help!

**cowpoos** · 13th February 2006, 10:57

Originally Posted by Colapop

How good are you at training cicadas? THere's a few of them around right now. If your're any good then you could train it to do all sorts of things after it's crawled in there and got your bit out. Are they strong like ants? If so then they could opn the bank for you - fom the inside...... Hmmmm.... Bears thinking about.....

yeah and then we could like throw playdoe at rabbits while in the nud...

comon lad....he's after serious suggestion here....none or your cicada rubbish!! :spudgrr:

**Colapop** · 13th February 2006, 11:00

I thought it was a good suggestion - but then I'm still a *cough* *proud* owner of the Shiatsu.....

**emaN** · 13th February 2006, 11:07

Originally Posted by cowpoos

he's after serious suggestion here....

on KB?

skel, checked for that too...there's a shinier strip, which i guess would indicate a fresh/recent/new break.

the plug & lead didn't have enough room to come all the way out of the 'rocker cover' hole, so the little sucker's gotta still be in there!

am hoping i don't end up with bent valves!

**nadroj** · 13th February 2006, 11:09

If the thread is stripped then you would be unwise to helicoil it with the head on. Otherwise get a fine piece of wire & put a loop in the end coated with heavy grease to poke around in the chamber with the piston near TDC. It should pick up the particle better than a magnet as a magnet will attach itself to the closest metalic part it comes in contact with. Good luck

**emaN** · 13th February 2006, 11:13

nice one nadroj...

thread is fine; my guess is the plug has been working it's way undone for a while

**HDTboy** · 13th February 2006, 11:34

If it comes down to pulling the head, I could give you a hand on Saturday, it'd mean going to Paeroa in the car though

**Colapop** · 13th February 2006, 11:36

Are sure that's wise - pulling his head?

**marty** · 13th February 2006, 12:55

i would suggest that if the plug has been working it's way undone, then long term the best solution will be to pull the head and check for damage.if the electrode is magnetic then if it won't come out with a magnet it has either gone, or is embedded in the piston, and if it is, it will cause hotspotting (as will the damage it may have caused on the way out) and could lead to something a little more terminal.

if you can get it up to my place i have access to a flexible boroscope for looking inside engines.

**scumdog** · 13th February 2006, 13:09

Are you sure you can't pick it up with a Small-Magnet-On-A-Stick (tm) thing??
The only reasons THAT wouldn't work would be (a) the L shaped thingy is embeded in the piston or (b) it got blown out the zorst.

Failing the above you could pour shit-loads of sea-water into the engine and wait for the offending bit to rust away??

**Blackbird** · 13th February 2006, 13:38

Jon

Do any of the local automotive workshops or engineering services companies have a borescope that they could poke down the plug hole for you? We have one at work but it would be too big as it's for boiler tubes and the like unfortunately. You won't be able to see the head and valves, but you will be able to look at the piston crown and bore.

Just a thought.

Geoff

**emaN** · 13th February 2006, 13:54

Thanks loads for your thoughts, one & all!

Murphy being murphy, today's been one of those busy days; and tonight i've got meetings, so i won't even get to play around with her... no, not the 'her' you're thinking of..

I'll try a couple of local bike shops/workshops/anyone to find a borescope; failing that, it's gonna be a head job i guess.

Valve clearances & all are well due for a check anyhow....just a shame it happend right before Paeroa!

HDTboy & I will pack our leathers in the car, and put 'em on once we get there

Thanks again!

**Ixion** · 13th February 2006, 14:09

It may well have either melted away or gone down the exhaust. Twice (over many years) I've found the outer electrode (technical description = "bendy bit") missing from a plug. Both times I was pulling the head off anyway. Both times the electrode wasn't in the cylinder. Gets pretty hot in there , little bits of metal can easily be burnt up. Can you shine a bright light down the inlet port and peer about with one of those tiny mirror-on-a-stick thingies (but don't get THAT stuck in the cylinder!).

**emaN** · 13th February 2006, 15:35

Ixion, what you suggest sure sounds tempting, but i'd never be fully at ease...

Think i'm gonna pull it apart - it can be done leaving the engine in...

Doing a search thru' KB, i've contacted a company in Akl, Shuk Engineering, to see what they can quote for head gasket set...

Local bike shop is talking stupid amounts of money....as if! see ya later!

Outer electrode, i knew that.