Plastic in throttle body

[dwmcqueen]

I was using Gumout's Carb and Intake cleaner (with the little plastic straw to guide), and during the application, the little plastic straw got sucked into the throttle body. I thought to myself "this is not good".

Any thoughts on what I can do to prevent damage from being done?

 

[sbc350gearhead]

I would advise you to remove the TB and try to fish it out.

 

[dwmcqueen]

That's what I thought the answer would be.

I don't know if I can remove the throttle body w/o taking off the whole intake manifold....

I was hoping there was another answer....

Any alternatives (cleaners, etc)?

[ July 26, 2003, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: dwmcqueen ]

 

[sbc350gearhead]

I don't see any other alternative. At best, cleaners won't do anything........At worst, they will break down the plastic allowing it to get sucked in to the cylinders. What kind of car is it?

 

[dwmcqueen]

1998 Ford Escort...

 

[dwmcqueen]

Removing the intake manifold is just about one step away from rebuilding the engine, in my book...

Might as well trade away the car now.... ;P

What if the car has run a bit?

 

[sbc350gearhead]

As long as the straw didn't make it to the valves, there shouldn't be any permanent damage. I have never seen the engine on a 98 ford escort, so I can't give you any tips. Are you sure you can't take the TB off without removing the entire intake?

 

[dwmcqueen]

Well..I actually can try.

The car has just been driven about 5 miles - hopefully the straw didn't melt. But tomorrow I'll try to remove it and see what I can see...


Thanks for your assistance!

 

[Rick in PA]

If it were my car...

I'd take my shop vac and empty out all the dirt. Then I'd tape a short length of small hose (3/8" ID or so) to the shop vac hose. I'd wipe down the small hose with some alcohol to make sure it was clean. Then I'd open the plate in the throttle body and carefully but thuroughly probe through the throttle body with the vacuum running. After I was sure I probed as well as possible, I'd take the shop vac apart and see if I got lucky (I'd also check the small hose and shop vac hose to see if the little red plastic tube was lodged in there).

BTW some throttle bodies have coatings that don't like carb cleaner. There are spray cleaners available specially formulated for throttle bodies that are safer for the Teflon coatings used on some throttle bodies.

Good luck.

 

[Frank]

darrenq take your car to a GoodYear-Tuffy type
auto service center, they clean throttle body's all the time and sure they have had to deal with similar incedent by other car owners.

 

[RussellA]

Might see if you can find a mechanic with a flexible borescope that can go in and find it.

 

[dwmcqueen]

Well, I managed to remove the throttle body - and did the vacuum trick - nothing.

Could the straw had melted? Any chance of it passing harmlessly thru?

 

[mrchecker]

It's just a little piece of plastic, it probably got chopped up in an intake valve and went through in tiny pieces. If you can't find it and the car runs fine, don't worry about it. It's not like you dropped a bolt in there.

 

[dwmcqueen]

I hope so...

I am trying to get this car running like new - a move like that and I did something stupid.

 

[YOOPYJ]

I had the air cleaner open on a I-H DT-466
turbo charged diesel once, left a Wyp-All ( kind of a paper towel rag.) I started the engine, the rag dissapeared momentairily, exiting the exhaust stack. About half of it burned up. Otherwise no harm.
YOOPYJ

 

[cryptokid]

i have done the rag thing.

was benchrunning a porsche engine after doing some work on it. i forgot to take out a rag from the intake port before i put the intake manifold back on. the engine ran badly and i did a compression test, WOAH! 30psi on cylinder3?! that cant be right.

if you sucked your straw into the engine, i dont think it would hurt anything. the thing probably just burned up if it ever made it to the combustion chamber, before melting on the inside of the intake. melted plastic flowing through the engine in such a small quantity wouldnt be a big deal at all.

 

[Kestas]

I wouldn't loose too much sleep. Like the others said, it's not that big a deal. A small amount of plastic is rather innocuous compared with stuff like abrasive particles or metal parts. Plastic is soft and won't damage anything. Kind of like the Seinfeld episode where a junior mint fell into a patient during surgery!

 

[dwmcqueen]

Glad to hear it. Car is still running and in middle of Auto-RX treatment. I have a Tranny flush coming up once my order of Amsoil ATF comes in...hopefully it will still be good.