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I'm 85% of the way through an entire chopper overhaul. All that left is wiring and breaks, neither of which should be a struggle. Sadly, my progress has screeched to a halt due to some unforeseen circumstances and a foolish series of events. Long story short, I broke the end of a pencil width wooden dowel off inside one of my cylinders through the spark plug hole. Don't ask. Pulling the engine is an absolute last resort. The custom frame and drive shaft setup I have makes engine installation a friendship ending task between myself and whoever I trick into helping me. Before I resort to that, I was wondering if anyone had any tips or ides to remove said dowel. I've already tried shop vac to the hole and compressor through the header. Any and all ideas are welcome. Considering turning it over and hoping it trash compacts that thing..
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Do you have one of those wire extraction tools? Push the plunger to open the jaws. It should fit in there. Get the piston TDC, fish for it. Going to take awhile. I would also try fishing with something very sticky... duct tape wrapped on a flathead... be careful not to lose the tape. I personally would not turn the bike over.... I guess worst case the wood could burn up but it also could mash the plug or top of the head. I think you can get it. I might even try to burn it inside the cylinder lol, but don't take my ideas lol. Next time, metal dowel. Let us know how it goes. -
I would find the biggest pipe tubing that will fit through the spark plug hole. Thin-walled is better.
I would move the piston away from TDC with the exhaust valve open. This gives the dowel room to move and allows air flow through the cylinder.
Then I would duct tape the tube on the end of the shopvac, and insert it into the spark hole repeatedly until you get lucky.
The trick is to get the end of the dowel oriented to go through the spark plug hole.
Good luck however you proceed.-Mike
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'79 XS1100SF 20k miles
'80 XS1100SG 44k miles
'81 XS1100H Venturer 35k miles
'79 XS750SF 17k miles
'85 Honda V65 Magna ~7k miles
'84 Honda V65 Magna 48k miles (parts bike)
'86 Yamaha VMAX 9k miles
Previous: '68 Motoguzzi 600cc + '79 XS750SF 22k miles +'84 Honda V65Comment
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Looked at your profile and have no idea where you are from. With that said I would get my hands on a cheap borescope so that I could see. Might make it easier to fashion something to retrieve the dowel if you know specifically where it is. The scopes can be had fairly inexpensively here in the states from several different vendors. A simple search for borescope or endoscope yields several vendors to choose from.2 - 80 LGs bought one new
81 LH
02 FXSTB Nighttrain
22 FLTRK Road Glide Limited
JimComment
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This will do it.
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-Mike
_________
'79 XS1100SF 20k miles
'80 XS1100SG 44k miles
'81 XS1100H Venturer 35k miles
'79 XS750SF 17k miles
'85 Honda V65 Magna ~7k miles
'84 Honda V65 Magna 48k miles (parts bike)
'86 Yamaha VMAX 9k miles
Previous: '68 Motoguzzi 600cc + '79 XS750SF 22k miles +'84 Honda V65Comment
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Amazon has very cheap borescopes. Good point.Comment
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If that was a wooden graphite pencil, I wouldn't sweat it too munch. Here is what to do when you have to install new spark plug threads. You need to attach a shop vac set to blowing onto the exhaust pipe. Rotate the timing so that it is blowing out the spark plug hole. If you have dual mufflers, you might have to figure out what is optimal and maybe tape off the side you don't need. If this can bring out metal shards, it will certainly blow out pencil parts.Skids (Sid Hansen)
Down to one 1978 E. Stock air box with K&N filter, 81H pipes and carbs, 8500 feet elevation.Comment
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This thought just came to me and I haven't thought it all the way through but here goes! Drop a little bit of diesel fuel in the cylinder, let the wood soak it up for a bit then light it on fire.1980 XS1100G
Intelligent people discuss ideas, average people discuss events, petty people discuss other people.Comment
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Send in hungry termites.
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(I tape it to a yardstick)
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