So today I deiced I would go ahead and clean the Throttle body out in my 318. Well when taking off the Throttle body a little piece of the gasket fell right in . Just wondering should I worry about it? Seems the run fine. Let me guys know what you think. Alec.

 

I recommend getting it out.

 

An oil and filter change usually does the trick. Unless it's stuck inside the intake manifold.

 

its going to stay right where and is and isn't worth worrying about it.

if it did decide to take a trip though the cylinder, its wouldn't really hurt anything. the valve would probably chop it up and the piston would spit it out and the cat would incinerate it.

if you do want to worry about it. take a thin, flexible stick that won't break, something like a kite brace. wrap some good sticky duct tape around the end, sticky side out. make sure its well stuck to the stick and won't come off. remove the TB and fish it out. if you can see it through the TB, you might can fish it out without removal.

 

Im just going to do a oil change and filter change, and just let it burn and breakdown overtime, now if it was a screw or a bolt id be screwed! and then it would be a whole different story and problem. When I dropped it in there It was one of those moments " Why did I just do that". Lesson learned... btw any one know where I can get a new TB gasket? Autozone by any chance? Thanks a whole lot guys!

 

I think even if a bolt fell in you wouldn't have to worry much with the keg manifold, not sure if the vacuum inside the engine would be strong enough to suck it up those runners, but if you have a post 1999+ intake Manifold it would be easier to get a bolt or gasket out that fell in because it has no middle divider between the throttle body butterfly holes in the intake.

Another trick would be if you dropped a bolt in, drop a strong magnet in the intake and it will attach to the steel plenum pan & catch the bolt! Should buy you time till your next plenum gasket change ;-) Obviously this wouldn't apply to people who upgraded to the aluminum plenum pan.

As for the gasket, it will burn up or stay in the intake my guess is, won't even have to worry about a sooner oil change it will blow out & disintegrate in the cylinders and will not even get past the rings. The microscopic metal particles already in your engine are more harm than that soft gasket. Your engine won't even know its passing it, theres probably more harmful crap in every day gasoline (especially ethanol gas) and particles from fuel station tanks than in that gasket.

 

how does an oil and filter change do anything? regardless, i wouldn't worry about it. you'd have to have enough vacuum to actually lift it off the plenum and up and over through the runners. i think you'll be ok. lol but yes, a rod with duct tape should do the trick as well.

 

any parts store. AZ is fine.

oil and filter change is nice for your truck, but it won't have do anything for the the piece of gasket inside the plenum chamber.

dropping the little plastic red straw from a can of TB cleaner is another common oops.

 

LoL I almost did that!

It ended up falling across the top.

 

It's been a very long and aggravating day...my brain kinda shut down. Had an Freightliner today that wouldn't build oil pressure higher than 35PSI today. It ended up being a piece of gasket lodged into the bypass.

OT: If it was the original TB gasket, it's probably so brittle that it will turn into dust soon enough.