Something you should (and shouldn't) know....

[Freshwiler 2002]

I too was experiencing the knocking and pinging. After reading the recent posts about cleaning the MAF and the TB, I decided to look at mine and see if they needed cleaned. Sure enough, the butterfly was all gummed up. Yesterday, I bought MAF and Carb\TB cleaner in the aersol cans. Today, I took everything apart and cleaned it. I was careful to use a rag to make sure nothing fell into the opening that the intake was bolted to. Before putting it all back together, I noticed that the opening into the TB also had junk on it. I removed the rag and shot the TB cleaner into the opening. The little straw flew off and I didn't see where it went! After almost puking, thinking that it flew into the opening, I looked frantically everywehere for over an hour hoping that it was my lucky day and that it by chance missed the opening. I even used a flashlight to see into the opening and couldn't see it. So, I started really getting worried that it was in the opening. Bad thoughts where going through my head. For lack of anything better to do other that have the trac towed and taken apart next week, I stuck a telescoping magnetic parts retriever into the opening. The magnet was big enough that the light from the flashlight reflected off of it and shined enough light in the opening for me to see the straw. After a minute or two, I was able to fish the straw out. What a relief!!



So, what you should know if that if by chance you drop something in the opening, there are no holes for the object to fall into to get deeper in the engine. The opening leads to a tube that is fairly straight. You should be able to get it out.



And what you shouldn't know is that there are no holes for the object to fall into to get deeper in the engine. The opening leads to a tube that is fairly straight.



Had I left the rag in the opening, I wouldn't have had to go through all of this. So learn from me please, always leave a rag in the opening so you don't go through what I did.



I'm going to fill up tonight with 87 octane and see if the knocking goes away.

 

[Travis Munday]

Ah yes, the dreaded misplaced-parts-whilst-working-on-an-engine thing. Luckily you found the straw, although I'm not sure it wouldn't done much harm. Ever watch Mythbusters? The dropped a penny into a carb to see what would happen...nothing. The penny sat at the bottom of the venturi. Even when they forced it into the engine, it didn't do anything.

 

[FlipTrac_511]

That was pretty scary freshwiler. Lucky you were able to get the straw out. At least you had the straw, I can never find the dang things when I need them.

 

[Kim Griffiths]

A million times it would do no damage....until I lost it in there.

 

[LaRue Medlin]

I had a piece of my aftermarket air filter come loose and it got sucked into the intake area of the engine and gave me one hell of a knock. It cost over 700$ for ford to take off my intake to get it out.

 

[Todd Z]

Thats why you never spray any thing directly into the intake... YOU spray a rag and then wipe it down...

Todd Z

 

[Freshwiler 2002]

us rookies learn the hard way