just bought a 27 pickup, the owner decided to put new transmission bands in it and DID NOT read directions,he dropped the low speed nut and washer down into the pan,i told him do not touch it at all, as an x drag racer i am sure i can do any work needed on the car, question is can i get the nutt/washer out by pulling the hogshead or do i need to pull the engine /trans assembly? thanks ronnie in texas
Ronnie
That might work, it's worth a try. Just go fishing with a magnet and hopefully you will get them out. If not use your plan "B". Good luck.
Bob
PS DON'T DROP ANY THING MORE IN THERE.
Pulling the hogshead is best. You can try to fish out pieces, but lots of time and grief that way. Be sure to remove the Bendix completely off the starter shaft, then remove the starter prior to pulling off the hogshead. The exhaust pipe will have to come off the manifold too.
With the trans exposed you can see the drum conditions too, then drain the oil from the pan, and using a bit of waste rag or small hand towel or something, pack that gently into the sump under the flywheel, then hand crank over the motor, and the rotating mass will pull the towel up and most times the parts will be wrapped in the towel. Or extension magnet on a stick, you can fish for the parts that way too.
With the hogshead off, replacing the bands back in position is easier than going thru the tiny inspection cover, esp if it's the first time you have messed with linings and bands in a T
All it takes is doing that once and that's experience talking. I neglected to stuff with rags and dropped a nut and washer into our transmission when I was installing a Rocky Mountain pedal. It took a day of fishing with a magnet on a rod through the starter hole, but it finally did pull both out. I was ready to pull the hogshead the next day if necessary, but was dreading it. That gives more access for fishing than just through the starter hole. It was a newly rebuilt engine with no oil in it yet,
One more hint recently of a guy using a strong small magnet he stuck on the flywheel, then hand cranked over and the loose washer was stuck to the magnet.
He just removed the Bendix and starter, using the hole there to place the small magnet and retrieving the parts from the opening without having to remove the hogshead.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/302936.html
Even with rags stuffed in the transmission I have managed to drop two nuts (ok, more then two over time) into the transmission. One went down the drivers side the other found the only place I missed putting the rags. What I did was flush the offending part to the bottom of the pan then reach up with a bent wire and my finger and fished it to the drain hole. The washer and nuts are too big to fit through the drain hole. Using a piece of soft wire with a hook at end I hooked and tied off the part leaving the wire hanging out the drain hole. Using a length of soft thin wire I threaded it up from the drain hole to where I could grab it through the inspection hole in the hogs head. Getting back under the car I hooked the wire to the but/washer and the pulled it back out the top. The wire you re using to bring the piece back to the surface may get caught in the teeth of the flywheel, just turn the motor over and it will bring it up to where you can get it out.
I have used a magnet on a long flexible rod through the inspection cover to fish mine out 2 times. (don't ask) Both times I was able to find the part under the center of the transmission by feeding the magnet in from the rear tail shaft and just work forward. You have nothing to lose and it is better than pulling the hogshead which you can do if nothing else works. If I do it again I will try my way and then drain the oil and try Marks idea because I like that one.
Bob
Borrow a flexible shaft bore scope from a mechanic or your local Ford dealer you can look all the way under the mag/flywheel and under the trans too....Chip
Those bore scopes are common in aircraft repair shops too if you know somebody in a shop.
Harbor Fright has borescopes now, too.
You don't need to ever drop a nut or washer if you use this tool:
Just put the nut and washer in the tool, and turn the knurled knob until the nut threads on the shaft a small way, then release the fingers.
No rags to forget this way...
Bought mine from Lang a dozen years ago.
Well if it's a 1927, and has a 4 dip pan, and you have relatively small hands , such as I , you can reach into the bottom of the drain plug area once you drain the oil and remove the pan inspection plate . I found it was a good idea to drain and remove anyway, as I found a lot of "stuff" floating around in there . Up by the front and the crank, all around the pan rim , and down in the "sump" area is where the "goodies" seem to collect. I also poured kerosene down around the sides of the transmission bands and it washed out a lot of other "stuff" , including one of the 3rd main shims I could not reach once I dropped it . If you don't have small hands, find someone who does . Also, I got a small "rare earth" magnet and ground the sides so it stuck on the end of my drain plug... good to get bits to stick on, sort of an extra in addition to the oil screen and oil screen magnet you should have if you dont have one.