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Moleculo Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2011 Posts: 25 Location: Napa, CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:30 pm Post subject: Help! I dropped a socket into my engine! |
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So.... New bus owner, new to mechnanical work... I was all excited to have just done my first oil change ever, and proceeded on to changing the plugs and wires with great excitement.
But while changing my spark plugs and wires, and while changing the plug closest to the passenger-side-rear of the engine... the plug socket on my ratchet fell off the ratchet and down the hole.
Quickly grabbed my telescoping magnet tool to try and get it out, and gave it a good 20 minutes with no luck. Any advice??? Please for the love of Homer Simpson tell me I don't have to dismantle my engine or something....
-Kevin |
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James Taylor Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2010 Posts: 62 Location: Los Angeles
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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The plug socket is obviously bigger than the hole the plug came out of so it is not in the motor. _________________ 1971 Westfalia (Lloyd) |
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BUSLUVR42 Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2010 Posts: 146 Location: Hays, KS
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Umm... what hole? |
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JR_76BayMicro Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2008 Posts: 51 Location: Melbourne Australia
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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G'day Kevin , yup I did the same thing a while ago , the socket stayed in there ( under the tin ware ) until the engine was dropped to fix a valve guide issue ( maybe a few years ? ) , my Mech handed it to me when I picked up the Bus , I had toatally forgotten about it , to the best of my knowledge it didn't cause any problems in the interim .
JR |
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PikaPikaBus Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2010 Posts: 82 Location: Salem, OR
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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You try using a long magnet or something? |
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airkooledchris Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2005 Posts: 2713
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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yea, no big deal probably.
buy a new intake runner gasket, and just take off enough stuff on that side of the motor to pull the intake runner and then the tin off of the top.
I think it's easier on the 3/4 side than the 1/2 side, but only because ive only removed just the tin (without dropping the motor) on that side. good opportunity to install a head temp sensor while it's out.
or, get your little mirror on a stick and a flashlight, figure out where it is, then get your magnet back in there and fish it out. shouldn't be too crazy unless it's really pushed/wedged up into a corner or something... |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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probably not - best thing you can get is these. Sometimes with a small mirror and a light you can find it too. Also - you probably need a magnet like this:
KD flexible magnet
digital inspection camera
_________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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my59 Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2003 Posts: 3793 Location: connecting the dots
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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Only 20 mins?
Much to my embarassment I managed to do the same thing when I went to look at the bus I now own.
The owner, his dad and I spent about an hour taking turns trying to fish the socket out. We could see it but moving it was a problem. Tried a magnet on a bendy shaft, a stick with a wad of duct tape on the end and ended up using a coat hanger with a little hook on the end, forced to to fit thru the 3/8" end of the socket. _________________ my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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Zeen Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2004 Posts: 1308 Location: The Sunny Part of Michigan
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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Based on two out of two buses I have owned, you want to drop the motor and/or take off the tin to clean out all the crap that has accumulated over the years. The socket by itself is no big deal, but maybe it provides the motivation to get in there and clean things up so your engine will cool properly.
Check out the spark plug that was blocking airflow in my current bus for God knows how long.
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50353
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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Zeen wrote: |
Based on two out of two buses I have owned, you want to drop the motor and/or take off the tin to clean out all the crap that has accumulated over the years. The socket by itself is no big deal, but maybe it provides the motivation to get in there and clean things up so your engine will cool properly.
Check out the spark plug that was blocking airflow in my current bus for God knows how long. |
I have wondered how necessary it actually is to have air flow over the cylinders. I have certainly seen some engines that had close to zero. Maybe the heads run cooler once the airflow over the cylinders approaches zero. |
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Fullerton'71 Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2009 Posts: 212 Location: Azusa, CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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That picture freaks me out. Now I am going to have nightmares of all the things I have probably dropped in my engine. _________________ 1971 VW Transporter "Therese" |
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RatCamper Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2008 Posts: 3305 Location: Australia
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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How does a spark plug end up there? I've lost spark plugs, sockets and other miscellanea into the holes, but they never went that way.
