Grommet fell into manifold, how screwed am I?

And when in a pinch, pull the oil dip stick, rub some oil on your fingers and go from there.

 

It will lay in there until we are all dead and not make a difference.

 

Perfect opportunity to swap that 2-bbl for a Quadrajet. Tell the wife that "it's got to come off, and a Q-jet will get better mpg, so it's actually a good thing"

Otherwise, leave it be. Half the Buick engines in existence have a grommet sitting on the valley pan - why should yours be any different?

 

I lost my PCV grommet into the manifold of my 430. When I asked if leaving it there would be an issue, the response I received was:

"It'll likely get chewed up by the cam, and the pieces will fall into the oil pan and likely clog the oil pump pickup screen...maybe get past the screen and jam up the pump too. I wouldn't leave it in there."

Buy an intake manifold gasket set, and set aside some time to take it off & get it outta there.

Here's my thread about my experience with it:

http://v8buick.com/index.php?threads/430-wildcat-engine-pcv-grommet-hell.214612/

 

How is it going to get past the valley pan gasket? If it did, how would it get into the camshaft without doing some kind of dukes of hazzard move? I can assure you there is lots more crap in your oil pan unless this is a current rebuild.

 

BAD ADVICE. Leave it alone.

 

"it disintegrated and fell in"

If in small bits and pieces I'm not so sure to just ignore it. As a full grommet I would just let it sit on the pan gasket.

 

X2 I wouldn't go near what appears to be a never removed intake for a grommet. I've had them push in over the years even knowing how tricky the new grommets are to install the PCV and I still screw it up. On every one many miles later there's the grommet laying on the intake gasket, safe and sound.

However, if that engine has never been apart and more importantly that timing cover has never been off I'd be more worried about what kind of shape the timing chain set is in and in particular what kind of shape the factory plastic coated cam gear is in. The plastic on the gear has been known to start breaking up and causing cam timing to jump and not in a good way. If there is evidence that the timing cover has been off before then you are probably in good shape because it probably was changed.

 

I had to operate on mine to get it out.

Getting the new one in wasn't bad but trying to shove the PCV into the grommet was almost impossible. No mater what I tried with any lube it just would not go in so I used #11 X-acto blade and a reamer to enlarge the grommet just a hair for me to jam the PCV home. I then checked to make sure I didn't have an vacuum leak which I didn't have. Although I am trying to chase down a vacuum leak I can't find. I've tried spraying wd-40 around the carb ( 4 bbl quadrajet) and had no change in the rpm also held a 3/8 hose to my ear and checked all around and not find a thing... I'll keep at it though.

 

Dont worry about it, better than a bolt or nut down your carb!

 

LOL! And true!


It cannot get past the valley pan gasket.