[FloridaMan_G82]

okay, my car has been idling really rough for awhile and was throwing random codes, first code was for lpfp so i changed that. code left and new code popped up for low charge air pressure, so i replaced all pipes from turbos to intake mani also new intercooler. turbos only have 10k miles on them, new index 11 injectors, new coils new plugs etc. still ran bad. went to change plugs again and change valve cover and when i pulled a plug i noticed the tip was all bent in and i looked in the cylinder and saw this (see pics) its definitely a piece of metal and when i tried to get it with a magnet it fell down into cylinder.


UPDATE!! i used a bore scope and figured out what is in cylinder it is these weird little tabs that i found near my spark plug holes. it is still in my cylinder, will try to get it out tomorrow. it is very weakly magnetic (maybe some kind of alloy idk) anybody seen these before?

update- thanks to some great guys on here it has been confirmed that the tab was from my old set of injectors incorrectly installed by bmw over 4 years ago, the tabs have been residing in the vicinity for a while, when i swapped new injectors in, a tab fell into cylinder #5. i have yet to remove the tab, and am waiting on a bore scope i ordered to try and get it out without removing the head. i will post an update if i succeed or fail at this! thanks for all the quick replies everyone! a true enthusiast group always offering help and ideas!

update: well i got out the tab from the cylinder, got it with an endoscope with a magnet taped to the end. got it first try! engine was able to turn over again. when i put everything back together and started it however, i heard a inconsistent clunking from the bottom end, only on idle, doesnt sound like rod knock, goes away after 1000 rpm. i will post a few vids, when photobucket is cooperating hard to hear in vid. i think this sound was present before i took apart looking for the tab in cylinder, so it cant be something i dropped in there. maybe something broke off in motor. not sure











i know the pics suck, can anyone speculate to what it is? piece of valve? piece of piston? also anyone know a diy to remove head? i guess ill have to do this to get metal out and see what the real problem is car only has 85k miles on it...

text me if you have any idea whats going on! thanks 352 390 7766

[reaper0995]

If you have access to a camera borescope, you can examine the entire combustion area pretty well. Might check around with your mechanically inclined friends, someone is bound to have one. You can get them at Home Depot, but a one time use isn't worth the price since it won.t really help you remove it... it could be a lot of things, but being magnetic does narrow the list a little.

[Chris@VargasTurboTech]

Can't see from the pics, but I second the idea for a borescope. Good luck!

[Donutz]

Agreed with the others; best bet at this point is to try and get a camera in there.

I would also suggest taking a look at the old parts you changed to see if anything is missing such as a broken plug or injector.

[Tiago@VRSF]

If you don't have access to a borescope try using a camera with an adjustable focus.

It would have to be a pretty large chunk of metal to not have blown through the turbine and the rest of the exhaust by this point...good luck to you indeed.

[FloridaMan_G82]

Thanks for the replies guys, lll try to find a buddy with a bore scope. Also when i try to turn the motor over by hand it only goes about half a rotation and then is locked. Forwards or backwards

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by dlakatos

Thanks for the replies guys, lll try to find a buddy with a bore scope. Also when i try to turn the motor over by hand it only goes about half a rotation and then is locked. Forwards or backwards

I got mine off Amazon for the low, very cheap but promising investment..

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by dlakatos

Thanks for the replies guys, lll try to find a buddy with a bore scope. Also when i try to turn the motor over by hand it only goes about half a rotation and then is locked. Forwards or backwards

I don't think you need a bore scope at that point. If the motor is locked up just start the tear down, sorry.

Sounds like it might be a valve but I really don't know.

[LQQKOUT]

It kind of looks like a sideways valve.

[FloridaMan_G82]

Intake valves look okay. Maybe exhaust valve. Weird part is that it was running "okay" when i pulled it in garage. Why would It lock up all a sudden

[LQQKOUT]

Bad injector puddled fuel in you cylinder than it hydro-locked when you cranked it over. This is just me speculating. It's hard to tell.

[FloridaMan_G82]

Maybe so, i think the valve dropped or car jumped timing and hit exhaust valve. I can turn it back and forth by hand until the bad piston is at tdc, i think there is either dropped valve or piece of valve not letting it go all the way up. I'll be pulling the head off sometime....whenever i find motivation....

[autoart]

Did the magnet pick it up? If so then maybe you can get a magnet with a flexible end to pick it up.

[FloridaMan_G82]

i figured out what is in cylinder but i do not know what it is or where it came from. i will post pics. i found a bunch of these "tabs" in the recesses by the spark plug holes. (see first two pics)

[FloridaMan_G82]

Originally Posted by Chris@VargasTurboTech

Can't see from the pics, but I second the idea for a borescope. Good luck!

with a bore scope i saw it was a little tab, i also found the same tabs in the same vicinity i posted 2 pics, have you seen these before?

[08njSTEP]

I hope for you it's not a dropped valve. I had a motor that had the pistons strike all the intake valves and the head of 1 broke off. It flipped over and the stem section beat a hole in the piston before it locked up and cracked the block. It was running and just shut off. Then it would crank but not start. Then it went bang while cranking and was done. New block, new piston, 8 new valves and some repair work to the combustion chamber on the aluminium head and she was fixed. I keep the valve head in my pocket during any engine work as a good luck charm(or a scare the bad luck away charm).

[FloridaMan_G82]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

I hope for you it's not a dropped valve. I had a motor that had the pistons strike all the intake valves and the head of 1 broke off. It flipped over and the stem section beat a hole in the piston before it locked up and cracked the block. It was running and just shut off. Then it would crank but not start. Then it went bang while cranking and was done. New block, new piston, 8 new valves and some repair work to the combustion chamber on the aluminium head and she was fixed. I keep the valve head in my pocket during any engine work as a good luck charm(or a scare the bad luck away charm).

I thought it was at first but after using the bore scope, valves, cylinder wall, piston all look okay. Just saw that tab in there i have to get out some how! /:

[08njSTEP]

Here's an idea for you. You have the spark plug out and can see the valves. If the "tab" looks like it will fit through the plug hole. Set valves open and use compressed air to blow through open valve with goal of blowing the "tab" out the spark plug hole. My only idea without taking the head off. Use a straight through blow gun to get maximum air flow. Something like this

[08njSTEP]

Maybe place a very strong magnet in plug hole and try to move tab over to magnet

[FloridaMan_G82]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

Here's an idea for you. You have the spark plug out and can see the valves. If the "tab" looks like it will fit through the plug hole. Set valves open and use compressed air to blow through open valve with goal of blowing the "tab" out the spark plug hole. My only idea without taking the head off. Use a straight through blow gun to get maximum air flow. Something like this

Yeah I'll try that and anything else i can possibly think of before removing the head! Just my luck! Thanks for the ideas I'll update when/if i get this stupid thing out

[Chris@VargasTurboTech]

Aw man. That's a big pile of suck. You should be able to sneak in there and fish it out and hopefully it's just something you dropped in there. Again... good luck. Maybe talk to some haggard and crusty old mechanics that have old mechanic tricks and tools for undoing stuff like that. Remember if it dropped in from outside then you can pull it out, it just might be a big pain in the ass to do so. If you were local I'd help but you're about 3000 miles away.