I am in the middle of replacing my valve springs. I am on the 5th one. Finished four already. I am on cylinder # 6. I placed my white nylon rope into the cylinder, rotated a bit to TDC so valves would not drop. I took off the old springs placed the new ones on. Rotated the crank (by hand) back a little to pull to rope out. Got all the rope out except that last 1-3 inches. IT'S STUCK!!!! I thought maybe it was caught on one of the valves. So I took off both new springs. I can move the valves up n down and feel and hear it hit the top of the cylinder (metal sound) I can twist/twirl them. They are not binding on it. The I thought that I got it caught between the piston and the cylinder wall. But when I crank the motor BOTH WAYS reverse and forward to TDC the rope does not move/vibrate at all. I would expect the piston to either pull it down or push it up. What the hell is it caught on? Has anybody come into this problem? It not caught on the valves and its not caught on the piston. It is caught on something at the top because it will not allow the piston to reach TDC. It just pushes the rope against the top. Any suggestion other then taking the damn head off.! I'm thinking of getting a camera to put inside the hole to see. But they are expensive. This is a pic of the number 4 cylinder, so you can see the rope I'm using.

 

I have never seen the rope thing. Thats a new one on me. Why not just turn the cylinder to TDC and change the springs?

 

My guess is you have the rope tangled up in a knot inside the cylinder. I don't like the rope trick. You can't help introducing dirt into the cylinder. Compressed air is a better way of doing it, and it won't get tangled up in the cylinder. I would recommend you take the head off.

 

I used a small screw driver and ran it along the top of the rope into the cylinder. There isn't a knot. The rope is hung up on the top of the head on something. If I have to pull the head, then I might as well get the re-done or buy new. Neither is in the budget now. The rope is pretty stiff too.

 

Chances are some part of the rope frayed and a strand or two is lodged between the cylinder wall and the piston and who knows maybe even the gap on the top ring (probably unlikely but who knows). I would try using a small vacuum hose and a squirt bottle with some oil and soak the rope then with the valve springs in place try rotating the crank and pulling the rope a few rotations to see if you can dislodge it or at least get some oil on the rope if it is stuck to the combustion chamber somewhere.

Another option would be to blow some air inside through the spark plug hole around the rope

 

Folks use the "rope trick" rather than using an air pressure fitting. I don't know why

The rope could be caught in a number of places, including the valve.

Not sure what I can offer other than to "work it"...or remove the head. It's just the cost of gaskets - doesn't mean you have to get machine work done.

 

drwet You are correct! You are the winner. LOL I just placed a small mirror by the hole with the flash light. Can see that it got into a knot!!!! Now got to figure out how the hell to get it out. Thanks....

 

Hire a boy scout!

 

Lubricate the rope the best you can, then add enough pressure to pull it out. Unless it's not a strong enough rope and would snap in the process.
Compressed air would have been your best bet. To late at this point.
You have seen the knot so you should be the one who can say if the knot can get small enough to come through the spark plug hole.
Next idea would be to put something like a carbide cutter or some instrament that can shred the knot while inside the head and vacuum the debris out with a small tube taped to a shop vac.. Don't like that method but there aren't many options short of pulling the head. There will be some more ideas I'd bet.

 

A knot now theres some Charlie Brown luck!

 

I never heard of this trick, only the compressed air trick. What if you used a heat gun to warm up the rope so it would become soft and gooie and then pulled it out through the small hole???

 

I was thinking similar to superdave, but first slide a protective sleeve down the rope so the heat doesn't melt the length above the knot. A small propane torch or similar might do it. The rope diameter doesn't appear large enough to make a knot that wouldn't come out the spark plug hole. If the rope is nylon or polypropylene, it will definitely melt, but first try heat on the free end for effect.

 

Still worried about material left in the bore. I suspect there will be two camps on this - the "it'll burn up with no issues" group and the "you don't want that stuff in the bore" group. I'm with the latter.

 

If I wind up melting part of the knot to slip it out. I'm not worried about the nylon frays that may be left behind. If the vacuum is unable to retrieve them, they will burn up in that combustion chamber the first time at start up. Hell , if carbon do posits build up on plugs and fall off in there. A small fray of nylon wont hurt it.

 

Nylon melts before it burns - if a small fray of nylon gets between the valve and the seat, you have a problem.

It's your call completely, and a tough one - but I wouldn't trivialize debris in the bore.

'nuff said - I'm hoping everything sorts out perfectly

 

Thanks for the "look out" I will do my best to undo it with a small pick. I will leave the melting as my last resource.

 

Well I DID IT!!!!!!! Took me 2 hours and busted knuckles, but I got it out! I used a long screw to screw thru the knot, then used a long handle needle nose pliers to pull the screw out. Each time it ripped the knot some more. I would then use a tiny pair of needle nose to go into the hole and pull. I was getting threads with each pull. But I never gave up. I then used my big ol garage vacuum, and pluged it into the spark plug hole to suck up anything that was left in there. Nothing came out. Its clean. Here are some pic's.

 

Whew, glad that's over now don't be shoving rope in the engine good luck with the rest of the project.

 

Ropes are for horses, not horse power.

 

Woohoo! I finally won something!

Glad you solved your problem!

If you'll teach me how to post photos, I'll show you the setup I use for changing valvesprings on the car.