Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

[krivnalyendi]

Don't let the subject get your hopes up, I meant the kind of nut that screws..er..you know what I mean!<br /><br />Stats: 1977 Ranger, Ford MerCruiser V8 188hp 302<br /><br />I've been having trouble with starting for some time now. I didn't really suspect the starter because:<br />-believe it's fairly new (paperwork is lost, but vague recollection of paying for that less than a few years ago)<br />-was cranking just fine, just took a few tries with giving it gas before it would start. Assumed fuel line problems; planned on Pertronix elect. ignition upgrade.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it died on the lake on Saturday and refused to start. Turning the key just gives a clicking noise; swapped in a known good battery, same thing. My diagnosis: the starter really was dying and it finally crapped out for real.<br /><br />I recently put on a new air cleaner from Kragen; I got a much bigger one, and the screw coming up out of the carb was too short. So I put a weird nut-type thing on top of the original screw, and then screwed another screw on top of that to hold the air cleaner on. Well, I knew this would happen but I refused to believe - the nut came off and is nowhere to be found. My guess is that it went into the carb through the air flow control valves (that's what those plates that move inside are, right?)...could that have been responsible for the starting problem? How the hell can I get that nut out; is it still inside the carb hopefully, or could it have gotten sucked into the rest of the engine? Any advice would be great!<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Greg

 

[ziggy]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

i had a sec. fuel nozzel fall off my ol qjet one time. if yer nut fell off and went down the carb. ya should have felt the eng. stumble as it goes thru the valve train. my nozzel ended up in the combustin chamber. had to pull the head to go get it. my nozzel cleaned up the top of the piston real good, and i didn't run it very long that way either. a nut would be more solid than what i had go thru. i'd guess a nut would do damage to the combustion chamber if that's where it really went. as far as the nut still being in the carb. maybe, if ya didn't open the throttle plates all the way. if ya did, i has the chance of gettin sucked right on in. as for the starting problem, i would think the nut is not relevant to that as ya say the starting problem had existed prior to the nut falling off..... just my guess anyways.......

 

[krivnalyendi]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

Sorry, let me clarify - yes, I have had trouble starting for some time - but it did not completely fail until Saturday; I only noticed the missing nut today, but it very well could have been sucked in on Saturday.<br /><br />If the nut did get sucked in, am I looking at taking apart the engine, or what? Any idea what it would cost to have a real mechanic get it out?<br /><br />I think I'm going to replace the starter regardless. If that solves the starting problem, what should I be looking for as evidence of the nut definetely being inside; where might I find it?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

look into the spark plug hole real close with a light, if the top if the piston is real clean, the nut might be in there. ya can also sweep the inside of the combustion chamber with a magnet, assuming the nut was magnitic. also it may rattle a bit if the nut would be inside the combustion chamber and ya dared to run it to listen. if ya do run it and the nuts in there. hum, i'd think ya need to have the head pulled to see what damage has occured. if it were my engine, i'd want to be really sure that the nut isn't inside the combustion chamber. cause if it is, and ya run it, ya might be doing more than just pullin the head. hope ya got lucky and ya find it on the outside of the engine somewheres. it does sound like something that ya should look real hard to find though. just to be clear, i would not run the engine if it were mine till the nut is located or ya are very sure that it's not sitting inside the combustion chamber. the nozzel i lost was pretty light weight, and the top of my piston was clean as a whistle and slightly dinged from the nozzel bounceing around inside. i can't imagein what a nut would do. put a hole in the top of the piston maybe........

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

Try jumping around the starter solenoid before replacing the starter. Just because it clicks doesn't mean its good.

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

Before you spend money on a starter, put a socket and breaker-bar on the harmonic balencer bolt and make sure the engine can be turned over by hand. If that carb nut went into the engine, it could be wedged between a piston and head or a valve and valve seat and causing the motor to be locked up.

 

[krivnalyendi]

Re: Trouble starting; lost nut in carb

I'm reminded of a Black Flag song.."Loose nut, in my head!"<br /><br />sigh