Outside the box thinkers
 

I recently changed the harmonic wheel balancer on my '95 accord. I didn't have a chain wrench nor a big enough impact wrench. So I used the old method of putting something down the spark plug port to stop the engine from compressing. Again, late night change here, didnt have any pliable gauged speaker wire or a used rope. Too far to put a screw driver down and didnt feel like taking the starter off to keep the flywheel from turning. I used some housing wiring that is really tough. I got enough of it pushed down inside for the engine to not crank, and eventually broke the crank bolt loose and attempted to put everything back together. I got everything done except for one thing. The f'n wire wont come back out now. I've stood on the engine pulling it. Used a come-along attatched to the rafters and got a good portion of it out but now it is at a standstill. I can push the wire back down and then pull on it again but it stops in the same spot every time. Could it be wrapped around something other than itself in there? and in order to get to the piston, would I have to take the water pump and timing belt off because it is a OHC? To me thats what it is looking like. Any ideas are helpful. Not wanting to tear it all the way down because I have never down anything like that before and wouldnt really know where to start. Thanks!

I guess it is possible that the wire got caught on something. The valves should have been closed. Hopefully you didn't bend a valve and pinch the wire in there.

Maybe rotate the engine counterclockwise an eighth or a quarter of a turn to drop the piston? Use the crank bolt to try this. Then see if the wire will come out?

I ran it both clockwise and counter. Multiple times. Thats how I got the majority of it pulled out with the come along. But now the wire stops everytime in the same place... I can push it back down a couple inches and then it when I pull it up it stops in the same place. Probably should just tear down???

Little over my mechanical abilities but do you have a small mirror, probably thought of it already. There has got to be a way, without tearing it down. Please tell us how you do finally get it out.

Trying adding a little motor oil through the spark plug hole to see if it may help lube the wire enough to come out. Otherwise, take off the valve cover to see if you can tell where it may be binding.

Ya I tried the motor oil. I let it set over night. Nothing. Removed Valve cover but still is a few inches away from actually seeing. The wire is just small enough to slip through the spark plug port so you really can't see into the problem area.

You may be able to remove the rocker assembly to gain better access.

Search wYU8qtPzQOY on YouTube for a video from Ericthecarguy. You should replace the lower o-rings if you are going to try this.

I wonder if the house wiring (Romex?) got stuck under/wrapped around an open exhaust valve? I guess that could have happened if you stuck the wire in a cylinder that was moving up - compressing the wire - on the exhaust stroke (exhaust valves opening) rather than the compression stroke (all valves closed.) Just a guess. If you can't get all of the wire out, you'll have to yank the head. It's not too bad of a job but a head gasket set is kind of pricey. No need to take off the new water pump though.

Ok what the heck. Couple of questions:
Were you at TDC on #1. Belt end of the engine is where the wire was inserted.
You say you have spun the motor, how far? All the way or just 1/4 (please answer this part) both ways?
So this is mutli wires within one casing.....answer the above but have you split the outer cover and tried the individual wires?
With the valve cover off and at TDC #1....what is the valve lash on intake and exhaust....really loose on one or the other may confirm if the wire has gotten under a valve and holding it open (the wire in).

EDIT: IF you get this out without removing the head. PLEASE use a shop vac and a small hose and be sure no little pieces of the wire are in the cyl......even still this may not get them if the shape/size of the wire is such that it won't fit thru the spark plug hole.

TDC? I don't know about. I did indsert it in the #1 Spark Plug port. The wire is made up of multiple copper wires. Tried splintering and pulling the middle ones out first. Still no luck. I've spun the motor all the way around both ways. it will turn. How do i know if it is TDC? And valve lash? Im not quite up to speed with that. Still contemplating on taking the head off. Never have done that before but i know the water pump, timing belt ect. has to come off. Just not real excited about it.

Your engine is a four stroke engine. The piston comes up and down twice in one cycle. One of those times is for compression, the other is to push out the exhaust fumes. Your piston may have been coming up on the compression stroke or the exhaust stroke.

If the piston came up on the compression stroke with the wire in there, the valves would have been closed. If the piston was coming up on the exhaust stroke, the two exhaust valves would have been open and possibly damaged.

TDC is top dead center. That is when piston #1 is up all the way on the compression stroke.

The valves are spring loaded and look like an upside down T, like this l

The valve spring pulls the valve up to close the valve against the top of the cylinder head. The rocker arm pushes the top of the valve down to open it. There is a small gap between the rocker arm and the top of the valve that you can measure using feeler gauges.

First, go to the Common DIY Threads at the top and download a shop manual (for the 5th gens I like the spoonerturner one) or buy one.

TDC- Top Dead Center. Usually when doing a tb job you put #1 cyl to TDC. Then begin work. Get the manual to double check memory, cam gear has an "up" mark, well that is "up" and the crank gear/flywheel has a mark as well. Both of those at the proper position, cyl #1 is at TDC-again the manual has pic's and more description.

Valve lash- the clearance between the "rocker" and the top of the valve stem. If out of spec then a hung/stuck valve would/could be an issue....wire keeping the valve(s) open.

Last "out of the box" idea before removing the head. Copper should melt before any of the other metals in the cyl.....so, a pencil type torch might help soften the copper enough to get it out of the cyl....again, don't melt it but if it gets soft enough ????

Good luck

EDIT: I see my fried PA posted as I was typing...Thanks

Stop !
 

You know in your gut that you are screwed with that blob in there.

DO NOT PUT HEAT into the plug hole !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It WILL melt & make a hell of a needless mess.

Run the engine & you WILL BURN the edges of both valves because the probably will not close due to the copper wire. # 14 or # 12 or # 10 guage.

Set the engine to a " take apart cam timing " according the shop manual.
Go to a dealer & honestly tell ONLY the service manager how you screwed your self. He will probably copy the pages from the shop manual. OFFER him $ 20 if he would copy the pages on the cam marks setup.

You can handle it from there.......Or bite the bullet & have them do the job.

Agreed, do not melt the wire...but if you get it soft enoungh...and follow the other suggestions....maybe.

The manual from spoonerturner is free...download it and see if it answers the the questions you have. If not then pay someone, I've seen sellers on e-bay where you can get the whole manual for $22.(manualsourse ?)

Neither the water pump nor the timing belt has to come off. If the engine will rotate enough to get it to #1 TDC on the compression stroke (distributor rotor pointing at #1 distributor cap terminal), take the rocker assembly off, and just flip the cam up to get it out, reversing that operation to put the cam back in. Just make sure the timing is correct and reset the belt tension.

Pulling the head pretty easy. Use new gaskets, use a known-accurate torque wrench, and make sure the head bolts and the holes they thread into are clean. Follow the FSM torque sequence exactly.

Yea there is a way around the t-belt....

OP- Personally, if I was going that way. Remove just the cam gear from the cam and slide it off....watch out for the key.

I use to know somebody that changed cam seals this way.....anybody seen/heard desert in a while? We traded PM's a few months ago, PM me if you have any news.