Lost metal shaving in head- could really use some advice

[hondacrf0006]

So in short I pulled the valve cover off and noticed two small slivers of aluminum was hanging off the backside of the threaded hole in the side of the head for the plug for the rocker arm access hole. I tried to grab them but they fell and landed below in the head. I successfully retreived the small piece but I dropped the larger one back in the head before I got it out. Looked like it was just a couple inches away I but I couldnt see it. Spent over an hour looking for it and removed the cam, rocket, buckets, valve cover gasket... everything I can without removing the head. Laid bike on right side and knocked the outside of head with dead blow hoping it was stuck somewhere not visible and fall down to the side of the head. Do not see it. Seemed to vanish. It was on the other side of the head as the cam chain so I doubt it ended up down in the crankcase cover. I'm wondering if it wound up in the valve spring or something.

 

Anyways the large piece I lost is basically like the picture of the piece I retreived but twice as long. Coming off of the head, it is aluminum obviously. I'm about pulling my hair out here and would hate to pull the head and have to wait another week on a head gasket only to not find it. Can such a shaving cause serious engine damage or is it small enough that it will pass through and get caught by the oil filter?

Edited March 25, 2017 by hondacrf0006

[TDW]

I would pull out the oil filter and check it for any type of debris before I did anything else.

[hondacrf0006]

36 minutes ago, TDW said:

I would pull out the oil filter and check it for any type of debris before I did anything else.

I changed the oil filter and oil yesterday and haven't done anything other than go down the driveway since. And if such a shaving can really do some harm, the last thing I want to to is start it up and such it into the crankcase.

[ossagp]

by the use of duck tape a piece of small vacuum hose,  and a shop vac you may  be able to fish it out.   If that is the biggest thing your rig has to digest,  that has little chance of affecting it's life.  I use some grease on the end of the hose too when I go fishing that way.   Don't be scared if you find more evidence of flying objects in there.  

[hondacrf0006]

1 hour ago, ossagp said:

by the use of duck tape a piece of small vacuum hose,  and a shop vac you may  be able to fish it out.   If that is the biggest thing your rig has to digest,  that has little chance of affecting it's life.  I use some grease on the end of the hose too when I go fishing that way.   Don't be scared if you find more evidence of flying objects in there.  

Good idea. I tried it though and unfortunately I couldn't get in there around the intake spring as good as I'd like. 99% sure it is not just sitting on the bottom of the head i've been over it from every angle 50 times so I figure it has got to be on or inside an intake spring or it somehow ended up falling down through the cam chain hole.

 

What do you mean by "Don't be scared if you find more evidence of flying objects in there"?

[ossagp]

you can flood that valve cavity with diesel or solvent can't you?

[hondacrf0006]

29 minutes ago, ossagp said:

you can flood that valve cavity with diesel or solvent can't you?

You asking if it is ok to do with a solvent or if I have a way to do it? If the latter I do have a can of diesel, 30ml syringe, and some small fuel line that would fit over the tip that would work pretty well. Am really wondering about how big of an issue getting diesel in my crankcase would be though.... are we talking a simple drain/refill or several? I thought about brake cleaner but if it is in there and I blow it out I probably wouldn't realize it.

Edited March 25, 2017 by hondacrf0006

[ossagp]

8 minutes ago, hondacrf0006 said:

You asking if it is ok to do with a solvent or if I have a way to do it? If the latter I do have a can of diesel, 30ml syringe, and some small fuel line that would fit over the tip that would work pretty well. Am really wondering about how big of an issue getting diesel in my crankcase would be though.... are we talking a simple drain/refill or several? I thought about brake cleaner but if it is in there and I blow it out I probably wouldn't realize it.

I was just going to tell you to run it down the cavity that the valve is in and suck it out and see if your piece comes with it.  The diesel won't hurt anything.  Pretty good engine flush in fact.   I don't think flushing one of our engines is ever necessary.  The valve spring is a little bit detailed to remove from the head if you want to go hunting,  but nothing you can't do at home.  

[hondacrf0006]

58 minutes ago, ossagp said:

I was just going to tell you to run it down the cavity that the valve is in and suck it out and see if your piece comes with it.  The diesel won't hurt anything.  Pretty good engine flush in fact.   I don't think flushing one of our engines is ever necessary.  The valve spring is a little bit detailed to remove from the head if you want to go hunting,  but nothing you can't do at home.  

Well I tried it but didn't have much luck. Due to the awkward angle I basically had to let it run over the top of the spring or squirt it towards the bottom. It didn't really pool up, it just ran down and through the cam chain opening into the crankcase. Didn't see anything get carried with it. Drained the oil and didn't see it. Went ahead and pulled the crankcase cover and searched around in there and didn't see it. Might pull the flywheel tomorrow, but other than that and removing the head I'm at a loss.

Edited March 26, 2017 by hondacrf0006

[dakh]

I'd just blow the sh1t out of what's accessible to you in the head with compressed air and call it good.  There's a mesh screen at the bottom and an oil filter, it'll get caught by one of the two.  The two things that I'm worried about is the squirt nozzle that pisses oil into the bottom of the piston gets clogged and damage to the oil pump.  But from my understanding of the oil flow in the motor if a chunk falls into the timing chain chamber and further down, it'll have to pass both filters first before it can get to either of the danger spots.  

[hondacrf0006]

14 hours ago, dakh said:

I'd just blow the sh1t out of what's accessible to you in the head with compressed air and call it good.  There's a mesh screen at the bottom and an oil filter , it'll get caught by one of the two.  The two things that I'm worried about is the squirt nozzle that pisses oil into the bottom of the piston gets clogged and damage to the oil pump.  But from my understanding of the oil flow in the motor if a chunk falls into the timing chain chamber and further down, it'll have to pass both filters first before it can get to either of the danger spots.  

Ok thanks.

Edited March 26, 2017 by hondacrf0006

[hondacrf0006]

Well rode it for 10 minutes and so far so good. If a problem manifested from this it'd probably have happened now right?

[Mghonda]

That is not a horrible situation. If you just changed the oil , empty out in a vlean container and take the left  side stator cover off, the flywheel is magnetic. Ive dropped plenty of stuff down there only to fish it off the back of the flywheel.  Either pull it and look for the piece or you can feel around behind the flywheel or in the center of it or its in your oil strainer screen or filter

[ossagp]

15 hours ago, Mghonda said:

That is not a horrible situation. If you just changed the oil , empty out in a vlean container and take the left  side stator cover off, the flywheel is magnetic. Ive dropped plenty of stuff down there only to fish it off the back of the flywheel.  Either pull it and look for the piece or you can feel around behind the flywheel or in the center of it or its in your oil strainer screen or filter

You got a magnet that will pick up aluminum!!  i want one too!!  

[CHAMP102]

Just run it youll be fine.....

[Mghonda]

On 3/27/2017 at 0:07 PM, ossagp said:

You got a magnet that will pick up aluminum!!  i want one too!!  

I didn't see where he said it was aluminum , and its still useful info if you drop a shim or something.  But thats why i said its probably in your strainer screen or filter 

Edited March 30, 2017 by Mghonda

[ossagp]

yeah,  I am going to try to remember it.