I think I may have just killed my engine....

Took the left hand weber off to change the leaking base gasket....have a horrible feeling that something, possibly a washer may have dropped into the inlet without my knowledge because on start up after reassembling everything it ran fine for about thirty seconds then started making a pretty terminal sounding knocking noise. Ive tried to localise the sound and its much louder under the bus on the head that the carb I took off sits above.....which leads me to believe that somethung foriegn has got in there.
So how bad.... piston knackered? im so annoyed with myself for making such a rookie mistake

 

likely its jammed in the valve. take rocker covers off and if you've a valve sticking open then that's a good place to start. Type 1 or type 4 btw.

 

Type 1. I took the valve cover off and hand cranked it....im guessing two valves should be open and two closed on each stroke? looked like one wasnt really moving in time with its partner. Dont really know the air cooled stuff too well...is it possible to remove the valve without pulling the head?

 

Unfortunately no but take the manifold off and have a look down there. You may be able to see if theres something there (can you do this with a type 1?)

 

You have to remove the engine to then get the head off to then get to the valves.

 

Not easily....ive got it off again but space is a little limited to look down the inlet with a torch....cant see much of anything past the end of the inlet

 

Do you have a telescopic pen magnet thing. You can get flexi ones. Worth a try. Problem is, you wont know what damage has been done unless you get a compression test done. It only takes a bit of damage to the valve to lose lots of compression.

 

I could kick myself in the balls right now lol

 

Ive done it.. seized a bike engine solid by dropping a gudgeon pin clip down in the crank without realising (thought it had fired off into a hedge!!). We live and learn... good luck though!

 

Hopefully it wont have made its way into the barrel. if you get it out see if it is mangled. If it is its a head off job. If not get a compression test done. Either way it would be best to get the engine out and get the head of. Where are you based. You will be surprised how amazing this community is when people are stuck. Some people can get a Type one engine out in 30 minutes. Bring on the competition!!!

From there it doesnt take long to get a head off. Let people know if you need a new head as there are loads of good 2nd hand ones out there.

Keep asking for help. and good luck.

 

I did this with mine a few years ago. I dropped a washer down the n/s inlet manifold (T1 with weber ICTs) without realising. All I knew was that I was one washer short when I came to put the carbs back on. I presumed that it had dropped under the bus.
When I started the engine it gave out an almighty clatter.
The only thing to do was to drop the engine and investigate. I found the chewed up remains of the washer in number 3 cylinder. It was sitting on the piston crown at the bottom. Luckily there was no damage just a couple of witness marks. All it cost me was a gasket set and, of course, another washer out of the parts bin.

 

Im based in wiltshire, not far from Marlborough. On inspection of the carb, one of the washers from the air filter base is MIA......i think that may be the culprit. I had a look down the inlet while hand turning the pulley and both valves seem to be moving in and out but lookimg under the valve cover there is a bit of play in the second from left one...i can wiggle it a few mm from side to side along the shaft....the other three are all tight with no play. Not sure if thats relevant at all but thought id mention it

 

Cant see anything....engine out it is then :s

 

not good news about the valve stem wobble. looks like its engine out time.

 

See if you can borrow or buy a copy on Tom Wilsons book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebuild-Air...&qid=1430236108&sr=8-1&keywords=tom wilson vw

 

Well, front tinware is off but all the exhaust fittings are siezed solid, as are the support bar nuts and everything else I've tried to loosen off. Most of my tools are twenty miles away in the unit where my jetta lives so im working with a basic socket set. Think its gonna have to go on the back burner for the moment untill I can pick up some spanners etc.
No bad thing getting the engine dropped as it means I can sort out the fuel filler pipes etc and get rid of the petrol smell I get every time I go round a sharp corner. Just hope the engine isnt fragged too badly as I cant afford a major parts and tools bill. If it comes to that, It'll either be off the road for the forseeable future or advertised as a project

 

Sorry to hear of your trouble, if it's fallen down there it will be in the cylinder by now, don't run it, hope fully it won't have done much damage you should be able to polish any damage out.

 

it should be lodged on top of the piston, assuming it's managed to get past the valve (unless it's already been chewed up)...really annoying....I know how you feel....
As you say....wait 'till you get your tools together or you'll just end up getting more frustrated....it's not the end of the world, but I'll admit, I've been in tears with a similar situation, in the past....

A good long while ago, a neighbour came round with a spanner and asked me if it was any use to me, as he'd often seen me fettling with bikes and cars. I looked at it and realised it was one of mine
"Where did you find it?" I asked...
"Behind my shed" he replied

He lives about six doors down from me.....it was one that I'd launched in rage about four years before

 

I did same a few months ago but I heard it before it fired. If it's a washer it'll get past the valve and lie flat in the bottom of the barrel like those penny falls amusement arcade machines. Then the piston will mash it into itself and the head. If you're unlucky it got down the side of the piston. I hope it was a small one.