I feel like such a tard for this. I'm using the "fill the cylinder with rope" trick to hold the valves up while changing springs. So far I have 7 cylinders done. The last one (#7) is just about done except for one thing. The rope won't come out. It seems to have tied itself into a knot somehow.

I've managed to get both ends of the rope out by using various picks and such but the knot is still in the cylinder. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this thing out?

I'd really hate to pull the head for this. I do still have to pull the intake so I'm half-way there but still.

The only thing that I know of that you could get in there with would be a small Exacto knife, they're smaller than the plug hole.

just fire up the engine. Floss the exhaust lol

an exacto might work then put a vacuum hose to the sparkplug hole to suck it out

Well, I tried working it out with the Exacto but the knot wound up breaking off inside the cylinder.

I guess I'll be pulling that head off tomorrow. Yay

Thanks for the ideas folks, but my curse with this car carries on.

The rope is probably being trapped by a closed valve.

Quote:

Winner. There was a chunk stuck under each valve with a small tangle in the middle.

And, boy is thing carboned up. Needs some serious tuning or something. I don't recall it burning much oil - maybe 1qt/3k miles.

Thanks all!