Expert: Sean Halliday - 3/19/2008

Question
My girlfriend has a 95 Honda Civic, automatic, 4 dr.  Recently she lost her oil cap.  I sealed the hole with tinfoil and tape intil we got her a new one.

2 days ago when we went to put the new cap on a few pieces of tin foil fell in.  they are about 1 cm long crunched up pieces.  I managed to pull most of them out with my fingers from just inside the valve cover.  But one (maybe 2) fell into the lower tunnel heading for the oil pan.  the car hasnt been driven since so the pieces are still there in the tunnel.

any idea whats the best way to get them out?  if i dont manage to get them out, what problems could this cause.


thanks a lot
denis

Answer
If you cant get them out by removing the valve cover,i would leave them in until the next oil change.They will not cause any harm.If the pieces find their way into the sump,as long as they are not huge lumps,they will get hammered by the con rods and moving parts such as the oil pump drive and valve train,thats if they manage to get up around the head.There are plenty of oil ways on this engine so its unlikey the tin foil will block the oil passages.So,i would leave them and change the oil as usual to see next time if they are in there,my guess is they will be ground to nothing.