help !!!!

[Dead Eye]

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While fogging my 2002 225 Merc The little red straw shot into the top cylinder. What do I do? Do i need to take the head off to get the straw" Will it just burn up with no harmful effects? How deep/high/wide is the cylinder? This sucks,

Thanks John

 

[gss036]

Re: help !!!!

I think you need to get it out, but I would think a lot of patience and a piece of soft wire you could get back up to the spark plug hole. Maybe, remove the other plugs and rotate the flywheel by hand, maybe you will luck out and get where you can see it and it will be upright in the cyliner w/the piston almost to the top.

 

[gidds]

Re: help !!!!

Shop vac and a paperclip hook.....?????

 

[mickarch]

Re: help !!!!

How about one of those flexible shaft grapling things with the push button on the end that opens and closes the claws. No idea what they are called...

 

[mickarch]

Re: help !!!!

This is what I was thinking of:

http://toolmonger.com/2006/07/29/flexible-grabber-tool/

 

[Dead Eye]

Re: help !!!!

What size is the cylinder? What is the inside like? 2002 225 merc top cylinder. How deep, high(above/below the plug hole), and wide(above/below the plug hole). I need to know how to probe. It would be cool to have one of those CSI cameras that are on a flexible wand. If I do take the head off should i do anything to the motor while I have access?
Thanks for the help all, John

 

[j_martin]

Re: help !!!!

Take it to yer local marine mechanic. he'll have a bore scope and fishing tools. At 100 per hour, should cost you about 10 if it's in the cylinder, a little more if he has to open the exhaust chest to find it. Oh Chit if it went out the intake port.

You can always just fire it up and see how the plastic straw burns.

hope it helps
John

 

[Motor Boater Bill]

Re: help !!!!

I bet you can fish it out with some patience--I've managed a lot of crazy things like that--get creative. Use something soft and flexible so you don't score the cyinder. Take your time. Sleep on it. Invent tools. It can be done. Make a mini vac by hooking a piece of tubing to your shop vac. Mount a little piece of mirror on somthing--and don't drop that in there! How about polishing one end of a thin strip of metal to use as a mirror? This is so much easier than heart surgery...

 

[Lone Duck]

Re: help !!!!

How about some real heavy old time chain grease on the end of a wooden dowl? some of that stuff is like sticky tar. That straw can't be that heavy. Good luck.

 

[gss036]

Re: help !!!!

Lone duck, grease is good idea, certianly would hurt anything. Maybe along those same lines, fixing some "duct tape on the end of piece of wire and fish around with that. This really can't be that big of a thing.

 

[Cornell]

Re: help !!!!

Hey Dead Eye. Thanks for the great entertainment. Do you work for Iboats? Threads like this will keep me coming back. Thanks to all the replys!
If this is for real then all of the suggestions are great. If you can't get it out then, Like said, with all plugs out try to turn motor over, but, by hand if possible. That will keep the straw from bouncing around where you don't want it. Then bring the straw cylinder piston up to the top. If you have to use an elect. starter then put finger in hole and stop as soon as compression starts to build. (stay clear of plug wires) You may see the top of the piston. If you do, the straw should be there within reaching distance. The flexable claw tool is a must in every tool box. It has been very good to me. Buy one. They also make a light on the same type of tool. But any good flash light may be all you need if you get the piston to the top. If nothing works then get another identical straw and burn it. See what type of residue it leaves before you decide to run engine with it inside. But promise me you will write more threads!

 

[Dead Eye]

Re: help !!!!

Boat got covered the same day as the OOPS!! I have till spring to mull all the suggestions over. I am glad this thread was entertaining to some . After I think about it I laugh myself. After all life goes on, some times there a hill you need to climb to get there.
Thanks for the replies keep them coming,

john

 

[Laddies]

Re: help !!!!

There is a very good chance the tube never went beyond the reeds and is laying in the intake manifold did you remove the carb to see that it is actually in the engine it's self

 

[Dead Eye]

Re: help !!!!

Covered the boat up so I wouldn't put a hammer to the motor. I'll keep listening to options till the spring when I tackle the problem. How long does it take for plastic straws to decay and disappear?
Thanks, John

 

[Dead Eye]

Re: help !!!!

Getting ready to work on the boat to get it ready for the launch. Anyone want to add to this thread? The suggestions already brought up are great. I'll tow her home Easter weekend so I can work on her.
Thanks, John

 

[flabum]

Re: help !!!!

The suggestions here are good. I had luck doing that task by using a piece of copper wire and some chewing gum. Chew the gum and take a small amount of it and wrap it around the tip of the wire. Look inside the plug hole and see if you can see where it is. bed the wire accordingly and fish it up to the hole and grab it with a thin set of needle nose pliers or tweezers.

 

[JMRuth72]

Re: help !!!!

I think that I would start with the piston all the way at the bottom of the cylinder. Take a long wooden q-tip (sometimes called surgical swabs) with some bearing grease and go fishing. The reason that I would run the piston all the way to the bottom of the cylinder is that it hopefully isn't wedged in somewhere and is free to move around. Otherwise the grease may not have enough stickiness. Of course the reason I would use a q-tip is that it absolutely will not scratch the cylinder. Another variation would be a small dowel with duct tape sticky side out. Of course a borescope would make this so much easier. Oh well it shouldn't be that hard. Good luck and let us know if you get it out by fishing and what method you used.

 

[Dead Eye]

Re: help !!!!

Just bought a boroscope. Gona go straw fishing Sat. I will post up with my findings.
John

 

[Ed R]

Re: help !!!!

Hey , thats a small plastic tube that would be burnt and dissolved by cylinder
combustion. If it was ingested by carborators, it would have gotten stuck in reed valves and would cause a rich condition. Let it go!