Plastic in cylinder and crankcase

[chaspear]

Previous similar thread locked, this is restarting that thread if OK.
I reviewed the earlier threads, but my issue is slightly different as part of the red plastic tube is now in my crankcase . . .

Was fogging my 1997 GTX for winter, the red plastic extension tube from my lube can popped off into one cylinder.
Tried removing, but appears while rotating shaft, part of the plastic tube got cut off (piston skirt?) and dropped into the crankcase, the rest of it (about 2") stayed in the cylinder.
Have tried several things to catch the piece in the cylinder, no success yet, but I WILL get that piece out before we re-start in the spring.
My concern now is whether the 3-4" long piece of this red plastic tube can cause any problems inside the crankcase and whether I need to pull the engine to remove it before I start the unit next spring, or whether it will just sink down to the bottom of the crankcase and stay there for the duration.
In earlier threads, this has happened to others in the past, not sure if anyone ended up cutting the tube as in my case, but figured I'd tap this group to see whether this is a problem or not to leave the piece in the crankcase.

Thanks for any help,

Chas

 

[kicker]

Yup, that happened to me, pulled the jugs and fished it out of the crank.

 

[AKnarrowback]

Best to pull it out.

I did the same thing with an elan snowmachine and a can of starting fluid. I was a long way out in the cold and ran the machine with that red hose in the lower end to get back. That was 25 years ago and I have not gotten it out yet. Of course with the GTX were talking 99 more HP and a lot more money if it does bind up a bearing.

 

[chaspear]

Was afraid of getting feedback indicating that I really need to remove the 2 pieces so I don't trash the GTX engine . . . but that's a reality check, so looks like I'll have a winter project while in lockdown over next 2 months.
Do I need to pull the engine completely out of the frame in order to do this efficiently?
Normally, I'd try to sneak in from some port/opening and use a borescope and flexible grabber to save pulling the heads, etc. BUT if that has been tried and is just a PITA that ends up requiring pulling the heads anyway, no sense wasting time trying to sneak it out.
Thanks for the feedback,
Chas

 

[AKnarrowback]

I feel your pain. But it's best to get it done right.

Suggestion for next time. Only remove the top of the intake cover, the black plastic dome. Shoot the fogging oil on top of the copper looking flame arrestor, air and oil flow through that thing just fine and you never take a chance of dropping anything in the motor.

 

[kicker]

There's a thread "plastic nozzle in crank" with much debate over removing or not removing it. If your comfortable with removing the engine that will be the easiest route for finding it or pulling the jugs off. To save buying gaskets, start with removing the carbs and rv cover you might be able to get to it from there. Good luck

 

[chaspear]

I feel your pain. But it's best to get it done right.

Suggestion for next time. Only remove the top of the intake cover, the black plastic dome. Shoot the fogging oil on top of the copper looking flame arrestor, air and oil flow through that thing just fine and you never take a chance of dropping anything in the motor.

Engine was winterized last year, didn't even get it in the water this season, so rather than connect the water and start it back up, only to winterize it again, I figured I'd just fog the cylinders and rotate the crankshaft by using a small pipe wrench on the shaft just forward of the drive impeller.
Everything was going fine, got rear cylinder re-lubed, but the nozzle popped off in the forward cylinder, so I tried with some wire (no luck) used my borescope to verify it was actually in there, BUT discovered that as I was turning the crankshaft, part of the plastic tube must have dropped thru the piston skirt and my rotation actually cut the plastic (soft) in two . . . now I have part in the cylinder the rest in the crankcase . . .
I'm sure with enough patience I can get the piece in the cylinder out, but I'm much more concerned that the plastic tube might gum up a bearing or gear in the lower end and cause some SERIOUS damage if clearances are really tight.
I'll check out the other thread cited (plastic nozzle in crank) to see how others have done it, short of pulling the engine or heads, etc.

Thanks for all the help,
Chas