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Noob mistake - Dropped seafoam hook guide into Throttle assembly


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Looking for help recovering a plastic hook object I dropped into the intake tract from the Seafoam Throttle body spray. I dropped into the airflow sensor hole (thats connected to the intake manifold).

I removed my airflow sensor and sprayed a throttle body cleaner into the intake tracts, in the process the plastic 'hook guide' that is designed to bend the spray cleaner straw came lose and fell inside the airflow sensor hole. Didn't turn the engine on after the object fell inside, please give this noob instructions and the fastest way to recover the object from the intake tract.

Pix for your reference: (vehicle: 2016 WRX)

https://imgur.com/a/pr1AIKq

Thx in advance. I feel like an idiot that messed up something so simple.

Edited by iceburg501
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First off - shame for spraying Seafoam into a 2016. That's completely unnecessary snake oil. Won't accomplish anything but make your wallet lighter.

Second - I think you're looking at pulling it WAY apart to retrieve that guy. Only possible chance is a grabber tool or chewing gum though that little hole - assuming you can see it with a flashlight, etc. 

https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-70399-Lighted-Mechanical/dp/B002RHP7TS/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1531620532&sr=1-3

If that doesn't work you are most likely looking at an intake pull. Good time to upgrade charge pipes, intercooler, etc. 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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The Subaru dealer recommended a $400 Throttle body service which prompted this DIY project. I will wait till the morning to see if I can eye ball the object and then try the gadget you recommended. If not where I can get instructions (bare minimum) to get the intake manifold removed to get to the fallen object. Hoping their is a way to only remove the top portion of the manifold without completely removing the entire thing.

Edited by iceburg501
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That hole does not lead to the throttle body, and the throttle body doesn't require cleaning. That's a wallet flushing technique used by the dealer. It is not a recommended maintenance procedure from Subaru nor is it at all useful unless the throttle body is exhibiting abnormal behavior such as slow response, idle hunting, etc. No such procedure is outlined by the service manual. There is a Subaru of America snake oil sold by the dealers that is an upper engine cleaner but it's designed to clean the intake valves not the throttle body. Part number SA459.....

You can download the service manual and go through the procedure but it's pretty straightforward - disconnect everything and pull the manifold. You want to pull the whole thing do not attempt to pull only the top off.

GD

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Please point me to instructions on how to remove the intake manifold, since I haven't started the engine its most likely in the manifolds. I assume driving the car to a mechanic will cause damage to the engine with a 2 inch plastic part inside the intake manifolds. I searched the web and youtube and cant find something just for this piece. 

Regarding the snake oil Seafoam spray, I was spraying it and starting the engine and the exhaust was white which supposedly meant dirt was coming off the throttle body. Simply parroting the marketing materials here but saw the white smoke out the exhaust pipe, thought the stuff was working. Learned my lesson, want the quickest way out of this mess.

Edited by iceburg501
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Unfortunately, removing the intake isnt going to be a "quick" way and considering the tube is relatively solid, its possible it didnt make it all the way down to the valves. 

Silly question though. You said Intake sensor, do you mean MAF? isnt that down by the air filter? My assumption is you pulled the airflow hose off the throttle body and sprayed in there openly?

So, first things first you need to see how far it went down there. Like i said, the tube is relatively solid so its likely that it got stuck on the way down. 

 

How "mechanically inclined" are you? It is relatively strait-forward. Just make sure you remember how you pulled everything off to put it back on. If you dont want to pull it apart, you could get one of those snake cameras to see which cylinder it went towards or went down into the heads.

 

-Justin

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This YouTube video illustrates what I was trying to do on my WRX:

https://youtu.be/m7Xt_bsmvqg

The pix here illustrate the hole I dropped the object into:

https://imgur.com/a/pr1AIKq

 

Assuming I described the issue using the correct terminology, are any of these instructions relevant to the removing the intake manifold?

 

https://www.i-club.com/forums/engine-power-ej25t-sti-2006-wrx-90/need-help-intake-manifold-removal-270683/

http://ken-gilbert.com/wrx/STi_Manual/02. ENGINE SECTION (STi)/01. FUEL INJECTION (FUEL SYSTEMS)/03. Intake Manifold.pdf

 

Edited by iceburg501
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Ah, I miss-read the object that fell in. 

Well, you can either go the snake camera idea with the little fingers suggestion or, yeah go ahead and pull the intake off. It is pretty strait forward. 2 bolts on each pipe to each cylinders. pull off ans set aside hoses/wires you find. 

Just try not to drop anything else in there. LOL! 

