OK, I have a real problem, and if I am going to get wise ass responses, please don't bother responding.

I was spraying STP FI cleaner in the throttle body (something that I have done a milloin times with other cars), and that little red straw just dissapeared inside the air plenumn past the throttle body. I looked in with a flashlight and I can't see it. I don't think it would go upword into the enging because the straw would have to bend to do that.

Anyone have any ideas that can help, I am guessing to either remove the throttle body, or use one of tose grabber things inside there.

I hate it when that happens. Just try fishing out carburetor fasteners. Gravity is definitely not one's friend in that instance. :shock:

Yeah, your best bet at the moment is the grabby-fingers-thingy, and failing that, you get to remove the TB. I would avoid running the engine until you get it out, because if your luck is really bad today it might vibrate down a path it can bend into and then wedge in a valve seat. The plastic itself won't cause much harm, but there will be enough of the plastic to wedge the valve open over a long enough period to burn the valve. Or backfire through the throttle body.

Something like that happened to me when I first started driving. My friend took a wire clothes hanger and bent it till it was straight. Then took some duck tape and wrapped it around the tip sticky side up until it's about the sizes of you pinky. Then he bent the tip of it over the tape to hold it on the wire to keep it from falling off and into the tight space. Then I guess you can just bend the wire hanger to the shape of the tube and wiggle it around until it sticks to whatever you are looking for. Hope that works for you. Just make sure the rolled up tape is secured good enough so it won't fall in there also. I guess you can use some wire ties to secure the rolled up tape to the wire hanger also. Good luck.

Thanks hardguy and mikeqbf, A friend of mine suggested the grabber thing, and the duct tape around the coat hanger trick sounds like a really good one. I will try the duct tape thing tomorrow.

Thanks guys for your input.

Thanks hardguy and mikeqbf, A friend of mine suggested the grabber thing, and the duct tape around the coat hanger trick sounds like a really good one. I will try the duct tape thing tomorrow.

Thanks guys for your input.


Why not just break out the shop vac??

Why not just break out the shop vac??
I would have said the same thing...
BTW you can get A telescopic dentists mirror at the local parts store... but the shop vac would be the easier option.

Why not just break out the shop vac??

I tried the sticky tape on the coathanger trick, and no go. I'll try a shopvac tomorrow. I think the hose of a shopvac will fit almost perfectly over the TB

I wonder what the chances are of the straw decintegrating from the heat and just burning up in the combustion chamber, it could be gone by now. I friend of mine thinks this will happen, but who knows. I did make a 25mile trip with it to my job, I had no choice.

I see no reason why that thing would have not burnt up by now. Even if it did get stuck on a valve I can see how the heat that would be hot enough to burn the metal valve would not be hot enough to vaporize the little plastic straw. I think your E has eaten it by now. I would not bother even looking for it if it had happened on my E. Those straws are very wimpy plastic, we are not talking about a space age plastic with a high heat toterance you can melt those straws with a match. So my vote, if I get one, is to worry about how you are going to use the rest of the FI cleaner with no straw. Now that is a problem. :)

I tried the sticky tape on the coathanger trick, and no go. I'll try a shopvac tomorrow. I think the hose of a shopvac will fit almost perfectly over the TB
.


If you drove the car it was likely sucked deeper into the plenum. I think the shov vac would have workded if the straw was just inside close to the throttle body. If it was sucked in deaper during driving you may be out of luck. Use a hose attachment and try to get in as deep as possible.

Shane, driving will not cause the stray to burn up and disintegrate. It doesn't work that way. It would take a flame to burn up the straw and that doesn't happen in the combustion chamber.

You shouldn't have driven the E. If you have the tools I would start off by removing the valve cover, but purchase a valve cover gasket before doing so. You need to see if the straw is now stuck in with a valve. Going from the throttlebody it travels to the underside of the head with the valves and the pistons. You can hope that the straw was pushed up into a valve and you can grab it. If not, it will remain in there forever and could eventually damage a valve or valve seat... I would want to get it out of there.

Shane, driving will not cause the stray to burn up and disintegrate. It doesn't work that way. It would take a flame to burn up the straw and that doesn't happen in the combustion chamber.

You shouldn't have driven the E. If you have the tools I would start off by removing the valve cover, but purchase a valve cover gasket before doing so. You need to see if the straw is now stuck in with a valve. Going from the throttlebody it travels to the underside of the head with the valves and the pistons. You can hope that the straw was pushed up into a valve and you can grab it. If not, it will remain in there forever and could eventually damage a valve or valve seat... I would want to get it out of there.


I can only hope that the straw is still in the lower part of the intake manifold, it would have to make a signifigant bend in order for it to travel up into one of the inlets to the combustion chamber. After work, I will steal my moms shop vac and give that a try, other than that, possibly remove the intake manifold or first remove the throttle body. This sucks, I can't believe I did this LOL.

Opening the valve cover, won't I just see the cams and rockers, and not the passages to the valves?

Wouls anyone know where I can get a cheap flexable fiberscope to look sinside the plenumn? I am convinced that the straw is still sitting on the bottom of the intake manifold.

Wouls anyone know where I can get a cheap flexable fiberscope to look sinside the plenumn? I am convinced that the straw is still sitting on the bottom of the intake manifold.


Try you local auto parts stores....im in canada so i cant say which ones to try.

Great news, I got the friken thing out, and you guys are going to laugh. I used a regular canister vac, I duct taped a smaller hose to the main hose, and then taped a drinking straw to act as an even smaller hose. It did not suck the little red straw through the hose, but it did bring it close enough, so I was able to snag it with a grabber tool through the throttle body. I had this funny feeling that the straw would stay at the bottom of the intake manifold.

I gave this one last shot and I have my mind clear now, thank gawd! It sucks having 2 conflicting opinions from experienced mechanics about something.

Oh, I can thank Larry for having the nice little fan/flaslight combo on hand LOL.

Great news, I got the friken thing out, and you guys are going to laugh. I used a regular canister vac, I duct taped a smaller hose to the main hose, and then taped a drinking straw to act as an even smaller hose. It did not suck the little red straw through the hose, but it did bring it close enough, so I was able to snag it with a grabber tool through the throttle body. I had this funny feeling that the straw would stay at the bottom of the intake manifold.

I gave this one last shot and I have my mind clear now, thank gawd! It sucks having 2 conflicting opinions from experienced mechanics about something.

Oh, I can thank Larry for having the nice little fan/flaslight combo on hand LOL.


Good to hear........Now you know how to get it out the next time it happens......only kidding.....i didnt think it was coming without the throttle body coming off......good work.

Remove plugs. And gently at first, blow air down thru the holes.....you will be able to blow things out by rolling the engine over to open and close valves and increasing air as you figure out which when and where to blow air on what rotation of the engine....saw this years back on Shade Tree Mechanic and have used it once....easy to do, hard to explain.