Shim dropped into engine -- URGENT

[dx400r]

Hey Everyone,

Hope some of you can help, yup I have managed to drop a shim into the engine AGAIN

Was sliding the shim for cylinder 3 back into place and ting off it went.


This time I wasnt so lucky, dropped the oil and checked the sump. No shim. Turned the engine a little bit forward and a little back hoping to make it fall off the cam gears. Turned a little more and things got firm. Its definitely jammed somewhere...

Please people, give me some ideas. The only one I have is chucking a load of engine flush through the tunnels repeatedly until it falls out.

Im so close to finishing this bike, would be such a shame to have to pull the engine to pieces

Thank you all in advance.

[viper_biker]

Let me get this right, you turned the crank to a point where it won't turn anymore? If so, turn it back a little the other way for starters. The oil that you drained out of the motor might as well go back it to try and flush it out. There is no real way to find it without stripping the motor if the oil doesn't wash it down, sorry. Didn't you use rags to keep it from falling?

[dx400r]

Yes and back again when it got to that stage however - the thought did however occur to me when I went to bed that with no shim, there was likely to be firmness as the shim follower tried to press into the recess where the shim was, what do you reckon

Was pondering dump the old oil through the tunnels so good call on that one, I did think of using someones idea of foil.... I just never seen to be able to get anything past all the nearby gubbins. Will have to try harder next time.

Will let you know how I get on.

[CMSMJ1]

I dropped one into my motor one of the times I did it.. couldn't find it and gave up after a days and when I next had my sump off it was sat there...lol. Was not happy..

Try to get as much light onto the bike as you can - if it comes down to it remove the camshafts and get a good look into the guts.

I don't think flushing stuff into it is going to help - you need to know where it is really.. Good luck!

[Sligeach]

do you have the flexible magnetic thingy you get in halfords, if not, get one of those and have a rattle around and see if it sticks anything

[dx400r]

CMSMJ1,

Well this would make the second time I have done it now. The first time I found it in the sump.one thing I have noticed about these pesky shims is sometimes they nestle themselves under something above the tunnels and takes much looking to find them again.

Its gonna be out of places to hide now tho, I have bought a new inspection light from Halfrauds and will dig out flexible magnet thingy Sligach mentioned. The sump is already off my NC, no sign of it there nor in the oil strainer.

Will be a last resort to remove camshafts as I would risk getting them out of step if I wasnt careful. Seem you can give me valve clearances and that can go wrong .

Didnt get a chance to do any looking today - was down at Cradley Heath Kawasaki guiding my friend in replacing his GS500. Eventually going with a 2008 ER6-N. Personally I would have gone for the black ZX6 they had there but horses for courses and all

[dx400r]

Just thought I would update you all.

Turned the engine back as far as I could to loose what the shim was jamming against

With sump off picked up the bike by the subframe and bounced it up and down shaking it like a moneybox

Out fell a shim. WINNOR!

Theres a tip.

The real tip is to put rags over the tunnels to avoid this problem. But in the event you dont and this happens. Thats how I avoided taking the engine to bits! :D

[CMSMJ1]

Superb... Well done! We know this will not be the last time a shim is dropped in the engine though..lol!!

[viper_biker]

Weren't that lucky.

[Neosophist]

Cover everything with Kitchen Tinfoil before you start, it's cheap, flexible and will stop you loosing shims should the worst happen :)