Towel sucked thru throttle body, help!

[cwhizel]

FNG needs some help. Here is the background: 1999 Expl Sport 4.0 SOHC 4X4 with 160,000 plus miles. The timing chain started making noise so I ordered and installed the external front and rear chain tensoners, started the car and it sounded great. No rattle and smooth idle, but to get to the front you remove throttle body and top half of thermostat housing and I reused the o-ring on the thermostat housing so now it was leaking. Shut engine down and took everything back apart got a new o-ring and put everything back together in a hurry. Started it up and it sounded like a diesel but the leak was gone. Drove it thinking it may be the tensoner never filled with oil, but no luck. Had a look in the engine and noticed the PCV hoses on both sides of the intake had collapsed, and while checking the throttle body found the paper towels I used to keep debris out of the intake stuck against the EGR tube. Shut the engine down and replaced the PCV and hoses, cleared the paper towel and found it all in one piece except for a hole the size of a dime. Checked thru everywhere I thought might be clogged and put it all back together. I still sounds like a diesel. Got a new EGR today and will put it on tonight. Any other suggestions. And yes you can rag (pun intended) on me all you want.

 

[Flash]

I wouldn't have thought a tiny piece of paper like that would make any difference.

I read about a mechanic was tuning a car with the air cleaner off when a mouse ran up his leg, down his arm and straight down the carby of a V8.

The engine gave a little cough and kept going.

 

[cwhizel]

A mouse, that's a new one. I've heard of rags and shop towels coming out the exhaust like confetti but mouse parts is a 1st.
I installed the new EGR and no change so I'm now thinking the paper towel was not the problem. I must have missed a hose or electrical connection trying to get done in a hurry. Tonight I'll take everything off down to the thermostat housing and check for anything missed.

 

[lobo411]

Make sure you got the spark plugs wired in the correct sequence.

 

[cwhizel]

I didn't have to touch spark plugs to get the tensoners in, only air intake hose, a few electrical connectors, throttle body, top part of thermostat housing and associated hoses, and one of the sensors on bottom of thermostat housing. I did take off the IAC to check inside the intake for pieces of the paper towel.

 

[XLTrunner]

Might want to consider replacing the throttle body and IAC gaskets. Usually, those have taken a "set" from use and, when these parts are removed, will not seal tightly once reinstalled. Good luck...and, report back your results.

 

[cwhizel]

Thanks for the replies. XLT I'll get those gaskets and replace when I put it back together.

 

[J_C]

On my '98 SOHC the IAC may or may not have come with a paper gasket originally, but there was also a robust looking silicone molding or set of o-rings, can't remember which.

Anyway years ago when the IAC was replaced, it was put on without a paper gasket and did fine, though the last time the replacement got dirty and I cleaned out the original and put it back on, I did cut out a paper gasket from bulk material before realizing it had no gasket, and went ahead and put the paper gasket on since I had just made it, which also worked fine.

My point is, if it has a paper gasket you tried to reuse, try it without that gasket if yours has the silicone seal like mine does.

 

[cwhizel]

Update, I took everything apart down to the thermostat housing and also removed upper intake plenum to check for any problems. I found nothing so I ordered gaskets for TB and spacer plus put new o-ring on thermostat. So now I'm waiting on parts to come in. Question on the upper intake, I replaced upper and lower gaskets last fall and have had no problems. I noticed when I was going thru the series of getting the screws to the proper torque (20/35/50/62) when i was done there was still a small gap between the upper and lower, maybe 1/16 or 1/32 it varied. I didn't want to strip anything so I left it and figured I would check here to see if that is normal?