MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

As I'm about to put my freshly refinished plenum back into the car, I see one of the nuts that had fallen down into the motor valley. I expertly ( ) retrieved it using an advanced wire-coat-hanger-with-a-bend tool. As I gently pulled it up above the engine, I twitched and the damned thing fell straight into the opening of the lower intake manifold.

The engine has not run in 2 weeks, so I assume the valve are closed and it's just sitting at the bottom of the manifold. Obviously I'm not going to be starting the car up until it's out. I have a buddy with a micro-camera/flexy/bendy tool I'm going to borrow to see which port it went into.

Anyone have any ideas on the best way to get it out? How far down could it have fallen?

INTIMAZY

iTrader: (5)

I would take the manifold off and see where it landed if you can't see it and fish it out. DON'T TURN THE CRANK! Depending on the size of the nut theres a shot its sitting inside the cyl. The only way all your valves would all be closed is if the cam is taken out or by some miracle you're at cyl #1 TDC

Luxor

iTrader: (15)

Try using a round magnet and securely tie a fish line to it and let the magnet fall into the intake manifold and fish the nut. Since the intake manifold is aluminum, the magnet should not attach to anything except the nut.

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Get your hands one the strongest bendy-metal-magnet-hookie-thingies you can find. Dont turn it over...that'd really stink...

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

Definitely not turning it over until I can find this nut.

I stuck the boroscope down there just now, and can't quite seem to get the right angle to see past the valve stem. Unfortunately, the scope I'm using doesn't have the ability to capture images or I'd upload them.

How much more of a PITA is it to remove the manifold by the time I have the plenum off? I already have replacement gaskets, they came with the plenum's gaskets in a kit. What else would need to replace after removing the manifold? (Gaskets, sensors, etc...)

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

I'm going to check once more in the morning when there's light for this nut. Otherwise, I bribed Justin (DuWerke) to come help pull the manifold.

Any bits of advice for "while you're in there" sort of stuff to do?

iridebmx

iTrader: (6)

change your starter lol

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

I may not have to.

I stuck the boroscope back in the manifold once more tonight and was able to see the nut. It's in a safe spot and hasn't fallen anywhere that will cause any damage....yet.

Tomorrow I'll have to fish it out.

Vrank

iTrader: (4)

I do something similar to this. I get a good piece of wire left over from doing harnesses, and electrical tape a magnet to it real good. Coat hangar with magnet works well to when you need to navigate it in a particular fashion.

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

I took a flexible grabber tool, stuck a magnet that I broke off of a pickup tool in it, taped the prongs of the grabber tight around the magnet, and snaked the tool down alongside the scope to see what I was doing. Took about 10 minutes of 'fenagling" (sp?) and two people- one person to hold the camera scope at the right angle, and the other to manipulate the grabber.

Anyway, I got the nut out and all is well now. I'm concerned about the amount of carbon/varnish inside the intake. I cleaned it all out from the plenum, but the lower manifold has a good bit of build up. It's not affecting the car's performance at all, but I'd like to clean it out nonetheless. Will deleting the EGR help with keeping this buildup down? Seafoam to clean it out?

Also, while Justin and I were putting things back together, I realized how smart it would have been to label all of the vacuum lines that run everywhere. These are what I have left to connect. It'd be a huge help if anyone could tell me where they all go. Picture form would be excellent and I'll award each user with an answer with 100 internets.

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