Hopefully my last thread: HEEELLLP!

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So um. I may have to pull a head. Hoping to get advice from you all. If you’re familiar with me you’ll know I’ve had issue after issue with exhaust. First EGR, The crossover that took ages to seal. Once that was fixed I still heard leaks and found one by cylinder 6, EGR had sprung a leak again and the downpipe flange gasket.

Got that all done and was so fed up after 2-3 weeks of being out under the hood til 3am 5 days out of the week I grabbed the biggest ratchet I could find and wrenched them [censored] down.

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A few days later I snapped a stud after losing all common sense due to sleep deprivation, frustration and arguably hunger.

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Spent close to 7 hours pulling it out with an extractor followed by a hammered on 1/4 in socket and an Allen wrench. Started out plugging exhaust ports but rags kept falling out so I said [censored] it. Have spent most of today using magnets, air and my fingers pulling out fine particles. Anything from dust sized which I couldn’t feel between my fingers, to dirt sized which felt no different than some particles I get in the bottom of my oil catch pan, and the largest bring a few human hairs thick - 1/8 inch long.

This on the number 2 cylinder which appears to be closed.

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I found more in Cylinder 4 which is a good 4-6 inches away from #2 but the bad news is that most likely means it’s open partially if not fully. To make matters worse the brass tubing is on the compressor is snapped from getting hot and making contact with a solid object. (I’m obviously a bit heavy handed). So I’ve been using keyboard cleaner on the #2 cylinder, thankfully haven’t blasted #4 yet.

Soooooo...... big question is how likely is I’ll need to pull the head given the size of the particles? =\
 
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Blow it out with an air gun then pull the plug on any cylinder with a valve open and blow it out with the gun before cranking the engine. It will be okay.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Blow it out with an air gun then pull the plug on any cylinder with a valve open and blow it out with the gun before cranking the engine. It will be okay.


This. Think positive.
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So these are bits of the stud? If so, they are steel and will be picked up with a magnet. Get your telescoping magnet and run all around in there and you'll get most
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Vacuum is good too. I would not pull the head. Just reassemble and light the kitty
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Yes they’re off the stud. Mostly filings but possibly some larger pieces from using the fluted extractor and hammering on the socket. I’m opting for the vacuum method simply because I have no way telling which valves are open or closed without pulling the valve cover or renting a borescope. Compressed air runs the risk of blowing the stuff into the intake. I doubt the air in can I was using had enough pressure to blow anything much farther past the valve.

Cylinder 2 looks closed but 4 and 6 are sitting lower according to my fingers of I stick em in the port. Just gonna pull the spark plugs and take my time using plastic hose affixed to the end of the vac hose to clean each rear cylinder and exhaust port out.
 
Quick update. All 3 rear valves are open. Pulled the #2 spark plug and found penetrating oil on it, along with the valve being clear of ash deposits. I first used PB Blasted then moved to a mix of mineral spirits and ATF. If it’s on the plug then the penetrating oil moved past an open valves and is probably on the top of the pistons and areas of cylinder wall closest to the exhaust valve. Unless I can find a way to seal off the intake and exhaust ports for each cylinder to apply vacuum I’m cleaning I’m seeing no option but to pull the head.
 
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You cant have the intake and exhaust open at the same time. If the particles got into the cylinder through the open exhaust valve there is no way it can get in the intake unless you turned the engine over which is a no no.
100-120 psi down the plug hole with a open exhaust valve will blow the garbage out, if you didnt disturb the engine then just use some brake cleaner to clean the oil off then blow it out.

Vacuum through such a small pipe isn't going to get into all the places, you could hold the sshop vac hose on the exhaust por and blow air down the plug hole. Air in a can isn't cutting it.
 
I understand that but there is a small overlap during the intake stroke in which both valves are open and I’m also running high lift rockers which exaggerates things quite a bit.
 
It is open and I grabbed a flexible magnet from Lowe’s today, however the valve is not open enough to insert anything into the engine from the exhaust port. I’ve calculated .464 lift on the exhaust maximum but I can even see into the cylinder around the valve. Even with magnets, air, and vacuum I don’t feel confident that all debris can be removed without pulling the head. I can do it myself for about $150 for gaskets and bolts. Made sure to buy shop rags and spray a gasket as well.
 
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You cant get a small magnet in through the plug hole? My small 8mm boroscope has a magnet attachment and will go down the 14mm hole with no problem.
 
Yes it’ll fit in the plug hole but I don’t know how far down the cylinder the piston is and this isn’t the type of situation you want to take a chance on.
 
If the magnet has a flexible wand just push it down there till it hits the piston then move it around in a circular fashion, I cant see the issue.
Is there another reason you really want to pop the heads off this engine? I am sure that some small particles have gone into a cylinder or 2 when drilling/tapping plug holes for time-serts, helicoils and the like even with grease on the drill and tap.

If it makes you feel better pop the heads, only you have some idea on how big these particles are.
 
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Even some of the smaller particles could be felt between my fingers which is big enough to cause damage. I’m just wondering if the head needs to checked by a machine shop given I’ve never overheated the vehicles or ran it critically low on coolant. If I find any particles in the intake I’m doing both heads. I’m using felpro graphite Head gaskets and torque is 37 lb ft first past and 120 degrees second pass so I got a torque angle meter as well. Head bolts are TTY so I’m assuming there is no retorque not only due to the fact the bolts are designed to stretch, but my service manual also mentions nothing about retorque.
 
I would squirt some oil in the affected cylinders to lube up any particles in there, and fire it up. They should go out the exhaust valve pretty quickly. I would not pull the heads for that.
 
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