Chunk of zip tie in the cylinder

[TheCafeKid]

Wrap a layer of tape around your zip tie tool next time. It won't break if you do that.

Did you say you already started the bike with that in there? If so, it's likely a melted pile of goo now.

[keman]

Question. .. test one of your zip ties in gasoline. I had a batch from harbor fright that turned to mush when they got exposed to gas overnight. If yours do too, problem solved er desolved... Put some raw gas in the cyl, let it set overnight, change your oil and fire it up.

[chuck hahn]

Allie is on to something here!!! Why not make the rig for the home made soda blaster and stick the end of the pick up tube in and see if it will suction the piece up... at least enough to keep it suctioned to the end as you remove the tube????

[chuck hahn]

Anyone have a mini camera he can look around in there with??? Make it way easier to formulate a fix.

[rustybronco]

When I lost the mirror off the end of an inspection camera as I was looking at the inside of my 850's cylinders, I used a chopstick with a bit of double sided tape to retrieve it.

to the OP. First try the method I used to retrieve the inspection mirror. If you aren't successful at retrieving it, harbor freight has a cheepo B/W inspection camera you could use to look into the cylinder for it, or you can turn the engine over by hand a few times and recheck the valve clearances on that cylinder, looking for an increase in clearance from the zip tie between the valve and seat. If you find the clearance to be correct, it's either still in cylinder or its already found it's way into the exhaust pipe.

Fish around in the cylinder for once more and if you still don't find it... hit the start button.

[Allie]

Eric

I say nothink!......

[Katarat]

4 pages for a piece of a tie wrap, good thing it wasnt something serious

[koolaid_kid]

You should see how we respond when someone drops a twinkie into the fuel tank. Nuts.

[sedelen]

I would say try to locate it with a flashlight shining down the spark plug hole. If you can do that, then attack it with a small dowel with the previously suggested duct tape or something else sticky to it and fish it out of the hole. Or, the vacuum trick, find a hose that is flexible that fits into the spark plug hole. Tape that hose to a regular vacuum hose and suck away.
The danger with running the engine with it in the cylinder is that it could get under a valve, and not completely under it. When the valve closes on it who knows what will happen. I would only do this as a last ditch desparation attempt and only when you don't care what the out come is, because it probably won't be good.

[Gibbelstein]

Update:
Well, it seems the winning combo was: fish around for quite a while without finding it, blow a bunch of air in there without finding it or seeing any signs of it, check the shim gap to ensure that it wasn't holding the valve open, and finally fire it up.

I noticed no problem whatsoever. It was kicking out quite a bit of smoke and then I checked the sync, leaned out all 4 carbs, and put it all back together. Now it is my turn to remark about how surprised I am by the amount of difference to be made by doing the "carb refresh and shim check" combo. The bike is running the best it has ever run on my watch.

Thanks all for the help and suggestions on this.

[johnbb71]

It is a great feeling of accomplishment after all that work and it runs so sweet now isn't it?