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Screwed up, need help

K

Kp

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Apr 5, 2006
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I just bought a replacement long block for my wifes sub. Unfortunately, when we were attaching the cherry picker to it to lift it off the truck, we(not me!), dropped a washer into the head. :doah:
Specifically, into the square port on the intake side of the head, that is closest to the end. I beleive it is a water passage.
I would post a pic, but I can't. I've fished around in there, even with a magnet, but no luck. The hole goes in, and turns toward the cylinder. Does anyone know where it goes from there?
Any clever ideas for retreiving it?:confused:
Please.......
 
Forgot to mention.
the engine is a 454. I am trying to avoid pulling the head off the block if at all possible.
 
how about trying to suck it out with a shop vac? you could pull the freeze plugs to get better access, if you had too. i swear by my wire claw grabber thing.

when i did my engine swap, several months ago, i used probably 7 feet of duct tape, making sure every single hole was covered, including the exhaust ports. I'm paranoid that way, but it pays off, and duct tape is cheap.
 
Great minds think alike. I tried the shop vac with no success. I have a magnetic parts picker, but it isn't flexible, so that didnt work.
I am thinking that maybe I can reduce the size of the shop vac hose with another piece of hose, and see if I can get that to turn the corner, but I am not optimistic.
If I pull the head, I am going to need to replace the head gasket aren't I? I also thought I may be able to blow some compressed air in from another hole, and blast that sucker back out of there, but that also sounds pretty unlikely to work.
 
magnet is extremely hard. so much ferrous materials around, its nearly impossible to get the magnet to suck the right area.

First thing i'd try and do is put the block on an engine stand, then rotate it 180... see if I can get the sucker to fall out.

If that didnt work, I'd keep it down there, and try shooting compressed air, see if I can lodge it out somehow.

If that still didnt work, I'd try using a borescope of some sort, and start doing some peaking around. if you can see it, you might be able to use a flex head grabber to grab it, or even a flex head magnet to get to it.
 
2 thing's I'd try first...

I'd try the compressed air trick first..you might just get lucky,and blow it right out..maybe you could flush it out with a garden hose??..

You could also tip the motor upside down with the hoist..maybe it'll drop out once gravity takes over..I'd pull the heads only as a last resort!..any "work" you do,like yanking a head, might void the warranty,if it came with one.:crazy:
 
Thats exactly why I am trying to avoid pulling the head. It will void the warranty. I considered dumping some water down after it, to see where it came out, but I didnt want to risk washing it further into the block. I am going to put it on the stand and turn it over. Maybe doing that, and fishing with a piece of wire, will get it to fall out... I hope...
 
Kp said:
Thats exactly why I am trying to avoid pulling the head. It will void the warranty. I considered dumping some water down after it, to see where it came out, but I didnt want to risk washing it further into the block. I am going to put it on the stand and turn it over. Maybe doing that, and fishing with a piece of wire, will get it to fall out... I hope...
Click to expand...

Ah I see now did not know it was a warranty issue I thought you put it together:o . Since pulling heads is not currently an option I vote for turning it upside down like your trying to get lunch money for a kid in elementary school.

Ira
 
ok, here is a ghetto method i used on a friend's motor. short description of situation: dual plane manifold for quadrajet. he had dropped a small socket in there and it went all the way down the runner for cylinder 3. how i got it: grabbed a few magnets from a shower curtain (the kind that look like a big freaking black cheerio) , tied a string to them, ran the string through a piece of thin-wall clear tube that i used to use for syphoning gas. then, i crammed the magnets into the end of the tube. and snaked it down the manifold. the tube kept the magnets from sticking to the cast iron manifold as bad, but left them exposed on the end, to grab the socket. the string kept the magnets from dislodging as i shoved the tube down the runner. worked like a charm, but his wife was pretty pi$$ed at me for cutting two magnest out of her shower curtain :laugh: . too bad.

if you try my strange method, i expect you'll need smaller magnets and maybe to lube up the of the tube (wouldn't do that to start, though).
 
Vortec, that gives me a good idea!
I have a mag parts picker, but it telescopes like an antenna.
BUT, I can cut off the magnet from the end, and put it in the end of a piece of tube, so just the end is exposed. I can put a piece of tape or something across the end of the tube to keep it in there.
The tube will be flexible enough (hopefully) to turn the corners, and it will keep the magnet from sticking to the sides(hopefully).
That just may work!
I am at work, so I cant try until tonight, but I'll post up tomorrow.
 
okay, sounds stuipid, but if you have an engine stand, how about rotating it upside down. What goes down, still has to fall down. It may just roll out.

Manny
 
I dont have an engine stand at home. I do have a buddy who will loan one to me, but I wont be able to get it until Thursday. I will try that before pulling the head though.
 
MuddinManny said:
okay, sounds stuipid, but if you have an engine stand, how about rotating it upside down. What goes down, still has to fall down. It may just roll out.

Manny
Click to expand...



good thing you read the whole thread.
 
careful with the duct tape and string. If you loose the magnet in there, you are definately removing the head.
 
YZEATER said:
good thing you read the whole thread.
Click to expand...

Sorry YZ, didn't mean to piss in your wheaties. I didn't see the thread above, otherwise I would have posted "x2". Is there a problem with repeating what the other guy said? Usually when two or more say the same, that constitutes confirmation.

Oh well, sorry to have ruffled you.

Manny
 
Nope, not yet.
I am picking up the engine stand today. I tried poking around in there yesterday, but I didnt have a piece of tubing with the right inside diameter to make the magnet thing work.
 
I would pull the manifold, hopefully the bolt is still in there and it will fall out. If it has made its way all the way to the cylinder it shouldnt be hard at that point to get out because you can go into the cylinder through the exhaust ports with a magenet and retrieve it. Shouldnt be that hard to get out.
 
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