Engine OOOPS - dropped something down the intake when removing the lower intake manifold.

jrichker

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Mar 10, 2000
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I dropped something down the intake when removing the lower intake manifold... It was most likely a small screw or washer.

When you remove the upper intake manifold, it is easy to cover up the openings in the lower intake once you have the upper intake removed. The lower intake is a different story. You can't cover the openings until the lower intake manifold is all the way off the engine.

I get a lockup at TDC on cylinders 2 & 8 which are 180°. apart from one another in the firing order. I would like to only remove one cylinder head to save time and money. Does anyone know how to figure out which head has the FOD in the cylinder?
 
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I have a wireless borescope which has a magnet in the end. If the fod is small enough, you might be able to use something like that to get it through a spark plug hole. If nothing else, at least it’ll tell you which head you need to take off.
 
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If it fell behind a valve you should be able to fish it out through the intake port of the head. If it made it past the valve it should be right by the spark plug hole when the piston is up in the bore. A camera scope would help inspect any possible ways this foreign object may have gone. They have them pretty cheap now at most parts stores, home depot, lowes, and HF. I've used one of the little pen type extendable magnets to get all types of stuff out of engines. One time I had to break the end off and glue it inside a piece rubber hose just to wiggle in a spark plug hole.
 
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Borescopes are tricky based on the field of view. If the object has fallen into an obscure location, it's hard to see. However, something large enough to act as a piston stop at TDC is likely big enough to be seen on the camera.

I actually beleive autozone may rent one of those, otherwise Amazon Prime yourself one and then return it (or not)

I have successfuly fished objects out using a magnet probe, but again this all depends on reach.
 
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If you bring the cylinders close to tdc but not close enough to cause binding, maybe at that point you could force the object back out by blasting compressed air in. Or maybe seal a strong shop vac nozzle to the port and suck it out, or maybe a combination of both…
 
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Wow, that stinks joe, my thought is stick a spark plug in the suspected cylinders and rotate the engine and listen for air in the intake track, that whatever got dropped had to have damaged a intake valve.
just thinking out loud, guess you're gonna pull a head and you only want to pull one.
or get a cheap bore scope, they could be fun err, usful for other things.
Or so I'm told :cautious:
 
Bye the way there’s no sure way to assume that the obstruction is in either 2 or 8. The interference could also be happening at valve overlap on other cylinders. Perhaps even more likely at overlap since valves will be protruding into the combustion chamber.
 
Can you stick the nozel of a shop vac in the port and suck it out? Take an old pair of pantyhose and put over the end of the nozzle to keep it from getting sucked into the vac. That way it's easy to find it without digging through all that dirt inside and you will keep it clean from any residual that may be in the suction hose as well. Yea, i know pantyhose is probably something you don't just have laying around, so WalMart has knee highs in those little gum-ball machine plastic things for like 33 cents or so.
 
I'd try the simple methods of finding it with the options suggested..... But i don't think my nerves would take starting it up and hoping i got the small screw and the washer. Or was it just one thing? See what i mean? There's my nerve problem right there...lol.
Hoping for the best for ya sir!
 
jrichker,
This happens a lot
I have a snap on port vacuum just for this
Also a borescope
Time to go magnet fishing thru all the orifices!
A real good 30 dollar snap-on flex tip magnet with a spring loaded push out magnet
When I repair blown out spark plugs on those 5.4's I use a big Craftsman 6HP shop vac
You will get it out
Hopefully you been living right
 
jrichker,
This happens a lot
I have a snap on port vacuum just for this
Also a borescope
Time to go magnet fishing thru all the orifices!
A real good 30 dollar snap-on flex tip magnet with a spring loaded push out magnet
When I repair blown out spark plugs on those 5.4's I use a big Craftsman 6HP shop vac
You will get it out
Hopefully you been living right
My 5.4 blew out the plug under warranty........ so happy about that!!
 
Good on ya Rdub6
Did they replace the head or fix the spark plug threads or replace the motor?
We would fix the front 4 but the rear 4 got new motors if warranty
That is after the special tools and all that to fix them came out