Well, I was doing my spark plugs. Long story short, i'm not sure if I dropped a washer or something into one of the intakes under the plenum. At first I didn't think I did (long story) but after asking around on 3si, now i'm not sure.

Is there any way to check if anything was dropped down there (without actually starting it )?

Better yet, is there actually a way to get something out if I did drop it in?


And yes, I am already aware that I'm an idiot.

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"Let me sit next to the funny guy."

1995 Baby blue Civic GT

Theres only the two on the sides of the lower intake plenum from what I remember, are they still there?

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1991 Stealth RT/TT

Magnet on a stick. Or better yet, one of the flex magnets they sell at Ace hardware.

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www.rockauto.com

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

How deep are the intakes? Just out of curiosity.

_________________
"Let me sit next to the funny guy."

1995 Baby blue Civic GT

I highly doubt you will get a magnet on a stick down the curve of the intake, plus the curve of the heads, plus past the small opening between the intake valve and the valve seat.

At this point, the best way to check for the washer in a combustion chamber is to take the heads off, and make damn certain there is no washer in there.

But I could be wrong. perhaps they are making super-cool magnets now-a-days.

Good luck cheese.

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Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

Well, they do have those magnets that are attached to a bendable cable. That's what I'm looking for. If I don't find anything down there, I'm putting it all back together.

Worst case scenario, I'll need new heads, correct? Which isn't a huge deal, because I'll just get some 8:1 heads from a vr4 from my upcoming TT conversion.

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"Let me sit next to the funny guy."

1995 Baby blue Civic GT

I think you got it wrong. Heads are just the valves/springs etc... The compression comes from the pistons. So that means the block is 8:1 not the heads.

only you scott, only you.

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Well, at least I'm learning a lot. That's good, I suppose.

_________________
"Let me sit next to the funny guy."

1995 Baby blue Civic GT

Pull off the lower intake plenum and look inside the intake runners in the heads. If you got a washer past the intake valves and into the combustion chamber I'd be impressed.

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06 Blue EVO 9

I could possibly stop by to give you a hand if you need it. Just that my car died in appleton two days ago, so I'm car-less until I find the un-laziness to go and get it fix. Stupid ball joint.

I agree. The washer is probably pressed up against the backside of the intake valve, which stopped it from going into the combustion chamber. You will still need that magnet on a stick, though...

Oh, and don't turn the engine over, or you then run a high probability of wrecking the valve, and dropping the washer into the chamber.

Pulling the lower intake isn't that much of a pain. A few gaskets to get, and you'll have to move the fuel rails and what not, but far better then pulling the heads.

Plus way cheaper when you don't have to mess with head gaskets.

_________________
Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

The good news is, after posting this statement, dropping the washer down the intake runners is no longer the thing that makes you look like a retard.

The change in compression comes from the pistons. You could get a thicker head gasket, or double stack two stock head gaskets to drop compression some, but that's kind of a "work around" and not really what most people will recommend to solve a "high" compression problem.

If you start your car with the washer down there, it will bounce around in the combustion chamber, wrecking the head, possibly bending some valves, beating the crap out of the head of the piston and the cylinder walls, and possibly doing some damage to the "stuff" that moves the valves up and down.

If you really don't care about the motor, and are going to pull it anyway, I suppose the heads may still be good for cores if you want to send them in to be ported and/or polished.

The block could be bored over.

The pistons could be replaced with forged ones, and then you'd have a "race ready" drop in replacement for whenever you felt like replacing your "replacement VR-4 engine."

Building the spare block while you still drive your car with the VR-4 engine would definitely be a learning experience.

Being a two bolt block, you'd probably be limited a bit in power, but unless you really plan on being a baller, it'd be fine.

_________________
Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

I did get one of those magnets that can bend and what not. I didn't see anything. Got everything back together. I guess we'll see what happens.

_________________
"Let me sit next to the funny guy."

1995 Baby blue Civic GT

I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Why do you think the washer fell down there? Is it missing? That stupid V in the block is pretty deep. Could it have gotten down there? If you have a small flashlight you can check it pretty throughly... as long as you can see past the crap that's accumulated in there for ten plus years.

_________________
Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!