I was changing my spark plugs today anf a piece of metal fell into the cylinder. I had a tiny nail in my pocket because I'm a carpenter and it slipped out of my shirt pocket and right down the into the cylinder. What crappy luck huh. What do I do now? Can I start the motor and hope the piston will crush the nail? The nail was about an inch long and very thin. Any suggestions!!!!

 

Ouch! Get a magnetic screwdriver in there. Maybe it can draw it out. Or, magnetize some other long thin metal object that will hopefully reach it.

DW

 

Try to dangle a magnet on a string down in there to fish it out.

DO NOT CRANK YOUR ENGINE!

You dont want the steel nail to be "crushed" by your aluminum piston in your aluminum cylinder against your aluminum head. Get my point?

 

You need a flexible magnet or something like that. get the nail out before you try to start the engine.

 

I didnt crank the engine yet, but would the engine be ruined if I did? Would the valves be destroyed? If the engine were cranked and didn't run right what damage would that nail do to the motor!

 

Yes, you would probably bend valves, kill your head, score your piston if you don't put a whole in it.

 

The nail will tear up the insides of your engine. Causing compression loss, gasket leaks, cylinder damage, piston damage, etc.. I could go on. It would NOT be pretty. You've got to get it out.

 

get a small magnet and tie a steel wire around it and bend the wire into a "L" shape and stick it in the hole and try to pick it out. DO not start the car until you get it out

 

yur best bet if yu cant get it out through the spark plug hole with the magnetised screwdriver take off the cylinger head and pick it out yurself ok

 

As everyone else said it has to come out... Don't do crank the engine...

Go to you local autoparts store and pick up a magnetic pickup tool... I have one the size of a pen that telescopes out... It will fit through the sparkplug hole... It'll take a few tries but the nails will come out.

I wouldn't try putting a magnet on a string... if the string breaks... how are you gonna get a magnet out of there?

 

i would say put you head between your legs and kiss your engine goodbye!!!!!!!!!

 

fish it out with a magnet.

 

screwdriver....

 

AutoZone has telescoping magnetic pick-up probes at the check-out counter. Collapsed, they are about the size of a ball-point pen and extend to about 14" with an asprin-sized magnet on the end. IIRC, they are about $3.

 

...or the string attached to it when it snaps?

the hardest thing is going to be getting the nail to come out end first, the chances are wahtever you use is going to pick the nail up on it's side - trying to fit a 1" nail sideways through the spark plug hole is going to be tough.

 

Take off the cylinder head, you make it sound so easy. That's open heart surgery on your car man!

DW