Q: I dropped the air breather wing nut down the carb on my 1976 gma grain truck and its no longer in the carb it has passed through.

asked by on July 18, 2016

How do I go about locating the wing nut and how would I get it out. What all could it tear up inside my engine
My car has a manual transmission.

I would have the carburetor removed if you cannot use a magnet to go through the carburetor plates to get it out. Taking off the carburetor will give better access to get in the intake to get the nut. The nut will get into one of the intake valves and will get beat up to the point it will make it into the cylinder. It will damage the valve, valve seat, and then beat up the piston and scar the cylinder. The nut could put a hole in the piston and lose the cylinder if it isn’t retrieved.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

Why Is it so Important That a Car Passes Emissions Testing?
Emissions testing provides several very useful functions (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/why-is-it-important-to-be-able-to-pass-an-emissions-test) for our daily lives. The combustion gases that come out of the tailpipes of our vehicles are comprised of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), and...
Code P0720 and truck does not shift normally.
Hi there. The code that you are getting is for the output speed sensor of the transmission. I change quite a few of these as they are a common issue. I would have this replaced first and clear the codes....
How do I open the trunk from inside the vehicle?
You can open your trunk from inside your car’s cabin very easily. All you have to do is pull the trunk release lever, which is located at the left base of the driver’s seat. Pull the release up all the...
Fluid on bottom of transmission
A very thin film of fluid seeping from the transmission especially at higher mileage is considered normal as long as the internal fluid level is full and there are no operational problems. A thin film is considered normal, but the...
Clicking sound appears during decelerating. What could it be?
Hi there. What you could be hearing is the chain in the transfer case. If the chain has too much play, then the chain will rub on the transfer case housing when not under a load. Try going up a...
Car surges at stop light
Hi There, What you are describing sounds like a dirty or faulty idle air control valve (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/idle-control-valve-replacement). The idle control valve reads the air intake into the throttle body and relays this information to the computer which then uses this...
TCC solenoid converter
Code P0473 indicates a fault with the Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid inside the transmission. P0743 is usually a problem with the electrical side of the TCC solenoid, wiring or trans control relay. It is a repair that any reputable transmission...
Car wont stay running
The first thing to check is for any broken or loose vacuum lines going to the intake manifold or the main inlet air tube from MAF to the intake throttle body. Any air leaks will cause this problem or if...
I have a 2012 Nissan Altima with a push button start that will not start. While depressing my brakes the brake lights do come on.
A no start on this vehicle may be caused by more than a few different problems and the first thing to check is to try another key FOB or hold your key FOB on the start button when pressing it...

Related articles

Starter or Car Battery: How to Diagnose Which Part is Bad?
A dead car battery is a common cause for a car not starting condition. A faulty car starter motor can have similar symptoms, but the fix is different.
What Is Engine Braking?
Drivers can use engine braking to slow the speed of their engine and vehicle. Engine decompression helps your brakes last longer and car stop sooner.
How to Buy a Good Quality Engine
Replacing Replacing an engine sounds like an incredibly expensive thing to do, but when you compare the cost of repowering or replacing an engine to the cost of purchasing a new vehicle, the replacement cost becomes much more palatable, quickly....