Molon_Labe 731 #1 Posted November 17, 2014 4" of snow this morning and it was time to clear the driveway. 2 passes and then POW! Dead as a door nail right in the middle of the road at 6:00! Got the wife up and she steered while I drove the C-101 pulling the C-161 Auto to the garage. Pulled the spark plug and no compression, at this point I thought it had a broken rod. Pulled the head and here is what I found! I bought the tractor last year and have had no problems with it what so ever and where that nut came from I have no idea but it's been in there for a long time as you can see from the next pic. No dings or dents in the piston tells me it's been rattling around under the intake valve for a very long time. Cleaned the carbon, new head gasket and back to plowing snow by 9AM. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 16,344 #2 Posted November 17, 2014 Aw nuts... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Molon_Labe 731 #3 Posted November 17, 2014 Aw nuts... Couldn't have said it better myself! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMCIII 838 #4 Posted November 17, 2014 (edited) That is crazy. It had to of been inside the exhaust valve port. There is no way that nut could have survived that long any other place. Not enough clearance top side. Sure would not have worked it's way up from the crank. Seen some good one's before, but wow, that one really takes the cake. Rob Edited November 17, 2014 by RMCIII 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,198 #5 Posted November 17, 2014 Should help it to concentrate on it's work now. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 43,917 #6 Posted November 17, 2014 I'm guessing it was a nut to hold the air cleaner cover on at some point. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theroundhousernr 590 #7 Posted November 17, 2014 (edited) Well not sure how yours got in there. But when I was fooling with my 416 onan to figure out the smoke issue, I took the air cleaner screws that hold it to the carb off and laid them in the air cleaner. While pulling the air box off the breather hose, I was pulling and pulling and bam! It popped off and one of the screws rolled right to the carb hole cut out and disappeared with the sound almost like throwing a penny down a well. I looked everywhere that day for that screw hoping that little bugger didn't go down the throat of the beast. I had to change the ignition module so I figured it was my last chance to find it before pulling the intake. Mind you, I already went down the carb with a magnet coming up empty handed. So a month or so later, I changed the ignition module and found out the smoke was from the wrong fuel the PO had dumped in.... Still lingering in the back of my mind was that darn screw that I never did find under the tins. So in I went. I pulled everything off the top of the motor. Last thing to take off was the intake. As I pulled the intake off, there sat the bolt in the Number 2 cylinder intake valve chamber laughing at me. I had only ran the motor for a total of 15 minutes maybe and the screw threads towards the end had already been polished off. I spent the time, cost of gaskets and breaking an exhaust shield bolt off in the head. Which involved drilling , carefully tapping into the aluminum head to get that fixed. :*****: ALL FOR AN AIR CLEANER BOLT!!! :*****: . Learned a good lesson that day.... Always close the choke when working on Onan or stuff a paper towel of sorts in the hole. And put things where they belong. Don't use the air cleaner as a tray for parts! Things I already know but you get in a hurry and the mistakes surface there ugly little faces. OH WELL! Ranting over lol Kyle Edited November 17, 2014 by Theroundhousernr 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #8 Posted November 17, 2014 I close the choke and put left over plastic spray paint caps over the carb. and when the misses complained about gas smell I started putting them over the gas caps 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theroundhousernr 590 #9 Posted November 17, 2014 I close the choke and put left over plastic spray paint caps over the carb. and when the misses complained about gas smell I started putting them over the gas caps You know, I had people buy me magnetic parts trays to put that stuff in. You would think one would use them.... That would involve one to find them first.... 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericj 1,579 #10 Posted November 17, 2014 (edited) one good thing about hf they give those metal magnetic pan holder away for free. i didn't think i would like or use them years ago till i drop a bolt down the carb of an onan and got tired of looking for all of the bolts that fall off the tractor when you start it up lol eric j Edited November 17, 2014 by ericj 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coadster32 793 #11 Posted November 18, 2014 Wow...lucky no real damage was done. You made quick work of it as well. Bravo. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fordiesel69 271 #12 Posted November 18, 2014 Did anyone else notice the engine is also way over tis interval for needing a decarbon? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Molon_Labe 731 #13 Posted November 18, 2014 Did anyone else notice the engine is also way over tis interval for needing a decarbon? My best guess is that the head hasn't been off since the new short block was installed in 1982. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Geno 1,929 #14 Posted November 18, 2014 Glad it didn't do more damage. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #15 Posted November 19, 2014 That is bizarre! I never saw anything like that before. Hopefully I never will first hand! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Molon_Labe 731 #16 Posted November 19, 2014 It's just luck that the valve caught it, otherwise it would surely have ruined the engine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
