Removing Push Rod from Crankcase

[Walt 2002]

A friend just called me. He had successfully removed a broken exhaust valve push rod from the crankcase of a 44 series B&S V twin using a simple magnetic fishing tool I made last year AND a flexible shaft scope. I made the magnetic probe and tried unsuccessfully to remove a push rod from a set up model. I then gave him the tool and he had not been able to remove an actual push rod until he combined it with looking inside the engine with the scope then he could guide the magnet to the push rod pieces. This avoided removing the engine and removing the sump, a lot of labor plus the cost of a $25 sump gasket for these engines.

The scope is expensive but IF I were 15 years younger, I would not be without one. I found one on the Internet for $225 but a new one in another place was $110, same brand. He said he got his for less than $100.

Thought this would be interesting to some of you professionals.

Walt Conner

[hanz63]

Great tip Walt. One thing that I can add is that you can get a basic USB endoscope for actually real cheap (like under 20$) and they work well. They have a light and you have the capability to see it on a laptop screen. I've had a few of wayward push rods on Intek twins this fall it seems. One broke in half and layed there pretty as can be.

[bobodu]

I'll be damned....$10 and change....!!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/262319128841?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

[KE4AVB]

Looks good if is only slightly over 7mm with that right angle mirror attachment as I have been sorta looking for one to fit thru those 10mm spark plug holes which is around 8mm so don't need to remove the muffler to verify my diagnosis on those engines.

[Walt 2002]

I'd be cautious about buying too cheap of one. One poster did that and was not useful, bought a more expensive one and was happy. You know, get what you pay for.

Walt Conner

[KE4AVB]

Probably why it has taken me a year to decide on what will work for me, I am just not in a big hurry. I actually put it on the back burner as I have been training on another equipment line and developing my resources for parts.

Actually removing the push rod doesn't get it when you need to see what damage is done otherwise and some the broken push rods I have removed are aluminum and a magnet just won't work. I repair an engine back a few months ago the broken push rod severely damage the nylon governor gear.

It like when I settle on my AirCat impact it took me nearly 6 months to decide but I have been very happy with it since. My brother, the heavy equipment mechanic, has the Mac and Snap-on impacts which I wasn't really impressed by their performance. The AirCat costed me $170 but I consider it worth every penny of it as it really have saved a lot time, frustration, and damages parts less.

Matter of fact I am planning on buying the air ratchets next Spring, kinda holding off as they are nearly as expensive as the impact was. I had to replace and upgrade the shop computers this fall because as both were failing so the ratchets are not in the budget right now.

[Walt 2002]

"Actually removing the push rod doesn't get it when you need to see what damage is done otherwise and some the broken push rods I have removed are aluminum and a magnet just won't work. I repair an engine back a few months ago the broken push rod severely damage the nylon governor gear."

First the endoscope my friend has allows you to rotate and enlarge the view. With the LED light it enables you to have a good view of the engine insides. I sure would use it and test run the engine before removing the engine unless I had some positive evidence of some reason to remove and tear the engine down and that is what he did.

ALL aluminum push rods have steel ends which fit into the sockets of cam follower and push rod. The powerful little magnets I used to make the magnetic retrieval tool will easily pick up any push rod.

Walt Conner

[KE4AVB]

ALL aluminum push rods have steel ends which fit into the sockets of cam follower and push rod. The powerful little magnets I used to make the magnetic retrieval tool will easily pick up any push rod.

That only works if the push rod is in two pieces or less. The last aluminum push rod I remove was in 4 pieces as it went through the camshaft spokes. Actually it took out the decompressor too.

[Walt 2002]

You are grasping at straws now to discredit what may save people lots of time and money. IF the situation you describe exists, it will show on the scope. I have never seen more than two pieces and often the push rod is intact, perhaps bent. This is obviously not for you but others may find it beneficial as my friend just did.

Walt Conner

[bgsengine]

Yes that'd be the guidance - if you can get the old push rod out and have all the pieces, if broken, to put it fully back together and know you got it all, then sure, magnet can do the job.. scope can as well - *if* someone has a scope (not everyone does) then I'd also see no reason to tear the engine down.. but if you got pieces but not everything to put a pushrod back together, or if you find the push rod fallen down into the crankcase and bent or damaged on the end that was in the crankcase, I'd still strongly advice a tear down and inspection - you could not see if cam is bent (or cracked) with a scope, and be 100% certain... I didn't see where KE4 was discrediting anything you had said - just a clarification (which is further clarified above) - just because you can get broken pieces of push rod out of the crankcase, and/or happen to have a scope handy for an inspection, does not necessarily mean you won't have an issue when you put it back together - and if someone puts it back together and wastes a head gasket / gasket set only to discover the governor gear had damage that just could not be seen by the borescope (been there done that) - it does not save them any time at all - - you do not always have to tear down the engine just from a thrown push rod, but it is good to make sure to make them aware of the possible issues to consider before just zipping it back up - if there is any reason whatever to suspect internal damage, whether or not a borescope shows no damage, then best bet would be to do the teardown - its only one extra gasket and seal and some additional time invested - cheap insurance as opposed to taking a chance that the cam (or governor gear) has damage that results in a catastrophic failure at RPM

I had one myself - and the intake pushrod came out whole although it HAD gotten down into the engine - but since it was not broken to pieces and only a slight bend to it, I didn't think anything of it at the time - put it back together, fired it up , it started out fine, had governed RPM, then all of a sudden it ran away (overspeeding) followed by a piece of governor gear coming through the side of the crankcase. - That's typical of my luck... but at least failure happened in the shop and I still sold a re-power engine (but had to eat the time and labor and parts to do the head and valve job on the old engine) - upon tear down and inspection of the governor gear pieces, you could see where there was a very fine hairline crack that was on the bottom side of the gear (you'd never see it even with a boresope) that started the failure...