Lost my 10mm socket
Discussion
So I was busy attaching my induction pipe back to the airbag (garage forgot to connect it - I thought the turbo sounded more whooshy) anyway, in doing so I dropped my 10mm socket and extension bar in the engine bay. The Megane has a plastic flat bottom under tray and its stuck in there somewhere.
Whilst looking for it, I found a 10mm spanner... obviously someone else done the same thing!
Anyone else dropped tools into their tool eating hole that is an engine bay?
(i need to jack the car up as I'm worried it will pop out when driving)
In addition to knuckle rash, I just thought it would be a diy story other diy'ers can relate too
Whilst looking for it, I found a 10mm spanner... obviously someone else done the same thing!
Anyone else dropped tools into their tool eating hole that is an engine bay?
(i need to jack the car up as I'm worried it will pop out when driving)
In addition to knuckle rash, I just thought it would be a diy story other diy'ers can relate too
I decided to change my aux belt tensioner pulley as it was squealing, it’s a pretty easy job.... normally.
You see, I now have a supercharger where the top idler used to sit, so there is a lot less room, and you have to be really careful not to drop anything.
I took the bolt out, pulley off, new pulley on and put the bolt back in, and dropped it, bugger. 45 mins of trying to find it and I located it under the supercharger wedged against the engine block and the only way to retrieve it was the strip the charger off. I think it was about 4 hours removal and refitting.... fun
Pic for reference
You see, I now have a supercharger where the top idler used to sit, so there is a lot less room, and you have to be really careful not to drop anything.
I took the bolt out, pulley off, new pulley on and put the bolt back in, and dropped it, bugger. 45 mins of trying to find it and I located it under the supercharger wedged against the engine block and the only way to retrieve it was the strip the charger off. I think it was about 4 hours removal and refitting.... fun
Pic for reference
FazerBoy said:
If you take your car to a track day and go sideways into the gravel run-off, your car will turn over and the socket will pop out.
A mate of mine has just used this method with his GR Yaris and there’s a ‘How to’ video posted up on this site…
yes, a chap from Forge motorsport was showing me what a yellow rs cup looks like the wrong way up! good tipA mate of mine has just used this method with his GR Yaris and there’s a ‘How to’ video posted up on this site…
I had a bloody great 1/2" foot long extension fly out from under the car on the high street once, I pulled over and thankfully a bloke ran it back to me.
I found a filthy 3/8" extension lodged precariously in the power steering pipes on the 7, that I must have lost about 2-3 years prior before I'd sold it and then bought it back. Must have been mine as Halfords Advance in the length I was short of, wondered where that went
I think the only Snap-on tool I own (a spanner) I found in the engine bay when working on someone else's car, I did tell them but they said I could keep it, result.
Regarding 10mm I hedge my bets by having sets of 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" impact (plus deep versions of them) so not been caught short (yet).
I found a filthy 3/8" extension lodged precariously in the power steering pipes on the 7, that I must have lost about 2-3 years prior before I'd sold it and then bought it back. Must have been mine as Halfords Advance in the length I was short of, wondered where that went
I think the only Snap-on tool I own (a spanner) I found in the engine bay when working on someone else's car, I did tell them but they said I could keep it, result.
Regarding 10mm I hedge my bets by having sets of 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" impact (plus deep versions of them) so not been caught short (yet).
Edited by Pastie Bloater on Thursday 27th May 07:49
Not a tale of a lost tool but the tail of a found tool. Whilst fitting seats to a Triumph GT6, I attached mole grips to the nut under the floor to enable tightening of the bolt. A few weeks later needed the mole grips, but couldn't find them. Even more weeks later took said GT6 for an mot. The tester found my mole grips still attached to the nut under the floor. Made for an amusing advisory.
This may be unrelated....
My 1996 Mondeo in at the local garage for it's first MoT, i.e. it's only three years old.
The guy calls me to come down and see something.
He tells me that he was walking underneath it having the required check for structural condition.
In his woords, A cursory glance as it's only three years old.
He finds that approx 6 inches of the front chassis rail type strengthener has been cut down the middle and bent open.
His only suggestion was that a "mechanic" had managed to drop a tool in there and had cut it open to retrieve it.
I was not happy about having to weld up a three year old car but at least it wasn't rusty metal!
My 1996 Mondeo in at the local garage for it's first MoT, i.e. it's only three years old.
The guy calls me to come down and see something.
He tells me that he was walking underneath it having the required check for structural condition.
In his woords, A cursory glance as it's only three years old.
He finds that approx 6 inches of the front chassis rail type strengthener has been cut down the middle and bent open.
His only suggestion was that a "mechanic" had managed to drop a tool in there and had cut it open to retrieve it.
I was not happy about having to weld up a three year old car but at least it wasn't rusty metal!
Not quite the same thing but Douglas Adams had a theory about Biros:
"Somewhere in the cosmos, he said, along with all the planets inhabited by humanoids, reptiloids, fishoids, walking treeoids and superintelligent shades of the color blue, there was also a planet entirely given over to ballpoint life forms. And it was to this planet that unattended ballpoints would make their way, slipping away quietly through wormholes in space to a world where they knew they could enjoy a uniquely ballpointoid lifestyle, responding to highly ballpoint-oriented stimuli, and generally leading the ballpoint equivalent of the good life."
"Somewhere in the cosmos, he said, along with all the planets inhabited by humanoids, reptiloids, fishoids, walking treeoids and superintelligent shades of the color blue, there was also a planet entirely given over to ballpoint life forms. And it was to this planet that unattended ballpoints would make their way, slipping away quietly through wormholes in space to a world where they knew they could enjoy a uniquely ballpointoid lifestyle, responding to highly ballpoint-oriented stimuli, and generally leading the ballpoint equivalent of the good life."
I’ve opened my bonnet before to check the oil and found a spanner on the scuttle panel, a polishing mitt on the cam cover (this wasn’t me) and once the oil filler cap missing on the work pool car (this was me).
I had a Mazda 6 once with a softmint inside the chassis, that rolled around every time you cornered. I was hoovering out the rear footwells when I first got it and pushed it through a hole with the nozzle. It was in there for six years until the car died.
I want to know if he had ESC on or not or if he just overcorrected the slide. Whether it was a schoolboy error or not I feel really bad for the guy. We all make mistakes. Sometimes softmints, sometimes a bit worse.
I had a Mazda 6 once with a softmint inside the chassis, that rolled around every time you cornered. I was hoovering out the rear footwells when I first got it and pushed it through a hole with the nozzle. It was in there for six years until the car died.
FazerBoy said:
If you take your car to a track day and go sideways into the gravel run-off, your car will turn over and the socket will pop out.
A mate of mine has just used this method with his GR Yaris and there’s a ‘How to’ video posted up on this site…
Have you got more info on this? If so post it up on the GR Yaris thread. Lots of owners and potential owners (including me) would be interested.A mate of mine has just used this method with his GR Yaris and there’s a ‘How to’ video posted up on this site…
I want to know if he had ESC on or not or if he just overcorrected the slide. Whether it was a schoolboy error or not I feel really bad for the guy. We all make mistakes. Sometimes softmints, sometimes a bit worse.
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