bit of spark plug insulation may have fallen into cylinder

[alagappan the proud]

Hi,

I'm new to doing this type of thing and decided to give changing the spark plugs a shot since it didn't seem like much could go wrong. In the process of getting out the right-most plug, it seems that I cracked the spark plug ceramic and the ceramic may have fallen into the engine. I was with my father at the time and he convinced me that there was no way it could have fallen in the engine as it would have gone in the socket, but in hindsight, I see how it could have happened. I actually have a picture of the spark plug while it was still in as I was using my phone camera to get a good look, and upon closer inspection, it looks like the ceramic is visible.

I put the new plug in and because I thought there was no way the ceramic had fallen in the cylinder, I started up the car. What happened next is that the car ran rough for maybe 2-3 seconds and then cleared up. I drove it maybe 25 miles since this happened and everything seems to be fine. Tonight, I had a flashback of the incident and decided to research if ceramic falling into the cylinder is actually something that happens, and what I found is that it is definitely a very bad thing to happen.

I'm looking for advice on what I should do now? It seems like I may have gotten lucky, but is there any chance there is some silent damage being done as I continue to drive it? What should I be on the lookout for? Any advice is appreciated.

PS-- I think maybe a mod should add a warning to the DIY spark plug thread that this is a potential issue. If not, I can just go add a post to the thread warning people like myself who find the page when looking for info on the topic. Changing spark plugs seems pretty straight-forward and fool proof the way it is described, but it seems the truth is that you can potentially destroy your engine if you are not careful to avoid debris falling into the cylinder.

[alagappan the proud]

Pictures attached

[CTScott]

Were you able to remove the piece? It definitely can do damage (including bending a valve stem) if it is in the wrong position when the piston compresses.

[alagappan the proud]

I didn't even realize it was in there until after starting the car and driving it maybe 25 miles.

[CTScott]

I didn't even realize it was in there until after starting the car and driving it maybe 25 miles.

Understood. But, after you realized that it was there, were you able to fish it out?

If the car is running fine after removing it, then there should not be any lasting effects from it. If it runs rough after removing it, then you may have damaged one of the valves.

[alagappan the proud]

I never did try to remove it. The car ran fine after a small hiccup when starting. After I figured out what likely happened, I thought the damage must have already been done and that the piece probably came out of the exhaust upon starting.

What do I need to look for as far as damaged valves, etc, that could have occured?

Thanks for all the help...

[CTScott]

I never did try to remove it. The car ran fine after a small hiccup when starting. After I figured out what likely happened, I thought the damage must have already been done and that the piece probably came out of the exhaust upon starting.

What do I need to look for as far as damaged valves, etc, that could have occured?

Thanks for all the help...

It probably has exited at this point. If it did any valve damage, you would likely still be feeling it. You could do a compression test to verify that that cylinder is still OK.

[Viperoni]

It probably has exited at this point. If it did any valve damage, you would likely still be feeling it. You could do a compression test to verify that that cylinder is still OK.

QFT

[alagappan the proud]

I started to get a bit of rattle in the muffler area today. Could it be related? How do I begin to troubleshoot this? The rattle happens when I'm accelerating.

[CTScott]

I started to get a bit of rattle in the muffler area today. Could it be related? How do I begin to troubleshoot this? The rattle happens when I'm accelerating.

It could only be related if the rattle is close to the engine bay. If the piece exited the engine intact it could only travel as far as the catalytic converter, which is right under the center of the dash.

Considering how cold it is, rattles are pretty normal. The rubber muffler mounts get like cement in this cold.

[alagappan the proud]

Thank you so much for all your help!

[CTScott]

Thank you so much for all your help!

No problem. Out of curiosity, where in Mass are you located?

[alagappan the proud]

No problem. Out of curiosity, where in Mass are you located?

I live in Lowell but work in Boston. My girlfriend lives in Hartford so I'm kind of all over the place. Good thing my car is good on gas! :biggrin:

My rattle sound got louder on the way home and I pulled over to take a peak at what was going on. Fortunately, it kept rattling while I was idling and so I got a video of what's happening. Here is a picture of the culprit:

http://i39.tinypic.com/2e34lxh.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/izuycn.jpg
This piece of metal seems to be touching and bouncing off of the exhaust pipe for whatever reason. What is it and is there an easy fix for this?

[CTScott]

That is one of the exhaust heat shields. There are nuts that hold them on and either a nut fell off or the nut pulled through the thin aluminum. Either way it is an easy fix. If it pulled through you just need to add a large fender washer.

[alagappan the proud]

Yeah, I was looking at heat-shield repairs but didn't see one that looked exactly like mine. I guess once I look at it up close, it should be easy to figure out though.

I want to say that ever since seeing that pic of your Yaris snowplow, every time I am in CT I keep an eye out for it! Does it actually go on the main roads or is it more of an around-the-house sort of thing?

[CTScott]

Yeah, I was looking at heat-shield repairs but didn't see one that looked exactly like mine. I guess once I look at it up close, it should be easy to figure out though.

I want to say that ever since seeing that pic of your Yaris snowplow, every time I am in CT I keep an eye out for it! Does it actually go on the main roads or is it more of an around-the-house sort of thing?

She was totaled when I purchased her, so unfortunately she can't legally go on the roads.

Here are pictures of the front and rear heat shields:

52579

52580

[IllusionX]

that small one is long gone on mine.

[alagappan the proud]

OK, so the saga continues. I was driving the car to my father's house this morning to use his garage to reattach the heat shield and change the gearbox fluid, but somewhere along the way the heat shield came off completely. What are my options? Do I have to get an OEM heat shield or can I use something else?

[alagappan the proud]

I've done a little research and it seems like there is a product I can wrap around the pipes to insulate them rather than using the oem part. Anyone have any experience with this?

[alagappan the proud]

I think I'm just going to use something like this... Is it worth it to do this or can I just leave it off? The piece that fell off is the small rear one directly in front of the one that shields the gas tank.

http://m.autozone.com/autozone-mobile/en/accessories/Thermo-Tec-6-in-x-1-ft-clamp-on-exhaust-heat-shield-includes-clamps/_/N-269j?id=398790

[CTScott]

I think I'm just going to use something like this... Is it worth it to do this or can I just leave it off? The piece that fell off is the small rear one directly in front of the one that shields the gas tank.

http://m.autozone.com/autozone-mobile/en/accessories/Thermo-Tec-6-in-x-1-ft-clamp-on-exhaust-heat-shield-includes-clamps/_/N-269j?id=398790

Something like that might be more of a hassle than it is worth. The OEM one that you are missing is only about $16:

Insulator, Front Floor Heat, No. 4: 58156-52010