I'm doing my first major repair right now on the EJ25 of my Outback '01 head gasket replacement (what else, right?). I did not pull the whole engine - those are some tools that I don't have access to right now, but I've run into a bit of a snag...

 

While pulling the plastic cover off the torque converter clutch case (I think that's what it's called?) to access the flex plate, two pieces of the plastic broke off and fell into the case (both ~ 1cm x .5cm x .3cm). My question is, am I going to have to separate the engine from the case and remove the debris, or should it be no big deal? I don't want to risk destroying anything with the torque converter or transmission or anything, but getting the engine separated would add a hell of a lot more time and money (and additional risk) to the cost of this repair. What should I do?

 

Thanks in advance!

Jorgen

 

No worries. parts that small (and plastic) will fall to the bottom of the bellhousing and stay there until the engine or trans is removed someday for whatever reason. The stuff that's moving in there is big and strong and heavy and wont even blink at a couple chips of plastic.

Those things are rubber that harden over time and turn brittle. They break often, and are usually discarded since they no longer stay in place after removal.

 

The little bits that fell in won't hurt anything. They'll fall to the very bottom and sit there. If one does happen to land in a narrow area it will simply be pulverized the first time the engine spins over. It'll be ground to dust.

Ah, thanks!