book research: If a bird flew into the engine of a 1971 re-built SS Chevelle, what part would it fly into? Could it access the intake valve? Thanks!
8 Answers
yetilikesbeer answered 10 years ago
WTF? Air filter -> Carburator -> Intake manifold -> Intake runner (head) -> Intake valve -> Combustion chamber. Any running motor on the street should have an air cleaner (some are removed during racing!). That would stop most. Everything else would not fit through the carb(s).
yetilikesbeer answered 10 years ago
Holy crap. Tennisshoes. Stink at all. The neighbours old combine (715 International with the 6 cylinder gas) was locked up by a mouse nest in the No# 3 cylinder but I probably took awhile to drag all the material in there. And that had a single barrel down draft, lots of room. On a side note: 1970's International Harvestor 715 for sale runnning when parked needs TLC. LOL.
Goodwrench707 answered 10 years ago
Even you eliminate the grill, radiator ,fan blades, hood, air cleaner, and air filter, you would still have to find a bird smaller than half the size of your largest throttle bore. There is a throttle plate, you know? And I'm not buying the "mouse nest in the gas combine engine" story, unless the throttle plate/plates were stuck open.
yetilikesbeer answered 10 years ago
@Goodwrench707. On these old units the throttle blade is sloppy, the choke makes a better seal, but it was NFG. Besides it is a gas motor with a manual throttle with the belt operated govenor. I'm sure there was enough slack to get through but it could have been left cracked. The soup can was still on the exhaust pipe after the attempted start. Therefore I assume that the nest was built on the intake stroke. When the starter was engaged in powered out instantly with that pistion stopping a 1/4 stroke from the top. I know the head is unbolted but I'm not sure if he cleaned it out. The head gasket was going to be a week to 2 weeks away so he bought a newer machine. It might still be sitting there? Was there last spring.
Thanks everybody. I don't want to scrap the story (you might actually like it!) so I'll just call it a magic bird!
Goodwrench707 answered 10 years ago
That makes more sense, yetilikesbeer . I didn't take into consideration that many forms of heavy equipment have a manual, or hand type throttle. It had to have been left open, and the mouse got in. The piston must have already been close to the top, and that's why the mouse chose it. If he chose one near the bottom of the stroke, he probably would have never got out. Mice can get into a home, through what seems to be the smallest hole or crack, so getting in through an open valve is very possible.
