Topic: I dropped a rubber ring!

[jacquesleclochard]

And it fell all the way down, past the camchain, and is probably resting in the base, under the third piston. Will this little f*cker find it's way to the sump and rest in the carter, or will it cause problems? If this were a hard piece of metal or aluminum, I wouldn't even bother asking: I'd start digging straight away. But rubber, how harmful is it really?

I am talking about part #8 on the CMSNL diagram below:
 

[JHansen]

I hate to say it to you- but I'm probably going in after it... Only because it's not supposed to be in there I wouldn't want to find out what kind of problems it could cause if not removed. I'm having visions of transmission gears shearing the rubber into little bits, then getting sucked through the oil pump and then clogging an oil gallery to something vital, like cam or crank bearings...
Sorry! John

[mystic_1]

If it dropped down past the crankshaft then it is probably sitting down in the lower case recesses, there's nothing down there to grind it up.  Once the motor is filled with oil there is a chance the ring will float back into the oil pan, the screen on the oil pump will keep it from being sucked up.

Having said that, it would bug the hell out of me to know that it is in there, and personally I'd retrieve it.

Try blowing some air in there with a long-nozzle airgun perhaps, that might flip it to a place where you can retrieve it.

Try removing the round inspection/drain cap on the lower crankcase, I believe they're approximately under the #2 and #3 pistons so you may get lucky.

mystic_1

[dRoc]

Terrible feeling, isn't it?

Here's what I did to finally get it out:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=72325.msg803235#msg803235

Good luck!

[jacquesleclochard]

Thanks for the tips, dRoc. I'll fiddle around some, and then some, 'till I find it. An air compressor... Would a canister of compressed air do the trick? It might lack the punch, but it's worth a shot.

[kvallelunga]

Try turning the engine upside down and blowing it out. A can of compressed air may not have the volume though.

[bollingball]

If you can not swing a compressor. maybe you can get a 10gal tank from auto parts store and fill it up  at gas station and get a nozzle gun with a football needle cut the end off where the two hole are to get one hole out the end.

[bollingball]

Forget about the football needle thing I was think of another post about a carb Over 60 it happens.Still get the gun and put a 12"to 24" tube on it.

[cb550fcafe]

When this type of thing happens to me, I use automatic transmission assembly grease and put a blob of it on the end of some welding rod and fish around for it, that type of grease is very sticky and the non metallic items stick to it well, it also melts @ 170 deg so it can stay in the motor and won't hurt anything, its also compatible with the oil. It has always worked for me. I think Vaseline may work also.

HTH

[Lavis500]

Have you tried a nice pair of mechanical fingers like these?



I tend to find them very useful for things like this...   Not that I've ever made a similar mistake.  

You might also try something like compressed carb cleaner like gumout.  I think the liquid could provide a better moving force than just compressed air.  It's worth a shot if have any lying around.  Heck, if you REALLY have to you could  just put your engine over a drip pan and pour old oil, kerosene, any kind of thick liquid thats engine friendly until you just "wash" the o-ring out.

There are definitely many ways to skin this cat, so don't get discouraged.  If worse becomes worst, I've read a thread before of a guy who dropped a bolt down the cam chain passage, checked the oil passages and flow diagrams, and ultimately decided to run the engine a somewhat short period of time.  Then he changed his oil and pulled all of the plugs from under the case.  The bolt had been pushed to the plugs!  Sure there's a difference or two between o-rings and bolts, but it's a possible last resort.

[jacquesleclochard]

There are definitely many ways to skin this cat, so don't get discouraged.  If worse becomes worst, I've read a thread before of a guy who dropped a bolt down the cam chain passage, checked the oil passages and flow diagrams, and ultimately decided to run the engine a somewhat short period of time.  Then he changed his oil and pulled all of the plugs from under the case.  The bolt had been pushed to the plugs!  Sure there's a difference or two between o-rings and bolts, but it's a possible last resort.

Yea, I am going to do that. I was planning on doing an oil flush with Forte right after the rebuild. The rubber is to thick to jam any of the pistons, and it would be ground to bits if it ended up in any chain. I tried fishing around, blowing, I did the vaseline trick, but nothing came up.