Dropped a washer down the Crankcase vent

TargaT · 07-18-2006, 10:13 AM

Help! am I screwed? I just dropped a copper washer down the crankcase vent. What should I do?

73 2.4T w/MFI

Joe

VaSteve · 07-18-2006, 10:20 AM

For starters, get a shop vac, attach a small hose and stuff it down there. See if it picks it up on the end of the hose.

Miguel Antonett · 07-18-2006, 10:31 AM

Yes, you are!

Have to get it out. Loose washers with moving parts don't match.

acapella8 · acapella8's Garage

Get a telescoping (adjustable) magnet. Craftsman makes one that unfolds like a radio antenna. My best friend with my clumby hands.

id911T · 07-18-2006, 10:37 AM

Try flushing the case until it ends up in the sump screen. Being a copper washer (ie soft), it will lose any battle with most internal engine parts, save for the timing chains, but there's no sense in teasing the devil. If you do run the engine, it will most likely end up in the oil sump strainer.

TargaT · 07-18-2006, 10:37 AM

Thought about the magnet, but the washer is copper.

zotman72 · 07-18-2006, 10:40 AM

Better yet, get the magnet tool that is attached to 1/8" aluminium wire such that will bend in every direction needed. This tool has save my ar$e many of times. Hopefully your washer was ferrous.....

TargaT · 07-18-2006, 10:43 AM

Stephen, when you say flush the case, can you please explain in more detail.

Wil Ferch · 07-18-2006, 11:33 AM

Or....being copper......tape a series of plastic drinking straws together...and tape THAT to the end of a shop-vac attachment ( suitably taped-over to force all the air *through* the straw "ladder" you just built...

...and then...

...go fishing ! ....

- Wil

id911T · 07-18-2006, 11:43 AM

Well, if I were in the same scrape, I would try vacuuming first, but if that failed, I would get a five gallon bucket of an engine friendly solvent (like kerosine). Set up a hose and funnel on the breather, remove the sump plate over an appropriately sized container, and pour the kero down through. I would also screen the flow as it came out of the sump to snare the offending item. Pain in the ass, but better than a teardown.

john walker's workshop · 07-18-2006, 01:50 PM

there's a flat shelf below the breather cap. remove the cap and see if you got lucky.

304065 · 07-18-2006, 01:57 PM

Do NOT move the engine or the car. Carefully remove the breather cap as JW says. Get yourself the brightest shop light you can find, remove the air cleaner and the MFI stacks so you can work. The stacks come off in about ten minutes, don't crack the plastic. Do not remove the throttle bodies and do NOT drop any of the washers from the stacks or nuts down in the TB's!

The odds of it falling sideways in the engine are pretty low, so if you can get your face in there and look you should be able to see it. Don't cut your scalp on the tabs that hold the engine sound pad.

Advil is in your near future.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Wil Ferch
Or....being copper......tape a series of plastic drinking straws together...and tape THAT to the end of a shop-vac attachment ( suitably taped-over to force all the air *through* the straw "ladder" you just built...

...and then...

...go fishing ! ....

- Wil

you'll need a wet dry vac if you gonna try this rube goldberg idea.

dorschman · dorschman's Garage

could you call a plumber with some kind of fiber endoscope or flexible camera to see if he could find it with the camera and remove it that way? Maybe expensive but cheaper than an engine.

pjv911 · pjv911's Garage

I would try to find it as JW has said. If not luck just get it on your next oil service. It will likely be in the sump screen. I can only think of one place that could receive damage from a copper washer and thats the layshaft gear(aluminum). And I cant imagine it could get past the sump with all that oil sucking going on. And gravity too.
Chances are you will find it sitting right under the breather anyway.

Kurt Williams

cygtoad · cygtoad's Garage

Turn the engine upside down and shake it.

mb911 · mb911's Garage

it happened to me. i decided to just run it and check for it the next oil change. guess what it was in the sump screen no issues. Goood luck sleep easy it will work out in a matter of minutes of running

Wil Ferch · 07-18-2006, 06:44 PM

In answer to RUF-Porsche's post

1.)wet-dry shop vacs are pretty common..... how many here are dry only ???

2.) I've used this "rube-goldberg" idea with plenty of success in similar, although "dry" situations.....

3.) why criticise out-of-box thinking..this might work with little pain involved...what's to lose ?

- Wil

Eagledriver · 07-18-2006, 08:22 PM

As you can see you'll get plenty of advise and have to sort it out. My advise would be to take of the cover as JW said. There are actually two shelves in there that act as a baffle. Very likely the washer is on one of the shelves. If it did fall through there is very little chance of going some where that would cause damage. It's in a different part of the crank case than the intermediate shaft gears and sprokets so I don't think it could get there. You should be able to find it in the bottom of the engine the next time you do an oil change if it fell in all the way.

I'm not saying there is no chance of causing damage, just that it is so unlikely that it's not worth trying anything else.

-Andy

TargaT · 07-19-2006, 06:26 AM

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. The cover was actually in the process of being removed when the washer fell in and it appears to be gone. . A word of advice to all the MFI folks out there. When you pull off the vent cover keep an eye on the washer from the pump return tube.
This motor is a fresh rebuild and is due for its first oil change. I will first drain the existing oil then pour some additional low viscosity oil down the vent opening to see if I can wash it down. I will remove the sump cover and screen and hopefully find it. If not I will refill with oil do a short run and drain again and if no luck after that I will start going to church more often.
Does this sound reasonable?