Epic F**K up, Now what?

Today I was starting the CCT replacement job when a terrible thing happened. I was using my cut-down 8mm wrench to try and get the lower CCT bolt off when it slipped out of my fingers, got past my rags, hit the case under the clutch basket and I think slid under the clutch into the motor. Where would it end up and what do I do now? Please don't heckle me, I'm already really embarassed, angry and upset with myself.

You might want to try a magnet on a long flexable arm and see if you can reach down and get it out.

Damn.... That suks man.

Having only witnessed the procedure to this point I haven't a clue. But Marcus suggestion sounds like a good start.

I tried fishing around for about an hour with no luck. I can't see it, I don't hear anything sticking to the magnet that moves....

I'm hoping someone here who is knowledgeable is going to tell me that it probably fell down in to the oil pan and I just need to pull the pan to retrieve it.

What I hope I don't hear is someone knowledgeable telling me I'm completely screwed and a motor disassembly is the only way.

Yeah even though removing it wasn't in the plans I would think that's probably going to be the way to go.. The fart smuckers here should be along shortly.

Best of Luck

It may end up in Narnia, but probably not. Oil pan is about the only thing you can do if you can't find it magnetically.

But seriously, judgin is way more fun than helping. Can't we judge, please?

(Like nobody here has ever had an oops moment at least as good as this, like a bolt down a carb throat or something...)

I haven't had one that far apart but if it was mine I would finish the CCT first so you can remove the zip tie holding the chain. I would then GENTLY try turning the engine by hand in both directions to see if you can hear it drop into the pan if it isn't already there. Then drop the pan and pray you find it. If not then you're F#$ked. Good luck.

wfooshee said:

But seriously, judgin is way more fun than helping. Can't we judge, please?

(Like nobody here has ever had an oops moment at least as good as this, like a bolt down a carb throat or something...)

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No.. I never dropped a fukin 1/4 20 nut down into my 4 bbl holly and was dumb enough to open the butterflys.. Nah I was never that much of a dipshit.

I found it on it's way into one of the cylinders. Thankfully the valve wasn't fully open

That sucks 'fuzz.

Good advice already given here... unless you can fish it out with a magnet, dropping the headers and oil pan is in your future.

--G

Bustanut joker said:

wfooshee said:

But seriously, judgin is way more fun than helping. Can't we judge, please?

(Like nobody here has ever had an oops moment at least as good as this, like a bolt down a carb throat or something...)

Click to expand...

No.. I never dropped a fukin 1/4 20 nut down into my 4 bbl holly and was dumb enough to open the butterflys.. Nah I was never that much of a dipshit.

I found it on it's way into one of the cylinders. Thankfully the valve wasn't fully open

Click to expand...

Cool story, bro, but you don't count. You've already been judged, so it's nuthin' new!!!!

But yeah, the valve being open would truly have sucked.

My worst drop is actually not too bad. I set an air gauge on the dashboard while clearing out the glovebox, and it slid down into the defroster vent and disappeared. It remains there to this day, that car is still in my driveway.

Crikey! I truly hope that the said spanner has bounced somewhere else. Pile of rags, old box, dog's bed or something. Have another look.

Best regards and luck.

Surly

Yup, me too, never dropped a gawd damn thing into a gawd damn engine that never should have had a gawd damn opening for me to drop the gawd damn thing into the gawd damn thing!!!!!!!

drop the pan, you'll find it.

I think I pulled off the clutch cover so i didn't need a half-wrench. Wow, this sucks. If I'd known this could happen, i would have probably not done the CCT.

Holly smokes SF, I was hoping this didn't happen. This is a bummer. :dribble:

IMHO I would NOT rotate the motor at all at this point. An 8mm wrench is huge (I assume it was not the socket, you said wrench), you don't want to have it get lodged and then stuck between the con rod and or counter balance and some other surface, the motor will never move (rotate) then. That wrench is who knows where. At this point if you couldn't fish it out, I'd do a few things in this order:

1) Pray.

2) Try and contact Radio Howie or others that have pulled the motor or rebuilt it to see if it's possible the wrench made it thru to the pan.

3) Start to pull your pan to see if it made it all the way thru. That involves removing the radiator and header (BTW - get new exhaust gaskets or it will leak).

4) If the first 3 don't work.... the motor may have to come out, or start to drop the lower end as it sits, if that's possible from below. Need other experts on the lower end of this puppy.

Good luck keep us posted on this.

Damn!!

I am pretty sure that the oil pan is aluminum and the wrench is steel, put the magnet under the pan and when it sticks you have found it..........

R

Fairlaner said:

I am pretty sure that the oil pan is aluminum and the wrench is steel, put the magnet under the pan and when it sticks you have found it..........

R

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Jeez, I'm impressed. That actually makes SENSE!

But see, this is another advantage to having some shop do my work. If HE drops a wrench in the works, HE can figger out how to retrieve it. Good luck with this, Fuzz.

A magnet on a flexible shaft is what I used to fish out a pressure plate bolt that I dropped down that gaping hole in the clutch area. I spent what seemed like an hour trying to fish that bolt out without success. I figured I would need to pull the pan to get that bolt out. I wasn't real happy about that, and of course, no one in town had any of the gaskets I would need. The next morning I went out to the garage and thought I would try one more time with a magnet before I started removing the oil pan. By some miracle I got that bolt out within a minute or two. You'll need a magnet with a flexible shaft that will somewhat hold it's shape after it's bent. Good Luck!

Not sure what kind of magnet you are using, but K&J magnetics has some very strong rare earth magnets. This one will lift 15 lbs.

KJ Magnets

They also have mountable magnets that you could use to make a custom tool to reach further into the case. Be sure if you make up a tool, that the magnet is securely attached or you may end up with a magnet stuck inside the case.