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      07-04-2017, 10:54 PM   #1
ohhgourami
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Help! Brass hair from brush fell into throttle body!

Please help. I was trying to clean the throttle bodies today and was giving the shaft of the butterflies a gentle scrub while I looked down to see a brass hair sitting between a valve and wall.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to fish the brass hair back out. Worst case scenario, would I do any damage to the engine if I fired it up?
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      07-04-2017, 11:32 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post
Please help. I was trying to clean the throttle bodies today and was giving the shaft of the butterflies a gentle scrub while I looked down to see a brass hair sitting between a valve and wall.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to fish the brass hair back out. Worst case scenario, would I do any damage to the engine if I fired it up?
use tweezers to get it out.. if it falls in you will have that hair in your cylinder.. after ignition hopefully it falls out into the exhaust...
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      07-04-2017, 11:34 PM   #3
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If you haven't already I would try a vacuum cleaner. Then maybe something sticky on a pencil or something, be careful not to make it worse though.

If does go down a cold engine I can imagine it would be possible to go right out with no harm. Don't know what the odds are though.
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      07-05-2017, 09:18 AM   #4
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What are people doing in there with a wire brush fercrissakes, you have to be gentle, use scented oils and soft, deliberate motions
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      07-05-2017, 04:34 PM   #5
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What are people doing in there with a wire brush fercrissakes, you have to be gentle, use scented oils and soft, deliberate motions
Or just cover the throttle body with rags.
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      07-06-2017, 12:49 AM   #6
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Or just cover the throttle body with rags.
Problem is I was cleaning underneath the butterflies. Had to have it open like this:


White 13 Thanks for the suggestion on vacuuming it out! It didn't cross my mind during the panic. I had to improvise to get a tip long and narrow enough to get in there but I got it!!!!

Last edited by ohhgourami; 07-06-2017 at 01:28 AM.. Reason: relink
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      07-06-2017, 01:22 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post
Problem is I was cleaning underneath the butterflies. Had to have it open like this:


White 13 Thanks for the suggestion on vacuuming it out! It didn't cross my mind during the panic. I had to improvise to get a tip long and narrow enough to get in there but I got it!!!!
Oh shoot okok yeah.
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      07-07-2017, 03:55 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post
Problem is I was cleaning underneath the butterflies. Had to have it open like this:


White 13 Thanks for the suggestion on vacuuming it out! It didn't cross my mind during the panic. I had to improvise to get a tip long and narrow enough to get in there but I got it!!!!
Nice ending! So you took off the plenum to clean the throttles "only", or some other work? What did it look like, and after what mileage mate?

Thanks
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      07-07-2017, 05:05 PM   #9
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Nice ending! So you took off the plenum to clean the throttles "only", or some other work? What did it look like, and after what mileage mate?

Thanks
I was initially in there to take measurements for the air-oil separator connection on the plenum and opening on the valve cover. Said well since I got this open might as well clean the throttles.

I've got almost 40k on the car and it was pretty clean inside. There was some carbon dust around the butterflies but nothing major. As you can see, the top of the valves are completely clean.

Then I realized one of my TVA's were seizing up so then I had to take out the TVA's to clean too. I made the mistake of putting teflon grease on the replacement gears which ended up gumming up from the high temps.

Here's my replacement UKarauto (ebay) gears after 5k miles. I see absolutely no wear. I did preventative maintenance, not after the car started throwing codes.

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      07-08-2017, 02:36 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post
I was initially in there to take measurements for the air-oil separator connection on the plenum and opening on the valve cover. Said well since I got this open might as well clean the throttles.

I've got almost 40k on the car and it was pretty clean inside. There was some carbon dust around the butterflies but nothing major. As you can see, the top of the valves are completely clean.

Then I realized one of my TVA's were seizing up so then I had to take out the TVA's to clean too. I made the mistake of putting teflon grease on the replacement gears which ended up gumming up from the high temps.

Here's my replacement UKarauto (ebay) gears after 5k miles. I see absolutely no wear. I did preventative maintenance, not after the car started throwing codes.

Cheers mate, interesting. So..you hade to take out the TVA again due to the teflon grease to clean that off? The one you bought is still teflon/plastic right, any reason you didn't go with the brass from the UK guy? Just learning as we go...
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      07-08-2017, 02:51 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Helmsman View Post
Cheers mate, interesting. So..you hade to take out the TVA again due to the teflon grease to clean that off? The one you bought is still teflon/plastic right, any reason you didn't go with the brass from the UK guy? Just learning as we go...
I used teflon grease on the new gears and the shaft for the middle gear. It gummed up around the shaft and prevented the gear from rotating back to the "home" position.

The UKar auto gears is brass on plastic. You can see that the center of that middle gear is brass. I just don't have a pic of the back side of that gear.

At this rate, I'm expecting these to last a pretty long time as brass on plastic doesn't wear down easily. Do NOT put grease!


Funny thing is after I put everything back together, I got a bunch of error codes. I've probably removed the TVAs a good 4 times in 2 days now. I forgot to align the 2 pins to the board when reassembling because I was in a rush At least I'm really good at taking it apart now.
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      07-08-2017, 03:59 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhgourami View Post
I used teflon grease on the new gears and the shaft for the middle gear. It gummed up around the shaft and prevented the gear from rotating back to the "home" position.

The UKar auto gears is brass on plastic. You can see that the center of that middle gear is brass. I just don't have a pic of the back side of that gear.

At this rate, I'm expecting these to last a pretty long time as brass on plastic doesn't wear down easily. Do NOT put grease!


Funny thing is after I put everything back together, I got a bunch of error codes. I've probably removed the TVAs a good 4 times in 2 days now. I forgot to align the 2 pins to the board when reassembling because I was in a rush At least I'm really good at taking it apart now.
I see, got it. Thx
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      07-08-2017, 05:53 AM   #13
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I'd stay out if there unless they are off the car.
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