MTFCA Forum

We dropped a Bendix cover bolt. Can it be left in there or must we retrieve it somehow

My advice is to find it. It will probably come out with an oil change. Dont start or crank the engine. if it is not at the oil drain plug yet try pouring oil into the bendix hole and gravity should do the job.

How does a bendix 'cover' screw get dropped into the vertical hole? Look around the floor.
If it is indeed in the motor & you have magnets with a working field coil, yes go fish.
You may get lucky & find it in the drain recess.

You might be able to find it with a magnetic probe on a flexible shaft which you can fish around with.
Norm

Hi Robert,
NO you cant leave it in. If it finds it's way into the triple gears you will be replacing the transmission. Don't laugh guys it's not the first time that
has happened. It is small enough to easily stick to a magnet. If it doesn't come out the drain that's the most likely place to find it pull the
inspection covers & start looking. There is a magnet for sale that is on a flexible aluminum wire, they are strong enough to pull a screw off of
the magnets. If you don't have a bore scope now is the time to buy one. check the triple gears before turning the engine. If a screw gets lodged
in the gears it's hogs head removal time. Poop happens good luck.
Craig.

Good luck finding it. Dont feel too bad, it happens to all of us.
A flashlight, borescope, magnet with flexible stem, and a small claw/grabber would probably be your best bet.
https://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-2 ... DgQAvD_BwE
https://www.amazon.com/GUTIMORE-Flexibl ... B0CHVS3X2T
Something like the above items.
Good luck, and I agree, try amd remove it BEFORE it does damage.
Arent the bendix screws special screws?

Maybe drain the oil and run it through a screen.
Maybe turn the engine over and look on the magnets. May want that as a a last resort so there is not as big of a chance of it moving and messing something up.

Thanks everyone. We did finally get it out of the hogs head with a long flexible magnet.

Glad to hear!

Congrats.
Fishing out lost hardware can be a big time suck.

Glad you got it out! I dropped a band spring into my transmission once while installing a Rocky Mountain brake pedal, it took a friend and me hours to get it out.