Dropped felt washer down air filter of RN engine

[JupitusWilson]

Just wondering whether anybody could offer advice... currently out on a small trip and my husband took off the air filter lid to paint it. On replacing it, he dropped the felt washer down into the engine below. Obviously can’t see it. Now wondering whether it’s safe to start the engine as perhaps washer could find its way between piston and engine. Husband is a bit stressed...  but if anybody could offer any suggestions I will filter them through to him. Thank you! 

[LadyG]

hi, do you know the engine make?

[carlt]

I do! 

 

Russell Newbery 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, JupitusWilson said:

Just wondering whether anybody could offer advice... currently out on a small trip and my husband took off the air filter lid to paint it. On replacing it, he dropped the felt washer down into the engine below. Obviously can’t see it. Now wondering whether it’s safe to start the engine as perhaps washer could find its way between piston and engine. Husband is a bit stressed...  but if anybody could offer any suggestions I will filter them through to him. Thank you! 

I don't know this engine at all so it is hard to imagine the scenario. My first thoughts are a length of stiff wire with a hook on the end, or a powerful vacuum cleaner.

[Tony Brooks]

I don.t know how large the washer is but I very much doubt it will do significant damage. The RN valves are horizontal so even if it did jamb a valve open the piston should not hit the valve AND unlike most engines I understand that you can remove the valve with the cylinder head in place. From memory the combustion chamber is a sort of inverted bath tub so list of room for  felt washer to fold up. I have seen loads of BMCs  running perfectly happily with a steel nut embedded in the piston crown so a felt washer should not be a problem. However try to hook it out of you can but don't fret too much if you can't get at it.

 

Happy to be corrected by an RN specialist.

[Alan de Enfield]

20 minutes ago, LadyG said:

hi, do you know the engine make?

The clue is in the title. (It's not Royal Navy)

[MtB]

Like Tony, I can't imagine this doing any serious damage. About the worst thing that might happen is it gets stuck in an inlet valve preventing it closing so the engine runs for a while on one cylinder while the fouled inlet valve chomps away at it. Once it gets into the combustion chamber it will be burned away in an instant. 

 

 

[mark99]

Can you take the inlet air header off to gain better access? Then poke in hook/stick with sticky pad on the end and dab about. Sorry not a rn expert.

Edited April 19, 2019 by mark99

[eid]

[LadyG]

46 minutes ago, carlt said:

I do! 

 

Russell Newbery 

Am I expected to read every single word?

Edited April 19, 2019 by LadyG

[eid]

22 minutes ago, eid said:

 

 

Sorry. It's not me, it's the wine.

 

 

 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

I have seen loads of BMCs  running perfectly happily with a steel nut embedded in the piston crown

 

 

I knew someone who left a pair of pliers in the crancase of a bolinder. Engine started up fine, but it made a hell of a noise and took a small chunk out of the piston skirt.

 

The pliers weren't much use afterwards though.

 

[zenataomm]

Tell him to open a bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac.

He should sip that while turning the flywheel by hand to ensure one of the inlet valves is closed (on a compression stroke).

Re-opening the bottle, refill his glass and also share a healthy slug of it with the engine.

Killing time to allow the felt to absorb the cognac he can finish his glass off in order to refill it.

 

He should then ignite the vapours within the air inlet and congratulate himself as the felt burns off to ashes, he could do that by having another snifter.

 

He'll have a peaceful night's sleep and in the morning his most prevalent thought will be how much he enjoyed cognac at £1000 a litre.

[JupitusWilson]

Thank you so much for all your replies - unfortunately didn’t see them at the time as al the alerts went to spam mail...

 

Update - if you’re interested - is that we re-started the engine having spent an hour mulling over all the scenarios (pretty much all those that you have mentioned). It started and made a strange sound, consistent with expelling a foreign object. Although we couldn’t find it - funnily enough - she ran beautifully and we managed to finish the trip. Silver lining is that my 15 year old son seriously impressed his Dad with his engine knowledge, all recently learnt at Air Cadets, and together they were able to rationalise the situation! Thank you all again. Much appreciated. No cognac on board but there were substitutes ?

[Alan de Enfield]

38 minutes ago, JupitusWilson said:

all recently learnt at Air Cadets,

A grand organisation - far better than those mud-pluggers !!!