Sand in valve on intake chamber

[Swimupstream]

The point: I knocked some dirt into the intake plenum and it's sitting on the intake valves. :embarassed: How do I get it out?

Doing overdue valve cover gaskets and valve clearance eval for ticking. Intake plenum area is so filthy from an occurrence 9 months ago. Realized it was so tedious trying to get in and around everything to get it well. So I decided, what the heck, I'm this far along, let's just take it off and get out a complete cleaning. Team out to grab a new intake manifold gasket in the meantime (obviously not in this vehicle:loco.

Then, regardless of being insanely careful, after pulling off the intake, sure enough, knocked the residue in. The picture below is the worst of the 12, but it's in several. Wishing I just stuck to tedium, or at least trying to set of a vacuum would grab the big stuff first, wipe it, and pull out off just to finish the finer details.

 

[triethylborane]

blow it out with compressed air or vacuum it.

 

[Swimupstream]

Kinda rationalized that as an option, but is there a special tool, attachment, or other popular garage creations before I rig something moronic up myself?

 

[aemravan]

compressed air and shop vacs are all the special garage tools we have for this sort of thing.. lol. Just make sure your other surrounding openings are all closed off before you do

 

[Inv4drZm]

Vacuum with like a straw taped to the end? To increase suction and get all the way inside. If you want to get fancy find a corrugated bendy straw to help hook around the corners.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Kinda rationalized that as an option, but is there a special tool, attachment, or other popular garage creations before I rig something moronic up myself?

A shop vac detailing kit may be helpful.

 

[MikeinNH67]

Maybe use some sort of putty that the sand will stick to?

 

[AuSeeker]

The shop Vac detailing kit that [MENTION=114846]Bluesky 07[/MENTION] posted is the way to go, or sorta make your own with a small funnel and some tubing and duct taping it to your shop vac hose.

I hope those new to or not having a lot of experience working on their vehicles learn from this and when removing an intake the first thing you do is stuff some shop rags/towels into those ports or covering them with painter's/duct tape or both to avoid anything from getting into the ports and onto the valves, that could be anything from sand/dirt debris to even a small bolt or washer, I can tell you a few bad stories of small bolts being dropped or fell into a port without knowing it and it destroys the engine when you fire it up!!