Plastic jabsco oil pick-up pipe fell in the oil sump---help!!!!!!!

[Sharphooks]

Did an oil change on both Hondas. Probably didn't get 100% of the oil out of either because I filled both according to spec and after running them and making sure the filters were soaked, they settled out at levels over the hatch marks on both dip sticks.

My mechanic says: drain some so it's 1/8 inch below the top hatch mark.

So I bought a Jabsco hand pump to pull some oil some back out. I slid the oil pick-up pipe down the dip stick tube hole and got the BF150 all squared away so the level was good and buttoned her back up.

Did the same with the Honda 9.9 and when finished, the pick-up tube (plastic) is stuck in the dip-stick hole. I mean really stuck--probably hanging up on the bottom edge of the dip-stick tube. I give it a little bit of pressure and swizzle it around some and WTF: it shears off!!! I withdraw the pick-up tube minus 15 freaking centimeters of its bottom half which is swimming in the oil sump!

I do a Google and there's piles of posts about people doing this same bonehead move, both in cars, ATV's and outboards. About 50% say: leave it there. The cam shaft will either chew it up and spit it out, or it will leave it alone and it'll stay there where you left it and not wreak havoc

The other 50% say: pull the power head and get it out of the oil pan or your engine's toast.

I know three things for certain:

1)) that plastic pipe is not coming back out of the dip-stick tube
2)) it's not coming out of the oil drain hole
3)) it sinks when swimming in oil

What say all the wise men on this Forum?

Thanks for the considerations

Dullhooks

 

[firelight]

At this point maybe sit down, have a margarita and wait for someone else to respond.

 

[combover]

i would remove the powerhead and get it out. it might not do any damage but i wouldn't take the chance and the powerhead on the small stuff is fairly easy to re&re.

the oil passages are small and a little piece could block them off cause bearing damage and failure.

 

[MILLERTIME]

Wow that sucks man. The bottom of that tube must be like a razor blade. Before pulling the head which is likely I would drain all the oil by tipping it upside down and use a hose attached to a shop vac to try and fish it out thru the filler hole. Good luck.

 

[Hookin'up]

bite the bullet and pull her down.
it will always be in the back of your mind bugging you when trolling and always wondering if it's gonna go bang!
remember its also a back-up should something ever happen to the main

 

[tubber]

Endoscopic surgery.

 

[cletus]

Personally i would ask the mechanic at my local shop.Chances are it can't get chewed up or melt down from the heat,but i'd want' a couple professional opinions.

 

[Sharphooks]

Thanks for the comments, Gents. I'm bringing the remains of the pick-up tube into my Honda guy tomorrow to see what he says.

Gidyup--you read my mind. It'll be like a fly in the ointment every time I troll with her. That 9.9 kicker has already saved my bacon once before ---I clanged the prop of my main so bad I had to shut her down. The 9.9 brought me home so i want her 100%.

But I have some serious cash flow stuff going on at the moment--taking her in to a professional to peel the power head off doesn't thrill me, and doing the job myself is beyond my tool supply (and mechanical skills) ...

Turning her upside down to see what falls out the filler tube hole---now that an interesting idea. I don't know if the oil pan reservoir is wide open, or are there baffles and ports?

The Honda schematic for the 9.9 on the boats.net site keeps the interior layout a secret. Frustrating.

 

[MILLERTIME]

Don't know where your located sharphooks but tubber has a good idea. High performance rebuilders have scopes for fishing things out of tight places. Maybe start a new thread for shops with endoscopes.

 

[tubber]

Don't know where your located sharphooks but tubber has a good idea. High performance rebuilders have scopes for fishing things out of tight places. Maybe start a new thread for shops with endoscopes.

Don't give me so much credit. I was thinking Sharphooks' doctor could sneak a scope and monitor under his labcoat and out of the hospital in exchange for a fishing trip.

 

[spring time]

or the dr could lube up a finger, I guess it would be no different than taking it to a mechanic

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

Dont worry about it. There is no way it will get sucked up past the pickup screen. Seriously.

 

[Sharphooks]

Funny you should say that, IFL- I talked to a Honda mechanic this afternoon who told me his uncle did the exact same thing six years ago with his Honda 9.9.

What did he do? He just went about his business and kept fishing, and it's been six years since the tube fell in to the oil pan.

My concern would be if it melted and plugged up the pick-up screen. The mechanic reassured me that oil does not get hot enough to melt plastic. I tried researching how hot oil gets in the pan during typical running --couldn't come up with any specific temp. for an outboard.

The Jabsco pump rep said it would melt and said I should get it out, but maybe that's what you'd expect them to say

At this point I'm going to leave it there and see what happens.....

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

if it gets hot enough to melt, you have a whole other issue on your hands.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

its not as big of a job as you may think. If its going to be on your mind and cause you worry, then get it out. I hate it when Im 10 miles offshore or more, worrying about an engine. Ive been going through that the last two seasons.. it really sucks. Piece of mind out there is priceless.

 

[Sharphooks]

I heard pulling a power head is 6 hrs of labor--I'm barefoot and pregnant right now so the $$ is an issue. Any idea what the typical operating temp. of oil is in a kicker? I might take a similar piece of plastic tubing from the Jabsco pump and put it in boiling water to see what happens.

I agree, the idea of melting lumps of plastic going into the oil pick up tube makes me feel seasick...

 

[GLG]

if it gets hot enough to melt, you have a whole other issue on your hands.

Trust IFL the plastic not melting.
GLG

 

[Sharphooks]

Ya, I'm betting IFL is the voice of reason on this type of issue. Since I'm not, what I did today was boil a piece of that plastic pick-up tube for 10 minutes on the stove. The plastic never deformed. So that's 100 deg C ---

I read diesel engines at the top of the pistons can reach up to 150 deg.C----couldn't come up with an equivalent number for oil in a four stroke oil pan.

 

[Gypseas]

Engines seem to run at the 70deg Celsius mark, so not too hot for plastic to melt, I'd run the motor, then take the oil dip tube and see if you can melt plastic with it while it's hot/warm.
I wouldn't put any money on it melting anything, so like IFL said if it gets hot to the point of melting plastic you have another thing comin'

Good luck

 

[Bassblaster]

I just did a google search for plastic's melting temperatures and found this site.

http://www.machinist-materials.com/comparison_table_for_plastics.htm

Basically it looks like at the very minimum your oil would have to hit 250 degrees but most plastics start melting at 350 degrees and over with some as high as 650. Based on that I'd definitely agree with Dave. If any motor is running 650, she's gonna blow up regardless of the piece of plastic tubing.