Straw in Cylinder
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Corsicana, Tx
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Don't leave it in there. You'd be amazed at what will survive in a running cylinder. I pulled a head one time for a customer who said it started knocking after he tuned it up. Found the little paper flap off a spark plug box in there. He had driven it probably 1000 miles and said the knock seemed to "move around" from cylinder to cylinder...and it had. Could still read A/C perfectly on the box.
Put a glob of grease on a wire and stick it in there and catch it.
JIM
Put a glob of grease on a wire and stick it in there and catch it.
JIM
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,346
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From: new iberia la
Don't leave it in there. You'd be amazed at what will survive in a running cylinder. I pulled a head one time for a customer who said it started knocking after he tuned it up. Found the little paper flap off a spark plug box in there. He had driven it probably 1000 miles and said the knock seemed to "move around" from cylinder to cylinder...and it had. Could still read A/C perfectly on the box.
Put a glob of grease on a wire and stick it in there and catch it.
JIM
Put a glob of grease on a wire and stick it in there and catch it.
JIM
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I broke a piston in a 327 years ago-- punched the cylinder wall and split the block from head to crank. I found a chunk of aluminum in a cylinder on the OTHER bank the size of a walnut. No idea how it got there.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Lubbock TX
I have seen single exhaust valve heads visit every single cylinder and from the looks of it, several times. They get thrown into the intake when the valve is open, then visit another cylinder. They tend to do this until they get embedded in a piston or head.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2017
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IDK, sticking something else down there seems like it could result in adding more to the cylinder than is already in there. If you can use your scope to see how it is positioned in there, and slowly hand turn the motor, you may be able to position it near the top to grab it with a hemostat. At least that has no chance to fall in and become a roommate.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,375
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From: Western NY
Go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a piece of 5/16" Tygon hose, about 2-3 feet long. Use duct tape to secure this piece of hose to the nozzle of your shop vac. Also use a little duct tape to seal the gap in the nozzle around the hose, to create better suction. Stick the Tygon tube against the spark plug hole, and (hopefully) suck out the plastic tube. Might help things, if the piston is at the top of the cylinder. If you need to rotate the crank, to raise the piston, do it manually, with a ratchet or breaker bar.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
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From: Indy Indiana
leave it there, it will eventually melt, burn, turn to ash.. and then on out the tailpipe.. if you remove your head, then you will get the "while its apart" urge to spend lots more money, then on to the second head, then on to the total rebuild....
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Drifting
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: new iberia la
but nothing s broken on his motor.. how does it go up the intake while the piston is pulling the fuel/air charge in ?
Race Director
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From: Corsicana, Tx
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
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remove the exhaust manifold , turn the engine till the exhaust valve is open , blow high pressure air in thru the spark plug hole and it will blow out the exhaust port. been there done that
Last edited by PAmotorman; Oct 30, 2018 at 09:55 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Corsicana, Tx
2020 C2 of the Year - Modified Winner
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JIM
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
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From: Cool Northern Michigan
Post 28 is the only one that's not BS and the only one that makes sense. Quit making a mountain out of a mole hill.
It plastic! Nothings going to happen. Start it. Run it. Be done with it!
I have seen a 7/16 nut go into a cylinder. No damage to cylinder walls, valves or head. Made a few scars on the domed piston top then out the exhaust. No big deal.
It plastic! Nothings going to happen. Start it. Run it. Be done with it!
I have seen a 7/16 nut go into a cylinder. No damage to cylinder walls, valves or head. Made a few scars on the domed piston top then out the exhaust. No big deal.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Oct 31, 2018 at 08:10 AM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville, FL
Shop Vac Attachment
This is what I've come up with to attach to a shop vac and reduce down to sparkplug hole size. If the vacuuming doesn't work, I'm not sure what's next. I like the, "grease on a stick idea," but, think I will probably stick the middle of the straw and just knock it off when trying to get it through the hole. I'm hoping with the vacuum, the straw will magically orient itself through the hole. I know, hope is poor strategy...
Scheduled to try the vacuum attachment tomorrow night. Will let you know the results.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 39
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From: Jacksonville, FL
Post 28 is the only one that's not BS and the only one that makes sense. Quit making a mountain out of a mole hill.
It plastic! Nothings going to happen. Start it. Run it. Be done with it!
I have seen a 7/16 nut go into a cylinder. No damage to cylinder walls, valves or head. Made a few scars on the domed piston top then out the exhaust. No big deal.
It plastic! Nothings going to happen. Start it. Run it. Be done with it!
I have seen a 7/16 nut go into a cylinder. No damage to cylinder walls, valves or head. Made a few scars on the domed piston top then out the exhaust. No big deal.
Yeah, I'm not an expert with engines so appreciate your advice that I'm over reacting. I want to at least try the vacuum thing.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Virginia
If you want to overthink it,
.
Otherwise, I'd be tempted to just run the engine and burn it out (post #28, and others).
Otherwise, I'd be tempted to just run the engine and burn it out (post #28, and others).
Race Director
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From: Danville Illinois
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Yes, just run the engine, what could go wrong? ----- VERY BAD IDEA--Just saying
Retired Aero can maker here, you are talking about the discharge tube and,, NOT the internal pickup tube in the container correct?
I suggest removing the spark plug regarding the infected cylinder, use a bore-scope, bright light or whatever to look into the cylinder to find the discharge tube, worst case pull the infected cylinder head to remove the tube.
Even compressed, the tube will do some damage, not knowing your compression ratio, the tube compressed times two is way to much for a cylinder hear to consume.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Retired Aero can maker here, you are talking about the discharge tube and,, NOT the internal pickup tube in the container correct?
I suggest removing the spark plug regarding the infected cylinder, use a bore-scope, bright light or whatever to look into the cylinder to find the discharge tube, worst case pull the infected cylinder head to remove the tube.
Even compressed, the tube will do some damage, not knowing your compression ratio, the tube compressed times two is way to much for a cylinder hear to consume.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Im certainly not going to place myself in with the type who calls other peoples ideas who are just trying to help bs and nonsense.
My first thought was fire it off it will melt,
however,
I recall watching myth busters try to gernade an old caddy engine and decided putting things like a penny or bolt down the carb wont hurt it, that i do call bullshit on,
Perhaps im unlucky but i had a buick v6 in a kit car,
Air cleaner that came on it was home made and allowed the nut to go down the car and quickly destroy the engine.
But hey this is just plastic.
So will that little plastic straw melt and burn away, perhaps or perhaps it will just get stuck somewhere long enough to distroy stuff, and go on to add to the build up on the valves and pistons,
Fact is it cant be predicted what it would do its a gamble some would take and other wouldnt,
Nope, after my 454 being sabotaged and i have to overhaul it i wouldnt take that gamble but if you do please let us know and i hope it just melts away.
My first thought was fire it off it will melt,
however,
I recall watching myth busters try to gernade an old caddy engine and decided putting things like a penny or bolt down the carb wont hurt it, that i do call bullshit on,
Perhaps im unlucky but i had a buick v6 in a kit car,
Air cleaner that came on it was home made and allowed the nut to go down the car and quickly destroy the engine.
But hey this is just plastic.
So will that little plastic straw melt and burn away, perhaps or perhaps it will just get stuck somewhere long enough to distroy stuff, and go on to add to the build up on the valves and pistons,
Fact is it cant be predicted what it would do its a gamble some would take and other wouldnt,
Nope, after my 454 being sabotaged and i have to overhaul it i wouldnt take that gamble but if you do please let us know and i hope it just melts away.
Last edited by The13Bats; Nov 1, 2018 at 12:41 AM.