Ok, I realy did it this time.

Yesterday I noticed that my car was a bit sluggish, so I checked the banjo bolt on the back of the intake. It was loose and air was leaking out. Easy fix... I started to tighten it but it was turning realy hard. I took it out to inspect the threads. The threads looked ok. I put the bolt back in only this time it went even harder. I (stupidly) turned it with a wrench thinking that the threads in the intake must be beat up and I would porbably need to take it to my friends place to retap the hole . Then I realised that I had put the bolt in the wrong hole. I put it in the top hole in the intake which is closed in the back. I removed the bolt, and put it in the corect hole. When I started the car I heard a knocking sound. I reached behind the intake and noticed an air leak from the top hole. I realized I must have punched a hole in the intake with the banjo bolt and (Oh no!) the knock must be a chunk of aluminum that went in to one of the the valves.

Today I took the dammaged intake manifold off and inspected it. There is a small chunk missing where the bolt pushed through. I turned the motor to the point that opens the #5 cyl. intake valve and tried to feel for a forgin object. No luck. I took the valve cover off and watched the valves open and close and they all move all the way up and down, so there is nothing stuck in any of the the valves. The aluminum chunk must have gone all the way in to the cyl. My best guess is #5

What else can I do? Is there any way to get something out of the cyl. with out taking the head off?

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

You shure the chunk was not just vibrating around in the manifold and fell out when you removed it? It would have to be fairly small to fit past the valve. You could always try opening the valve all the way and trying to suck it out with something if it did end up in there.

__________________
1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

you can remove the prechamber, unfortunately, a magnet wil not help.

__________________

With the manifold off can see that the missing chunk is about the size of a pea. Judging form how tall the lobes on the cam are it looks like it would just fit past the valve in to the cyl. I felt around the valve with a piece of wire and I realy think it went all the way in. I have made some dumb mistakes, but this one realy takes the cake.

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

How do you remove the prechamber?

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

I am surprised you are hearing 'knocking' from something so small.

__________________

there is a tool for it. Winmut and other members have made their own and it worked. I tried, and found it to be insufficient. Search for home made PC removal.

hopefully winmut will see this.

__________________

I just finished putting it back together with a new/used intake manifold and started it again. The knock is prety loud. Worse with more RPM. I don't want to run it too much.

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

the knoecking worries me. A tiny piece rattlling around in the cylinder can go undetected for a long time. I would consider other options. A chipped valve, possibly struck by the piston if the object stopped it from closing completely, is one idea.

__________________

It seems like I would have noticably less compression in that cyl. then. It is hitting on all 5 all the time. Guess I can turn the motor manualy and listen for a leaky valve.

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

Do you think that I will be able to get the chunk out with the prechamber out?

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

^^^ yes, if it fit through the valve.

__________________

This might be a stupid qustion but... Is there a posibility that it could pass naturally; either burn up (being aluminum), or go out the exaust valve (then mess up my turbo)? Is it too risky to drive? Getting the prechamber out looks lika a PITA. If this thing ruins my motor I might be going to the bike shop for more then the parts for a home made prechamber tool.

__________________
1980 300TD with 1985 300TD Turbo motor and 240D 4 speed.

The sound it is making answers your question.
There is also a possibility that the piece is now wedged between the Piston Crown and the Cylinder wall.
it would be really nice if the piece happend to be right under where the Pre-Chamber is but that area is very small.
Maybe some one could post a picture from the manual showing the piston and where the Pre-chamber is located.

I have seen a few Truck pistions where a part of the Turbo or a Piece of valve broke off and imbeded itself in the head of the piston (Big Rig Cummings). It may be the piece is imbeded in the same manner.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

see if you can find someone with a lighted video scope. they are actually quite inexpensive now and you could do an inspection by simply removing an injector and prechamber, if youre lucky and find a small enough scope maybe only a glow plug

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)