One thing to be wary of. Sometimes stainless steel can seem like a good idea until you drop it somewhere that you need a magnet to retrieve it. _________________ Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based pop-top camper (LCA / Sunliner). Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002. |
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nodrenim Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 843 Location: Dobson, North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:58 am Post subject: |
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I don't have a pic to post of a tool that I have handy when ever I change my plugs. It works like a choke cable, is about 30" long and has a button on one end you push and four prongs that come out the other end. Push the button the prongs come out, release the button, the prongs close, hopefully around the lost object. It has retrieved more than spark plugs, believe me, I wouldn't be without it. |
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BryanM Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2002 Posts: 4212 Location: Concord/Charlotte NC
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:41 am Post subject: |
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Wildthings wrote: |
Zeen wrote: |
Based on two out of two buses I have owned, you want to drop the motor and/or take off the tin to clean out all the crap that has accumulated over the years. The socket by itself is no big deal, but maybe it provides the motivation to get in there and clean things up so your engine will cool properly.
Check out the spark plug that was blocking airflow in my current bus for God knows how long. |
I have wondered how necessary it actually is to have air flow over the cylinders. I have certainly seen some engines that had close to zero. Maybe the heads run cooler once the airflow over the cylinders approaches zero. |
uhh.... its pretty necessary.......
If the bus has sat for a while it is also a good idea to check the oil cooler for blockage, consider removing all the tin and giving the long block a good scrub down. _________________ -Bryan
Motorwagen LLC
Concord NC |
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3nero Samba Member
Joined: April 19, 2008 Posts: 171 Location: Dublin ,Ireland
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:03 am Post subject: |
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nodrenim wrote: |
I don't have a pic to post of a tool that I have handy when ever I change my plugs. It works like a choke cable, is about 30" long and has a button on one end you push and four prongs that come out the other end. Push the button the prongs come out, release the button, the prongs close, hopefully around the lost object. It has retrieved more than spark plugs, believe me, I wouldn't be without it. |
A pickle picker is what you are describing there....
like that only with a bendy shaft.
I used one when my socket ended up in that black hole. I managed to put the prongs through the hole in the middle of the socket and then extend them out inside the hole. |
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MOX Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2006 Posts: 879 Location: OTTAWA
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:13 am Post subject: |
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i dropped the socket while changes plugs a few months ago, not big deal, it is not "in your engine" it is in between the engine tin and the engine....i got mine out after 15 minutes, hust keep poking,pulling wiggling |
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Bart Dunn Samba Consiglieri
Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 2354 Location: Sea level (Mid Atlantic)
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50353
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:45 am Post subject: |
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BryanM wrote: |
Wildthings wrote: |
Zeen wrote: |
Based on two out of two buses I have owned, you want to drop the motor and/or take off the tin to clean out all the crap that has accumulated over the years. The socket by itself is no big deal, but maybe it provides the motivation to get in there and clean things up so your engine will cool properly.
Check out the spark plug that was blocking airflow in my current bus for God knows how long. |
I have wondered how necessary it actually is to have air flow over the cylinders. I have certainly seen some engines that had close to zero. Maybe the heads run cooler once the airflow over the cylinders approaches zero. |
uhh.... its pretty necessary.......
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You are missing the point. Many of these engines seem to run a long time even with the bottom two inches of fins gets completely clogged and the rest somewhat clogged, if it where really doing that much damage you would think that having the fins blocked would kill the engine on its first long climb.
I am not recommending this, just saying its very common. |
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MOX Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2006 Posts: 879 Location: OTTAWA
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:52 am Post subject: |
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the socket won't do anything. the fins dissipate heat, more surface area for heat to escape. yes fresh air traveling past will help cool, but a socket siting on them won't cause you any problems. |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51156 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:56 am Post subject: |
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MOX wrote: |
the socket won't do anything. the fins dissipate heat, more surface area for heat to escape. yes fresh air traveling past will help cool, but a socket siting on them won't cause you any problems. |
I agree if it's on the cylinders, but if it's sitting on the oil cooler it'll wear through and eventually cause a leak.
Interesting theory on the clogged fins WT, sounds plausible but I still prefer a clean cooling system. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
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Слава Україні! |
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