Damnit! Intake fishing?!
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Sweden
Damnit! Intake fishing?!
Well, I've done it now.
When I had the upper intake plenum and fuel injectors off, I saw there was a lot of crud around the fuel injector hole and decide to throw some carb cleaner in there.
After doing this a moment I saw the straw come off the can. Paused- no way did that just happen- and I know what I saw- it went down the fuel injector hole.
I fished with long tweesers and never felt anything. I found my longest, thin screwdriver and found the bottom of the cavity, but still no straw. I can feel a hole at the bottom going to the valve head.
How screwed am I? That straw can't break a valve like a bolt might, it's tough plastic though. Will it just melt or maybe jam the valve until the loose flame burns it off? Won't melted plastic get stuck in the cat?
I can take the lower intake off. It's going to be a lot of extra work and I don't want to risk making something else worse.
Or is there some magic fishing process I might have overlooked? It's not metal so I can't use a magnet. Maybe one of those "grabber" snakes?
When I had the upper intake plenum and fuel injectors off, I saw there was a lot of crud around the fuel injector hole and decide to throw some carb cleaner in there.
After doing this a moment I saw the straw come off the can. Paused- no way did that just happen- and I know what I saw- it went down the fuel injector hole.
I fished with long tweesers and never felt anything. I found my longest, thin screwdriver and found the bottom of the cavity, but still no straw. I can feel a hole at the bottom going to the valve head.
How screwed am I? That straw can't break a valve like a bolt might, it's tough plastic though. Will it just melt or maybe jam the valve until the loose flame burns it off? Won't melted plastic get stuck in the cat?
I can take the lower intake off. It's going to be a lot of extra work and I don't want to risk making something else worse.
Or is there some magic fishing process I might have overlooked? It's not metal so I can't use a magnet. Maybe one of those "grabber" snakes?
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Maybe something sticky...take that long thin screwdriver and wrap tape around it sticky side out, then do the proctologist probe again. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll stick and you can pull it out.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 35
From: Kansas
Originally Posted by Dannym
Well, I've done it now.
When I had the upper intake plenum and fuel injectors off, I saw there was a lot of crud around the fuel injector hole and decide to throw some carb cleaner in there.
After doing this a moment I saw the straw come off the can. Paused- no way did that just happen- and I know what I saw- it went down the fuel injector hole.
When I had the upper intake plenum and fuel injectors off, I saw there was a lot of crud around the fuel injector hole and decide to throw some carb cleaner in there.
After doing this a moment I saw the straw come off the can. Paused- no way did that just happen- and I know what I saw- it went down the fuel injector hole.
Something that happened to me several years ago was that I had the air cleaner unhooked on a diesel forklift truck. I had it plugged with a cotton shop rag (to keep out dirt) and my assistant started the truck when I took a break and was in an adjacent room. I heard what was happening and ran back to the area just in time to see cotton confetti raining down from the ceiling.....
The cotton rag went right through the engine and the valves chopped it up and spit it out the exhaust. Luckily this engine didn't have a turbo.......
Anyway, this is your call, I'm just telling you what I would do.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Well, on the same note, when I was racing a 302 I bought these trick intake manifold gaskets with screen on the ports. The theory was that the screen would break up the fuel droplets better, keeping the fuel atomized. At the end of the season I tore down the engine and found that the screen was gone...just gone! There was only one place for it to go: through the cylinders and out the exhaust. I found no signs of any damage caused by this migration, but I sure as hell never bought those gaskets again! I guess they couldn't hold up against the force of air and fuel being sucked through them at 7200 RPM!
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Sweden
I'd just run it but I'm wondering what melted plastic would do in the catalytic converter. It'll likely carbonize before it flows through I think. Carbonized material doesn't melt or burn away. I guess it's not much plastic but this is ugly because cats have such fine passages.
I had a few thoughts. Maybe if I disable that cylinder and crank it I can catch it going in. Maybe the valve was open and it's already in the cylinder? Or maybe I could pull the exhaust pipe off the manifold, or more time consuming remove the manifold, and let it blow out.
I had a few thoughts. Maybe if I disable that cylinder and crank it I can catch it going in. Maybe the valve was open and it's already in the cylinder? Or maybe I could pull the exhaust pipe off the manifold, or more time consuming remove the manifold, and let it blow out.
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Sweden
New idea- if the intake valve is open and I pull the spark plug, then apply compressed air to the spark plug hole, maybe it'll blow it out?
The shop vac- it's an idea that occurred to me, but I could already see there's not going to be enough flow to lift it out from way down there even if the intake valve is open and the spark plug hole open.
How can I make sure the intake valve is open?
The shop vac- it's an idea that occurred to me, but I could already see there's not going to be enough flow to lift it out from way down there even if the intake valve is open and the spark plug hole open.
How can I make sure the intake valve is open?
Trending Topics
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
Likes: 35
From: Austin, TX
I don't think compressed air or vacuum would help much...if anything I think it'd just make the straw move around where it's stuck. Personally, I'd take off the manifold because it's your safest bet.
I hate when stuff like this happens...waste of a Saturday.
I hate when stuff like this happens...waste of a Saturday.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
|
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 690
Likes: 0
From: Sweden
I gave the compressed air a go and had no success. I couldn't push the nozzle up against the hole because of the manifold to get as much airflow as I wanted.
I gave up and bolted it all back together. The only thing left is to just wait for it to pass. through on its own. Kinda like when my dog drank the contents of the deep fryer.
I gave up and bolted it all back together. The only thing left is to just wait for it to pass. through on its own. Kinda like when my dog drank the contents of the deep fryer.
and be on its way out.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I don't really think you'll have a problem with it, but I know just how you feel; that little bit of doubt, knowing the thing's in there and wondering if you really should have dug deeper...
Let us know how it goes.
Let us know how it goes.
