How much trouble am I in?!

[95BlueStallion]

I decided to tackle my trickflow intake yesterday, and before removing the factory lower I vacuumed the dirt and sand off it to prevent it from falling in the engine. Aparently I didnt do a good enough job, cause after cleaning up the heads for the new gaskets (being very careful that no old gasket fell in the intake bores) I shined my flashlight in to see if any old gasket fell in and I see sand particles on a couple valves! I tried getting my vacuum to suck it out, but they are stuck in the oil residue... How much will a little sand hurt those cylinders?!

P.S. I havent fully reassembled the upper intake and run the engine cause there are open ports on the lower that I need to get plugs for... I bought it used.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Does it sound like something the oil might filter out? Im just worried cause some folks make it sound like engines should be assembled in clean rooms like computer chips!

 

[RIO5.0]

I would grab some small vac hose and homey that with tape to your vacuum and try to suck to stuff out...you could always shoot a blast od WD40 or Brake cleaner to loosen it up then vac it out.

That small its not gonna due alot of damage and hopefully would get blown out the exhaust...sometimes chit happens but your problem is minor...it could have been worse...like a bolt that dropped in somewhere....

 

[Yobi1Kanobi]

no worry spray some wd 40 to clen em off and you should be ok, As long as its not metal shavings and stuff.

 

[final5-0]

Sure ... there is a bit of stuff there that should not be
but
From the way you describe it ... not enough to worry about

Have you never seen any of those Top Fuel boys tear apart
and put back together a motor in the pits?

Not exactly the cleanest environmental conditions for motor building

Grady

 

[HISSIN50]

I would grab some small vac hose and homey that with tape to your vacuum and try to suck to stuff out...you could always shoot a blast od WD40 or Brake cleaner to loosen it up then vac it out.......

This is exactly how I do it. With a decent shop vac (not the POS vac's you get these days), I put duct tape over the oval hose nozzle. Then cut a small hole in the tape and slide the rubber vacuum line through the slit, like Andy noted. You guide the hose down the hole and suck away.

I agree that it's not a real big deal. Another situation like wise old Grady noted: On newer 4 bangers with the 4 foot long spark plug wells, it's real tough to not have chit [that's cemented around the plug] fall into the plug holes. It happens. I vacuum these the same way and call it good.

Good luck.

 

[Stanger007]

Then cut a small hole in the tape and slide the rubber vacuum line through the slit, like Andy noted. You guide the hose down the hole and suck away.

oooh aaah.

Close the valve perhaps and spray some WD40 in it and suck that mixture out?

Or buy some shiny aluminum heads. :-D

Sorry I really have nothing beneficial to add but had to comment on JT's sensual wording.

Wes

 

[blksn955.o]

You also may try some tape (shipping tape/package tape) wrapped around a small screw driver or pick. I have gotten some stuff out of some tight spaces doing this before.

I just double/loop it and wrap it around the screwdriver and have some hanging off the end and ball it up. Then stick it in the hole and spin, spin, spin/jab, jab, jab/scrape, scrape, scrape.

 

[zZsKyZz]

I would grab some small vac hose and homey that with tape to your vacuum and try to suck to stuff out...you could always shoot a blast od WD40 or Brake cleaner to loosen it up then vac it out.

That small its not gonna due alot of damage and hopefully would get blown out the exhaust...sometimes chit happens but your problem is minor...it could have been worse...like a bolt that dropped in somewhere....

Like a bolt?

I was changing my intake and a bolt dropped down one of the water jacket valves.

4,000 miles later....


Never did get the damn thing out...





Still running strong! That's a 302 for ya.

 

[Iggyshane]

I might be thinking wrong but what type of sand paper did you use?
You don't want to rough up where the gasket sits to much or it may not sit properly.
I was always told just to use a razor blade

 

[05xgt]

Me.... I would ensure the valves were closed on the cyl I was cleaning, then spray carb cleaner into the runner, then blow out with compressed air. Granted when they do a tear down at the track it may not be a "Clean Room" but be assured it is clean when it goes back together. My thoughts are if it isn't fuel and air mixed, it doesn't belong there. I have seen what sand can do to cly walls from exp.

 

[95BlueStallion]

I might be thinking wrong but what type of sand paper did you use?
You don't want to rough up where the gasket sits to much or it may not sit properly.
I was always told just to use a razor blade

I used a razor blade with my vacuum nozel in the other hand... Sounds stupid, but I sucked the old gasket coating off as it scraped up off the head to ensure none went down the ports! Thanks guys, I feel a lot better now. Grady, I have seen top fuel boys tear those engines down, I go to St. Louis with my Dad in may for his birthday to the NHRA drags. Its pretty bad ass, especially to breathe the nitro while they test run them in the pits! If that doesnt clear your sinuses, I dont know what will! Well, I got the car all back together last night and ran her for about 15 minutes. Check engine light came on after about 5 minutes... And my hood wont shut, but those are two problems Im sure I can fix. Anyone have a dremel I can borrow?! I have a couple vacuum lines I rerouted that I am going to go back and double check... The trickflow intake I bought had vacuum ports in different spots than stock, but they were the same size and same number of ports as stock, so I just plugged what was closest to stock and went on my way. Anybody think thats a bad idea? If you guys have any experiences with CEL when doing an intake feel free to chime in please on what I should look at! I dont have the know how to figure out what code the computer is putting out! :SNSign:

 

[Synned]

Maybe they'll end up out of your exhaust pipe as pearls?

 

[95BlueStallion]

Maybe they'll end up out of your exhaust pipe as pearls?

If sand turns to pearls, Im gonna dump some coal in my intake next!

 

[steede302]