Ohhhssssshhiiiit

 I decided to give the engine a degrease and touch up with Vetus yellow engine enamel paint. 

I removed the two alternators and the air silencer box (no air filter on this Vetus). While the box is off the housing that fits onto the air intake manifold is open, to stop any debris from entering the engine I covered it with a nitrile glove. 

After the clean up  I replaced the alternators fitting two new fan belts for good measure. I started the engine to check they were both working forgetting about the nitrile glove. There was an ohhhhhsssshhiiiit moment as the glove was sucked into the engine and blocked fuel to a cylinder. 

After taking advice the general opinion was 

1. Run the engine, the glove would eventually burn up in the cylinder and come out of the exhaust as ash. 

2. Try and get to it by removing the inlet manifold.

I leaned towards the latter. Removing the manifold looked problematic as the fuel injector lines run over the top of it. It eventually slid backwards from under the fuel lines by removing the fuel filter housing.

 I could just about feel the glove in the port of the number two cylinder but couldn't see it. I used a pair of 90-degree angle pliers and gently pulled pieces of the glove out. I reckon about two-thirds of the glove has been removed the rest is truly stuck around the valve. To get the rest out would involve removing the head which is far too much of a faff so I'm going to revert back to option one and run the engine until it incinerates what's left of the offending rubber.

First I have to wait for a new inlet gasket to come from the Netherlands.

Repainted the manifold while it was off the engine.

The gasket duly arrived, after fitting it I started the engine and after initial lumpiness, the engine smoothed out and all was well.

Note to self

Use something more solid to cover the inlet in the future.