What would you do?

[koan]

Years ago a mate was trying to find TDC by inching an engine round while poking a BIC Biro in the spark plug hole. The engine rotated more than expected and about 50mm of the biro broke off inside the cylinder. It was probably his old mini which has timing marks on the flywheel under a cover, not much access to the crank pulley.

If it was me I'd probe with a bit of gaffer tape or similar on a bit of wire, see if I could fish it out. If that failed I'd fire it up and expect the plastic to either be blown out the exhaust or melt and burn.

He went the whole way and took the head off.

What would you do?

koan

[Big_Richard]

plastic being a petrolium product, id just leave it in there, whats a bit more carbon gonna do

[oscar]

After throwing a few tools, kicking the dogs, yelling at the family and finally sobbing, I think I would've wisened up a bit and tried one of those rectractable claw pick up tools.  'round these parts people use em to catch bardy grubs from deep within their burrows and use 'em as freshwater fishing bait.

[WGB]

I have something similar to Oscar.

Bill

[nathan]

Dear Dr Bill,
25,000 endoscopes should only be used for ERCPs, and not removing 30 c pens from an engine

[WGB]

I have X-rayed car parts before to get a diagnosis so why not endoscopy scopes.

You can always rinse them through before re-use

Bill

[John Hubertz]

Heh.

1.  "end-o-scopes" could quite easily be called "live-action Gerbil cams!"

2.  I'd simply fill the cyl brim-up with fuel and wait 1 week.    Then I'd spray in a light oil like wd40 to displace the fuel and lube the cyl walls (not much, just enough to keep it from self-honing as you spin the starter) 

3.  Spin the starter with ign disabled - to empty the offending cyl

4.  Run the b*st*rd!

OMG whoever took the cyl off in a case like this was obviously so anal retentive and worried that they would be OH so popular in prison!

[koan]

OMG whoever took the cyl off in a case like this was obviously so anal retentive

Spot on with that observation, the person is

koan