Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

[CrazyJ]

Hey guys! I have a 1994 OMC v4 115.<br /><br />I was taking someone's advice (from here actually) on how to take my flywheel off in order to change the rectifier.<br /><br />The advice was to take out a spark plug and feed rope in the cylinder in order to stop the piston from coming up all of the way, therefore keeping the flywheel stationary.<br /><br />Well, it worked, but I remember hearing a sound like scissors when we were cranking on it. After we removed the rope we found the end was all frizzled and it looked like it got cut. I am guessing it got fed into either the exhaust or intake port on the side of the cylinder walls, and then got cut by the piston moving up. So, what now?<br /><br />The engine will turn fine by turning it with the flywheel nut, but we haven't tried to start it. I am tempted to just start it and figure it'll burn up any remaining rope, but I wanted to check here first.<br /><br />Could anything have been damaged? like the piston rings? is there anything that could be damaged by attempting to start it? How hard will it be to do anything that is needed to fix it?<br /><br />Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Oh my. I don't know, but this is the kind of thing that usually happens to me.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

I would pull the head and get the rope out of there before I started the motor. If you break a ring you could be in for mucho expense to repair...just a Thought

 

[jeff7599]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Just a do it yourselfer myself, but Id be very worried about "burning" any remaining rope. If its nylon, Id be worried it would melt to a piston ring, and make it stick. Wow, may want to pull that head off and check, or find someone who can peak inside with some type of borescope. Id probably search around for someone who can look inside, through the spark plug hole.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

"The advice was to take out a spark plug and feed rope in the cylinder in order to stop the piston from coming up all of the way, therefore keeping the flywheel stationary."<br /><br />You've got to be kidding! There are a number of better ways to remove the flywheel. i.e. use an impact tool on the FW nut, use a FW holder, etc.

 

[Hooty]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Woe-is-me, woe-is-me.<br />Remove the bypass cover for the cylinder where the rope is (if it has one) and if the rope's in the bypass, remove it from there.<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Move piston so exhaust port is open. Connect hose to vacuum cleaner and insert through spark plug hole. Suck for 27 seconds. Switch hose to compressed air, blow for 18 seconds. Then fuggedaboutit (unless it was steel cable).

 

[Hooty]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Jimd, <br />Are those Central Standard Time seconds?<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty

 

[ledgefinder]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

It's pretty easy to pull a head on those 115s. You'll need a new gasket & a torque wrench when you put it back on, & if you can swing it a service manual too (OMC is best, Seloc/Coles is next best). As Hooty says, there are removable covers on both the intake and exhaust sides, the exhaust is that bubble on the back of the motor. I often have trouble getting the intake ones (so-called transfer port covers) off - they're a little sticky. Pulling the cylinder head, though, is no problem & it'll probably allow you to see where the rope is. <br /><br />Why's you have to pull the flywheel - is the ignition acting up?

 

[ledgefinder]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

I absolutely would get the rope out first, unless your can swing buying a new motor. You MIGHT burn the rope out, but you could just as easily bend/crack a piston.

 

[CrazyJ]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Thanks guys!<br /><br />now I agree that I need to get the rope out. I like the idea of using a scope, mostly because I want to go out this weekend and don't want to have to wait for a head gasket to be shipped! I have a friend that is a dentist that may be able to help me out with a scope. I'll let you guys know how it works out.

 

[chuckybaby]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

When you are done, get the vacuum cleaner that jimd suggested and follow these instructions:<br />1) set it to high<br />2) place it on the ear of the person who suggested you use the rope in the first place<br />3) Suck his brains out of his a#% back into his head.<br />4) Never never never put anything in your engine that was not meant to be there.<br /> <br />The rope deal is an old car mechanic's trick. It works really well on CAR ENGINES because the ports are usually above the pistons and the rope can't fall into them.

 

[artymike]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

>The rope deal is an old car mechanic's trick<br /><br />true story - and it's an old "4-stroke" trick to break a stuck head loose - as you've found, 2-stroke exhaust ports cut -(

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

When using the vacuum to suck the guys brains out you should suck for no less than 43.5 seconds. Hooty these are EOOTZ seconds (Eastern ocean outboard time zone seconds)

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

hahaha I like this idea. I think you will suck a long time and find nothing. snap on sells a wonderful flywheel holding tool for about 60 dollars. good luck and keep posting

 

[Kesh]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Don't forget to place a piece of rope into the other ear of the guy so no vacuum power is lost.

 

[chuckybaby]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

If you put rope in his other ear, be sure it doesn't slip into his mouth. He might bite a peice off, have it slip down and jam his throat and he'll starve to death

 

[93bronco]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

hey! <br />its an honest mistake. who ever told you that could have gotten into more detail- like telling you to make sure the cylinder you were going to use was approaching TDC to avoid having the rope go too far in cylinder.<br />then you would have been fine.<br />-<br />i just did my 120/140 with a piece of 1x1 & old cylinder heads before bolting on the good ones.<br />-<br />it still is a good idea to try and draw it out with a shop vac. it mite just work.<br />i would empty it first so i could check to sea what came out.

 

[Hearseman]

Re: Woops! Chopped rope into cylinder! What now?

Have you resolved this yet?? If not, can you reach in there with one of those "grabbers" ?? (don't know name) is about 2'long, is flexible, and when you push end button at other in the grabbers come out..you can move this around with the grabbers opening and closing and maybe get the rope..I've been successful with this several times...let me know..