Rock in Motor- Portland Area - Need Advise

[RichardsFRS]

Not sure how you are gona grab a rock if you can't see it but how did it get into the funnel? A rock?

[humfrz]

Well now @Gbaby86 ......... welcome to posting to ye ol forum .......

A "rock" inside the engine is a new one on us (as far as I recall).

@steve99 , @ryoma have a couple of good ideas there (if you can see it).

Since @fumanchu1 and @go_a_way1 done used a couple of my back-in-the-day ideas ........ ......... I'll have to think on this fer ah spell.

hmmmmm........no good ideas from the old days. Back then. if it were a OHV engine, we would have simple taken off the valve cover and picked the rock out; a flathead, we would have just it lie in the bottom of the oil pan.

IF you can see it, the vac or grabber tool would be my weapon of choice.

IF you can see it and can get a rod to it ...... the redneck way would be to smash it to bits (and not worry about the bits).

If it has fallen to the bottom of the cam chain cover, I'd be tempted to just leave it there. There appears to be enough room down there for it to co-exist with the moving parts.

Sort of like a kidney stone, if it just stays put ..... there is no problem ..... but if it moves, it can cause you great pain.


humfrz

[Gbaby86]

Thanks for the welcome! Great pic humfrz. I have attempted to get the rock through the valve control assemblies that are on the front of the case. In the process I ended up pushing it down further so it's now below the bottom right pulley in humfrz' pic. I've been using a 3mm borescope but now the rock is out of sight and reach.

Possible name change since I'm the first?

RockyMotor86?

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

My money is on the ol' flip it upside down and shake it trick

Beat me to it.

Closest I've come is dropping a screw into the distributor on a 1972 Chevy Luv on the side of the road. Thing was running like shit because it was tuned at 7k feet in the Rockies and when I hit the Oregon coast it was terrible so I decided to mess with it then realized the cap was cracked and the points were burned. I should have chosen a better location or just taken it to a shop... This was two days after the throwout bearing carrier melted in Ontario Oregon and we had to replace it and the clutch disc in a parking lot without a tranny jack. I miss good old school road trips

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Gbaby86

Thanks for the welcome! Great pic humfrz. I have attempted to get the rock through the valve control assemblies that are on the front of the case. In the process I ended up pushing it down further so it's now below the bottom right pulley in humfrz' pic. I've been using a 3mm borescope but now the rock is out of sight and reach.

Possible name change since I'm the first?

RockyMotor86?

Well now "RockyMotor86" ...... if that rock is where you describe, I think I'd just let er lie there. It appears that even it worked its way down to the lowest point of the case it wouldn't do any harm.

Having said that, who can chime in, that actually has had that cover off and could comment on whether or not there is an oil passage down there the rock could block ..... ??

How big is the rock/pebble ... ??


humfrz

[Aztec]

Originally Posted by Gbaby86

If anyone on here knows a shop in the Portland/Gresham area that is familar with FA20's so i could get an accurate quote that would be appriciated!

Hey man, I've got a shop recommendation for you.
VIP performance near 82nd. They were able to swap out my final drive to 4.56 in 3 hours, the owner has an 86 that he tracks. The owner wryann is Incredibly fair with his rates since he's so fast at his work, call them up!

[Turbo95eg6]

Coat hanger and a piece of bubblegum

[ryoma]

what if the bubble gum falls off... now you have gum on the bottom of your engine too lol

[BlueSky]

You guys are thinking too far outside the box...they make tools for everything nowadays!
get yourself a car inspection camera and grabber tool (like said earlier) and a lot of patients

heres the camera I have, but you can for sure get something cheaper, around $50 to $80
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/tools-...ontent=Default

[justatroll]

Sorry, cant help but coincidentally the dealer is taking my engine out to remove the timing cover as I type this.


So - if the front cover has to come off, the engine comes out.


Only suggestion I have is that IF you decide to do the deep dive and pay a mechanic to go in and find it: you could try to flush it out with a stream of new oil first.
If it comes out the drain plug, then story over. If it doesn't come out, where might it have gone?

[zkv476]

You can pull the timing cover with the engine in the car, I've done it to change a cam gear. Try pulling the cam position sensor, if it's small enough you might be lucky enough to have it drop through the hole. Other than that, once oil floods into that area there's a port on the head that drains back oil and the rock will go into the head and may drain down into the pan. Not 100% sure on that though.

[Gbaby86]

Thanks for all the insight fellas. Have used a 3mm borescope with wire and all kinds of tools to try to get that damn rock out with no luck.

Thank you @Aztec! Had an appt. at PRE next friday but called Ryan over at VIP Performance and he can get me in monday at a very good rate. They're installing a perrin lightweight pulley and fumoto drain valve while they're in there

[LaertesSon]

I'm going to check for rocks every time I change my oil now..

[humfrz]

So, @Gbaby86 ........ did they get the rock out .. ??


humfrz