I just had a customer come in the shop and thought I would share his trick to finding a loose piece in the transmission, He lost the washer while changing bands ( forgot to stuff rags ) well his wife does sewing for a living and they sell a power full tiny magnet in her job. he took the magnet and held it one inch away from a washer on the bench and it picked it up, so he drained the oil, stuck the magnet on the ring gear and turned the motor over, he heard a ting noise, turned the motor some more and the magnet picked up the washer, he was very happy, Bob
I can't get to my ring gear through the transmission access hole. Did he have the hogshead off. If not, did he gain access to the ring gear through the bendix cover hole or the starter hole?? Might be a good idea to secure the magnet to the flywheel with safety wire so that it doesn't take a notion to attach itself to the bottom of the pan. That would just compound the problem. Jim Patrick
He said through the bendix and the magnet is so strong you cant pull it off you have to slide it off its that strong, Bob
If I tried that I'd wind up with a washer AND a magnet in the transmission. Murphy has my number on his speed-dial.
It would be a lot easier if you didn't have all those silly magnets on the flywheel. I am able to fish with a magnet on the end of a flexible wand and get stuff.
Here's what you need to avoid dropped parts:
This too
Here's my tool of choice:
My dentist is always sending me home with more...
Pull out about a foot of dental floss and tie a loop in each end. Thread one end of a loop through the washer and thread the other end through (like making a rubber-band chain.) Do the same with the nut.
Put the other end around your finger or wrist.
Now, when you are fumbling with the nut and washer and you slip, all you have to do is pull up from your "tethered end" of your dental floss and retrieve your parts...
: ^ )
Keith
Right on Keith. I even tie it around the springs. And I still stuff the tranny full of rags. I've dropped nuts, washers and springs in the transmission and the rags and floss have saved my butt every time. Heck, I've almost gotten to the point where I don't mind changing bands at all. Ok, ok you found me out. I still don't like changing bands. But it's gotten easier and the little time savers a guy can develop over time really help.
I dropped the nut and washer into my nice newly rebuilt transmission when I was installing a Rocky Mountain pedal. Spent the better part of a day trying to fish them out with a magnet on a flexible rod. Just as I decided I was going to have to take the hogshead off I got both of them through the bendix hole. You can bet I had that thing so full of rags next time that nothing was going anywhere...