing is done with specialized equipment which also has come down in cost to about $500 but how many times are you going to use it? Sometimes parts like o-rings require replacement if the injectors are leaking.

You can see from my report that the flow rates have slightly increased and the balance between injectors has slightly improved, but the main improvement has been in the flow pattern which is seen in the report.

The real world result: a 5mph increase in 2nd and 3rd gears in my 1978 Westfalia.

YMMV but this is apparently the benefit of restoring the spray pattern which improves the atomization of the intake charge even given the fact that the injector is the manifold style and sprays the backside of the intake valve.

Injector inlet filter screens can clog if something gets past the fuel pump inlet screen and fuel filter but most injectors require periodic cleaning (every 60,000 miles or 100,000 km) to restore their full performance especially if they have been sitting for any length of time.

While fuel injector cleaner-in-a-bottle can keep build-up from occurring but there is no substitute for having them cleaned with ultrasonic equipment. Most of us who purchase a used bus never had the opportunity to drive away from the dealership in a 2L FI engine with high compression, strong ignition system and new fuel injectors.

The L-Jet VW is the most reliable and drivable combination that VW made before the air-cooled models were replaced. one of my friends liked to joke that the L-Jetronic FI system was "primordial", it's actually a third gen FI system and identifiable and relatable to the 4th gen systems that modern cars use today

• 1st gen. was purely mechanical FI
• 2nd gen. was the D-Jet system that worked on manifold pressure
• 3rd gen. L-Jet works on air flow or air mass
• 4th gen. "Motronic" systems coupled ignition management with 3rd gen FI.

With faster processors and better sensors, engine management systems continue to advance...

I can personally recommend Cruzin Performance for their cleaning services:

• The result speaks for itself
• Their method was more extensive than many other shops that charged more
• The cost to clean 4 injectors and mail them was less than the price of buying a new replacement injector.
• You get a printed and online report of the cleaning results

L-Jet Part Numbers:

• I do not know 100% for sure which injectors the 74 Calif. Auto bus because it's so rare ut in all likelihood they were the same as the later bus models.
• 80 Vanagons had the older style VIN scheme) are air-cooled and have compatible injectors.

Aftermarket L-Jet Injectors:

If you find another injector in a catalog be sure that the connector fits, the AMP Junior Timer connector on your FI wiring harness.

Note: Echlin is NAPA's "house brand"

D-Jet Part Numbers:

Note: buses can't use the D-Jet injectors because their flow rates are too high but I thought I'd list them for identification purposes. Only 2099 L-Jet 912E's were made for USA in 1976. They will work but those injectors are also very very rare!

Hose Styles:

• The beetle injectors either have a curly piece of hose (112) or a long straight piece that is too long (116). It's easy enough to replace this hose.
• The correct length for a bus (114) is 35mm.

For peace of mind, you should replace this hose with ethanol rated hose despite the very highly quality of the factory hose especially if it externally braided.

Spare Parts:

• Injector-Rehab

Flow Rates:

• Witch Hunter (look under Bosch hose-end)
• Go Morgan
• Injector Rx

History:

02/25/04 - Created
07/23/05 - Added incompatible table
09/06/11 - Fixed broken photos, added translate button, updated footer
07/15/19 - Google update: new adsense code, removed defunt translate button
10/19/20 - Updated Porsche numbers, added injector cleaning report, spare parts and aftermarket part numbers