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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.
And I saw a 5/16" nut take out three pistons and both cylinder heads on a brand new build. My scenario is much more common than yours. Once a valve hangs open and a piston tags it, all bets are off.
All the stories of nuts, pennys, etc down into the bore are just entertainment. Lets get back to the facts. What's the melting point of a small, hollow straw from a spray can? 200*? 250*? What the temp of a operating cylinder? 800*?
That would be one hella-of straw to do any damage to iron & steel.
And I saw a 5/16" nut take out three pistons and both cylinder heads on a brand new build. My scenario is much more common than yours. Once a valve hangs open and a piston tags it, all bets are off.
Fact is,
I found the nut taking out my buick v6 about as entertaining as i find trolls,
If a person wants melted plastic burned onto stuff in their engine assuming it doesnt stick up a valve etc more power to them,
Me, im not bucks up enough to gamble that way.
Last edited by The13Bats; Nov 1, 2018 at 08:54 AM.
Just sayin'. From past history of posts, people tend to be their own worst enemies by making more work for themselves and added expenses that are not needed.
I'm waiting for someone to say, you should pull the engine. Tip it on its side. LOL
For those who are suggesting "leave it in there', would you really want a piece of plastic melting and sticking to the piston top, cylinder head, the cylinder wall, or the spark plug?? I highly doubt that the tube would simply vaporize, on the first combustion cycle, therefore it could just melt, then live in there for a while, potentially gumming things up.
If it were my car, I'd just run it and accept the consequences. Needing a crate engine is not the worst thing, but that's me, and my level of risk acceptance.
Perhaps pull the intake? Not a bad "while I was in there" improvement to put on a lighter aluminum intake, and make sure the seals are fresh. Yo can then put the borescope down the intake valves, maybe.
Last edited by Bikespace; Nov 1, 2018 at 12:35 PM.
For those who are suggesting "leave it in there', would you really want a piece of plastic melting and sticking to the piston top, cylinder head, the cylinder wall, or the spark plug?? I highly doubt that the tube would simply vaporize, on the first combustion cycle, therefore it could just melt, then live in there for a while, potentially gumming things up.
There will not be anything sticking around after a few minutes. Google: temp of internal combustion engine cylinder. 1500* That's fifteen hundred degrees.
Think, "Blast Furnace". If it can melt pistons, melt sparkplugs, it can melt a little tiny hollow piece of plastic.
Just realize that this car has been sitting for years! Due diligence would tell you to pull the heads and check things out...even if there is NO foreign object in a cylinder.
Also, the temperature in that cylinder is only 'plastic-melting' hot during the very short period of time during the combustion process. At 2000 rpm, that lasts about .017 seconds [combustion AND exhaust cycle]. Try waving a blowtorch past a plastic straw at that speed and see if it melts. During 1/2 of the ICE cycle, the cylinder sees cool fuel charge vapor. Over time, the straw would be crushed, melted, burned; but for the first few cycles, it could cause damage if it lodged between a valve and its seat.
Fish it out, if you can. But, you should pull the heads anyway to get them checked/refurbished and to refresh the intake and head gaskets.
I'm of the opinion the valve and seat would cut the tube in pieces eventually.
many years ago we had just freshened up a pro stock engine and had put it back in the car somehow one of us (I'm sure it wasn't me) because I was on the other side.left a red shop rag in the intake port.we fired the engine and heard the most bizarre sounds followed by a loud Foom sound and out the header collected flies a fully intact shop rag.we pulled the entire top of the engine and didn't so much as find a thread on a valve stem.we got lucky.
general consensus would be pull the head and that might be the right thing,but I really see minimal risk with a wd40 straw.
Remove all spark plugs.
Remove exhaust manifold from the side that has the cylinder with the straw.
Disconnect the coil wire from the distributor cap and ground it.
If not already done, spray your fogging solution to the rest of the cylinders.
Crank her up.
Hopefully what will happen is the straw will be cut into small pieces as the exhaust valve goes up and down where it will be small enough to be pushed out through the exhaust valve.
In the early 90s When i was in a hurry and all OCD the 327 that had been sitting since 69 ran great and didnt smoke after i installed it in my modded 66, ( i changed oil, fogged cylinders, primed it etc )
However,
The seals all leaked, one freeze plug leaked , etc stuff that was made much harder to do while in the car.
Since this threads engine has been sitting thats a gamble right there and my mind is all engaged i would just try to fire it off see what the straw does or doesn't do its not like a 73 came with any epic engines to start with,
Maybe it will melt the straw or maybe it will eat a valve but its going need work just from sitting anyway.
The vacuum was a warm bucket of fail but, the piston was low in the cylinder so, we tried moving it higher and thought that might help the vacuum. After the move, we checked with the scope and saw the straw moved directly in front of the sparkplug port. Even blind, it was easy to get a grabber on it and pull it out! Hot damn!
