Washer fell in motor...

[atvkid4eva]

well guys the worst thing imaginable has happened..while replacing my fuel rail gasket a small washer from the plenum fell into the intake..i wasnt quite sure if it fell in but i thought it did..i couldnt find it so i figured it had fallen onto the ground somewhere so i comtinued putting the motor back together...i go to start it up and TING TING TING i can hear the washer shooting around in the motor..i tore the motor down to the lower intake and cant find the washer sitting in there anywhere i have used a magnet with no luck..im assuming it got sucked down into the heads. is there a magnet or anything in the motor that will catch the washer for me or an i screwed if i cant find it? idk what to do guys i feel so dumb.

 

[Earl43P]

Yikes.

I'd guess it's in the cylinder if you could hear it clanking around.

I knew an old guy with a 302, somebody put nuts and junk down his intake for spite. He kept driving it and the clattering eventually quit, but I'd hate to see those cylinder walls.

Take out the spark plugs and see if you can figure out which cylinder its in. I wouldn't use the starter, turn the engine slowly by picking a gear and roll the truck and listen for it in each spark plug hole with a piece of hose as your stethescope.

Once you know which cylinder it's in, bring that piston to the top (a #2 pencil in the spark plug hole can help you tell the piston position). The see if you can get that washer out. Or pull that head off.

Might try sticky grease on something flexible to snake in there and grab it. Maybe aquarium size tube? You could put some wire inside the tubing to stiffen it up (or make a hook?) and also be able to bend it for probing around. Might even do better with the piston less than at the top, try that once you start snaking.

Quite the quandary. Maybe someone else has a better idea.
Good luck!

 

[atvkid4eva]

well i know its in the middle cylinder on the passengers side of the motor because when i pulled the plug the tip on the spark plug was bent from the washer hitting it..im thinking it has to be sitting on top of the piston and i should be able to get it with a flexible magnet through the spark plug hole...i hope.

 

[IndianScout]

bet it's welded to the piston, had that happen before

 

[RumpRangerSTX]

Yikes.

I'd guess it's in the cylinder if you could hear it clanking around.

I knew an old guy with a 302, somebody put nuts and junk down his intake for spite. He kept driving it and the clattering eventually quit, but I'd hate to see those cylinder walls.

Take out the spark plugs and see if you can figure out which cylinder its in. I wouldn't use the starter, turn the engine slowly by picking a gear and roll the truck and listen for it in each spark plug hole with a piece of hose as your stethescope.

Once you know which cylinder it's in, bring that piston to the top (a #2 pencil in the spark plug hole can help you tell the piston position). The see if you can get that washer out. Or pull that head off.

Might try sticky grease on something flexible to snake in there and grab it. Maybe aquarium size tube? You could put some wire inside the tubing to stiffen it up (or make a hook?) and also be able to bend it for probing around. Might even do better with the piston less than at the top, try that once you start snaking.

Quite the quandary. Maybe someone else has a better idea.
Good luck!

holly shit u sound like u did that before

 

[atvkid4eva]

cant be welded to the piston i can still hear it. gonna try and locate a flexible magnet this weekend and try through the sparkplug hole.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I do house renovations and there are flexible magnetic strips used for storm windows, also used in old style magnetic vehicle signs. They would fit down the spark-plug hole, you might have to trim a bit.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[97RangerXLT]

ouch! hope you are able to retrieve it without having to tear the truck apart.

glad you got the fuel rail all set up tho.

the sticky grease or magnet is probably the way to go.

Good luck!!

AJ

 

[atvkid4eva]

well i got the washer out..couldnt get it through the spark plug hole so i had to pull the head. not just have to reassemble. thanks guys!