Bill Ball

I may need to borrow a boroscope... Dave A?

I am mid-process reversing my SC so I can get the car smogged legally in CA. I removed the fuel rails and BEFORE I plugged the holes in the SC manifold. I noticed one of the harness connector spring clips fell off. They are retained by bit of plastic that can break off. I put the clip back on the plug. A minute later I looked over and the clip was no longer there. Hmmmm...

I looked down into the cylinder opening in the manifiold that it was near and could see the back of the valves. Not there. It APPEARS the valves are closed, but maybe not fully. It wouldn't take much of a gap for the wire clip to slip through.

ARGH! I have all the holes plugged with rags now. I have poked all around the top of the motor hoping the clip fell somewhere else, but I haven't found it. Kinda put a kink in my plan to have this done in one day, smogged, then start to reinstall the next day.

Charley B

Bill - I have a goose necked light that will fit into about a half inch opening but no boroscope. If the light will help I'll bring it by. What is the spring clip made of? Magnetic. I have some some pretty slim long necked extender magnets also.

macreel

Bill... magnet on a string/shrinkfit tube thru spark plug hole ?


G'luck.


p.s. mine are (a bit) magnetic.

blown 87

I have used both a borescope and a endoscope (sp?) and neither was worth much, YMMV

Bill Ball

Yes, the wire is magnetic. I have an LED light on a gooseneck. Probably a magnet down the sparkplug hole, even w/o a boroscope, would be enough to verify whether the clip is in there.

The valves do look closed. I guess I could determine if they closed from the crank position. If they are closed, the spring is somewhere else.

Dave A does have a boroscope. So, blown87, I gather the one you used didn't allow you to see anything very clearly.

SharkSkin

You're welcome to borrow my borescope... it has a right-angle mirror attachment(a bit cheesy, but might be of use) and a magnetic tip attachment. Check the other intake ports too. BTW, a rag in the intake can still trap parts only to let them fall in when you remove the rag. 2" masking tape might serve better, alone or over the rag. Did you look around on the belly pan, crossmember, etc?

Richard S

Bah! Just button it up, fire it up, and rev it up....spit that little bastard out the tailpipe!




Or not.....

Rich

Bill Ball

Heh, Rich. Good idea - NOT!

Dave, good point about tape versus stuffing with paper towels. And, truthfully, I haven't looked on the floor yet (pan not on). I have probed every nook and cranny of the engine with a magnetic retriever except the cyinders. I would like to try the boroscope. I'll PM you.

Nicole

Uh, Bill, aren't you lucky when it comes to things falling into the intake... Glad you caught the nut that fell into mine when we redid the injectors!

Robert_H

Hey Bill,

Look on the floor !

Rob

Bill Ball

Sure, Rob, but it's dirty down there.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Those little spring clips are .....springs ! ...hope you find it outside the engine.

Bill Ball

Yeah, but I noticed it was just hanging on loosely. One side of the connector was missing some plastic, so one arm of the spring was not making contact with anything once removed from the injector, and the spring was not under tension. I'm pretty sure it just slipped off. I should have been more careful with it.

I will borrow Dave's boroscope. Hey, I'm way overdue for a colonoscopy anyway!

SharkSkin

Hey now... I'm going to have to reconsider lending it to you!

Bill Ball

Dave, don't worry. My wife promised me she'd be gentle.