If you dont find it in there then its down in one of the head ports but you should be able to shine a flashlight down there to see if its pre-valve. if not, then you are in for a reeeeal treat

 

-Justin

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The white smoke is just the Seafoam itself burning. You can do the same thing with a trickle of water. It's not necessary in either case. Keep the snake oil away from your engine. 

That little plastic bit.... well I would try to retrieve it, but if it comes down to it having gone down an intake port and through an open valve then I would just fire the engine. That bit of plastic isn't going to amount to beans inside the combustion chamber. It would be smashed, melted, and blown out the exhaust with zero damage to the engine. Now the turbine wheel is another story. But it is unlikely to do much at that point being very likely vapor or just soft melted goo. 

GD

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Get all the air filter piping out of your way.   There is only 8 bolts holding down the intake manifold.  A handfull of electrical connectors (they only snap in to one place you can't mess it up. If you have one, the EGR pipe should come off. two 3/8" water lines going to the throttle body.  Not like an old chevy ... no water transfers from the intake manifold to the head,  uses a separate water manifold underneath  the intake manifold. So no water needs to be drained from the engine. (two 3/8 lines may need a clamp IF they leak much)  The air conditioning compressor will give you a few finger pinches but the  manifold will clear and lift rite off.  Oh the power steering pump may need to be unbolted from the block and laid off the side of the fender.  May not on your year.... on the earlier ones they had lines bolted to the top of the manifold. Some things like the fuel lines may be able to stay connected and just roll the manifold upside down to look inside.

This job looks daunting when you open the hood, its not .  Take photos , count how many electrical connectors you disconnect and make sure to reconnect the same amount. 

Your other option like GD said if..... it makes it down in the cylinder its gone... poof .  danger is if it hangs up before the valves and disrupts the fuel flow to one or more cylinders. Your car will run like crap and you will be pulling an intake. 

Good luck it won't be that bad   

(EDIT)   Just looked at the "instructions" you posted.... those things would confuse me. Don't over think it worrying about it just dig in and do it

Edited by montana tom
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Here in Australia we had a guy use dealer supplied cleaner , so intent on trying it as soon as he got it used it in the street. Stalled the engine never to start again due to dealer stuff not being snake oil, dissolved carbons and gunk, then because could not be burnt off got stick up valves/guides

Poor thing was towed home, stripped and parted out. This was by an intelligent and thorough guy who could possibly have taught engineering given his abilities.

You would kick yourself if you took anyone's advice contrary to finding it before start up. Are you sure it went in and not lost below outside engine intake?

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Jono, that fella either didn't read and follow the instructions properly or didn't keep the revs up or didn't realise the consequences of not doing it right. 

Even then, pull heads, unblock valves, new HGs and off you go again.  It didn't need to be parted. 

Anyway, all the best with sorting this issue. It's a bit of a shat-your-dacks situation :/

Cheers

Bennie

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I will try to use this opportunity to get hands-off with the engine and might lead to making small upgrades myself. The support from your responses has me creating the following game plan to remove the intake manifold. Wanted to verify my plan to ensure I dont overlook a critical step.

Photos with comments on the parts I believe need to be removed:

https://imgur.com/a/fDSyZXI

Feedback appreciated

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Those are the correct 8 bolts for manifold hold down.   After you remove the intercooler I think you will find a few more things to disconnect.  take photos of each step, if you don't need them later DELETE  But if you need them now you'll be glad to have them.

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I'd def. try horsehockey's idea like this; pull the 4 plugs, rig a way to keep the vacuum hose in place and rotate the crank pulley around with a wrench - that should present a chance for air to flow backwards thru each intake runner in case that part got down that far.

Edited by 1 Lucky Texan
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On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 12:33 AM, el_freddo said:

Jono, that fella either didn't read and follow the instructions properly or didn't keep the revs up or didn't realise the consequences of not doing it right. 

Even then, pull heads, unblock valves, new HGs and off you go again.  It didn't need to be parted. 

Anyway, all the best with sorting this issue. It's a bit of a shat-your-dacks situation :/

Cheers

Bennie

That was Discopotato03 !

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5 hours ago, jono said:

That was Discopotato03 !

I know who it was - I wasn't going to name names!

Ruined a very tidy car that he figured was worth more in parts than complete. We both know how that ended. 

He should've just EJ turbo'd it and been done with it. 

End hijack...

any luck with this bit of plastic? Or is it a weekend job?? (It's the weekend now over here :p )

Cheers

Bennie

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  • 4 weeks later...

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