Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: Lusaka
Posts: 13
Cloth sucked in intercooler hose
Hi all,
bit embarrasing but I got a cloth sucked into the air intake (had the top plastic airpipe removed). How far could that possibly have traveled/where would it get stuck?
Last edited by DiscoZam on 13th Mar 2022 2:37 pm. Edited 1 time in total
12th Mar 2022 10:16 am
jenseneverest
Member Since: 12 Jun 2017
Location: somewhere
Posts: 769
been a few threads on here with that, so you are not alone in making this mistake
Hopefully it has stopped before damaging the turbo
Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2462
Push the flexi tube of a hoover down thereAndrew
D3 2.7tdv6 2005
D4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial died and gone to LR heaven
D5 3.0 SDV6 HSE
12th Mar 2022 10:57 am
DiscoZam
Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: Lusaka
Posts: 13
@jenseneverest much appreciated. Really didnt think it would be something to search for. 'Luckily' I heard the cloth being sucked in and turn off the engine right away. Really hope it didnt damage the turbo.
@aja4x4 tried that but no success yet. Before I access the turbo/pipe via the wheel arch I will try 'extending' the vacuum cleaner with a thinner extension tube to get further in. Vacuum seems to get stuck well before the turbo. Not sure why
Quite stressful expierence . Was looking for a coolant leak which I have yet to find somewhere around the aircon pipes / battery tray.
12th Mar 2022 3:14 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13854
Hi
Wonder if using something like a flexible drain wire would work that has a handle one end to aid the rotation of the rod
Or maybe a metal net curtain wire, cut the plastic cover off one end , twist the wire into a loop so as u push the wire down the air inlet tube ur be able to twist the wire and hopefully the wire will catch onto the rag
Please plse don’t think I’m trying to teach u how to such eggs but with the wire just be careful u don’t go to far and push the wire into the turbo actuator fins
Plus before doing anything could u get access to a camera to put down the pipe
Hope u get it resolved
Ps, also enclosed a pic of the air inlet pipe as a reference for u
13th Mar 2022 12:14 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8154
For about £10 you can buy from a famous web auction site an endoscopy camera that will fit onto a mobile phone, this is basically a curtain wire with a camera and LED on the end and the vision comes up on the phone screen.
I keep promising myself one just to play with, it will be indispensable when it comes to changing the rear timing belt It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
13th Mar 2022 12:35 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13854
@ M3DPO plus 1 to the endoscope , admittedly got one with a screen and also very handy having the different accessories , hooks etc for the ends
@ DiscoZam
Managed to finally find my old air inlet pipe , cable tied some conduit on there so could then measure the length for u , done it from the very end where the upper inlet pipe is and just back from where the pipe attaches to the turbo
Hope it’s useful to u , length required , which is 950mm
Shame the hoover didn’t work , plse let us know how u get on
13th Mar 2022 1:13 pm
DiscoZam
Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: Lusaka
Posts: 13
Success
Hi all,
I didnt even manage to check all the messages as I started working in the early morning. Thanks a lot for all the support. I would agree checking with an endoscope/carmera first is the best idea just to be sure. I didnt have one around. I tried to suck and blow out the cloth from both directions (upper pipe and intercooler rubber hose). I even check the throttle body (just in case it might have travelled far). I finally decided to try and yank off the plastic pipe from the turbo. This was quite a stressful few hours and I am in pain now. What a fiddly job. The wheel arch liner never fully came of because a small seized screw at the bottom front. But sure enough I found what I was looking right at the 'entrance' of the turbo. I felt quite relieved. Even reassembling is quite a pain with this job. It took me 30min to get the heat shield back in and another 30min to yank the plastic pipe back on the turbo. If I ever have to replace the turbo I might just have the body taken off .
*I even found my coolant leak now. Let me do a search first before I make another post about that.
13th Mar 2022 2:48 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10485
The cloth would be mashed up by the turbo (if it had gone thru). It wouldn't travel through the intercooler either.
is the coolant leak the plastic connector onto the side of the engine block ?
13th Mar 2022 2:59 pm
DiscoZam
Member Since: 22 Jan 2022
Location: Lusaka
Posts: 13
I just just checked further upstream because when I sucked and blew closer to the turbo it seemed nothing was really blocked anywhere. Strange enough the cloth was right in front of the turbo and still in one piece. I was just lucky I switched the engine off within 5 seconds. Will never forget this sound of the cloth getting sucked in.
The leak is coming from the EGR coolant pipe. Sure enough many others have had the same problem before (from what I just read) with the fan belt bulley rubbing a hole into the pipe. Now scrambling to find a fix instead of having to spend the more than 100 GBP incl. shipping to Zambia of the pipe (which is the full assembly). And my EGRs are blanked anyway...
13th Mar 2022 3:33 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13854
Hi @ DiscoZam
Really pleased u found the rag, indeed a royal pain getting the pipe off
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
but I got a cloth sucked into the air intake (had the top plastic airpipe removed). How far could that possibly have traveled/where would it get stuck?
. Was looking for a coolant leak which I have yet to find somewhere around the aircon pipes / battery tray.
and another 30min to yank the plastic pipe back on the turbo. If I ever have to replace the turbo I might just have the body taken off 
.
