Dropped piece of tinfoil into oil-pan? Need advice!

Hey Guys,

Forgive me for not knowing anything about cars, but I have a problem I really
need some advice on.

My girlfriend lost the oil cap on her 1995 Honda Civic last week. When I
noticed the leaking oil and the missing cap, I sealed the hole with tinfoil
and tape so she could drive a few days until I got a new cap.

Well, yesterday we got the new cap and when I went to put it on a pieces of
tinfoil (small crunched up balls of it...probably 1 cm diameter) fell in. I
don't know the correct name for what it fell in to (the same place you pour
the oil when you're low). Two of the pieces just sat close to the top and I
managed to get them out with my finger, but one (maybe more) fell into this
small hole (again sorry for not knowing the name...but it seems that is where
the oil flows when you pour it in). I can see it a bit by looking down with
a flashlight, but haven't been able to get it out. The car hasn't been
started since then.

My questions are:
What would be your advice on getting the piece(s) out? If I dont manage to
get it out and they stay in there could this cause any problems?


Thanks a lot

 

Here is what I would do:

Take the valve cover (a.k.a. "cylinder head cover") off.
This will require removal of all connections to and above
the valve cover. Then remove the four cap bolts that hold
the cover on. Bang on the cover lightly with a rubber mallet
to free it. Lift as straight up as possible, because there's
a gasket that can get twisted and get oil everywhere. Now
extensively inspect the exposed region for bits of tin foil.
is the foil magnetic? Re-install with a new valve cover
gasket. Torque the four cap bolts with a torque wrench,
tightening first to half the spec, then 3/4 spec, then full
spec.

Run the car, staying on the lookout for odd running sounds.
Maybe change the oil after running it a day.

http://www.honda.co.uk/car/owner/workshop.html has a manual
for the 95 Civic. It may have illustrations that can help
you.

 

thanks for the reply

but i think the pieces are too far down now for that to help...

they are sitting in the tunnel heading for the oil pan right now, do u have
any advice for getting them out of there?

if i dont manage to get it out, what problems could this cause?

thanks a lot

 

Maybe do like Elle says but flush the system with oil with the valve cover
off and drain bolt out. I would get a 5 quart jug of affordable oil and
keep pouring through and through into a clean pan. Maybe 2 clean pans and
you could flush it at a good clip (look for the foil balls in between of
course)! I'm not too knowledgeable of engine block specifics and the oil
passageways and filter may render this a moot exercise but it seems easy
enough.

 

if you can get them out, fine. if not, just push them down all the way
through to the crank case. there, they'll either stay put, get drained
out with the next oil change, or find their way through to the oil
filter. none of the above are likely to be a problem.

 

If they were actually 'tin' foil you could get them with a magnet (one
of those on a flexible stalk). But since I suspect you mean 'aluminum'
foil, I go along with what Jim B said - once they get into the
crankcase the oil pump filter would prevent them from getting back up
into the engine.

Dan D
'07 Ody EX
Central NJ USA

 

<pedantry warning>
/real/ tin, chemical symbol Sn, is not magnetic. "tin", thin iron
sheet, is Fe, and that is. there's very little Fe or Sn foil used and i
definitely doubt the op has access to sufficient quantity to want to
plug the oil filler cap with it.