Dropped an Allen Key

[Spawn]

I was just checking my clutch fluid level as I know a seal is slightly oozing a little oil. Doing the panel back up and i've dropped the 4mm allen key and its gone down the side of the engine somewhere, after an hour or searching I can't find the damn thing!! This is the second time I've managed to drop an allen key in there somewhere (found it last time). Im such a plonker
Looks like I shall need to jack the front end up tomorrow and have a good look around - doesnt appear to be on the metal tray which I shall take off tomorrow.


I was just wondering if there were other 'plonkers' out there who have done something similar? Or anyone got any similar stories?


Jeeez I hope someone replies to make my feel slightly less stupid


Rob

[BLUETHUNDER]

The Allen key has fallen on to the dreaded plate underneath the engine.Get your self a long magnetic rod.You will probably find all sorts trapped in there as well.

[kevin63]

I have a long flexy spring like thing with a magnet on, and a long gripper thingy, you press a button on one end, then a gripper pops out of the other end, both cost £1 each, defiantly worth getting one of each, while your at it, buy another 4mm allen key.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Spawn said:

Jeeez I hope someone replies to make my feel slightly less stupid


Rob

I set fire to my jump leads. The burning leads then fell off the battery, under the car, which was in my garage.

I nearly lost my few meagre possessions through being too mean to buy a new battery

[Steve_T]

Spawn said:

I was just checking my clutch fluid level as I know a seal is slightly oozing a little oil. Doing the panel back up and i've dropped the 4mm allen key and its gone down the side of the engine somewhere, after an hour or searching I can't find the damn thing!! This is the second time I've managed to drop an allen key in there somewhere (found it last time). Im such a plonker
Looks like I shall need to jack the front end up tomorrow and have a good look around - doesnt appear to be on the metal tray which I shall take off tomorrow.


I was just wondering if there were other 'plonkers' out there who have done something similar? Or anyone got any similar stories?


Jeeez I hope someone replies to make my feel slightly less stupid


Rob

I thought it was tradition to donate 4mm allen bits to the car from time to time. I find the blighters fall out of the end of my 1/4 drive socket set and head south into the depths of the engine, but not all the time, nope, only when I drop my guard.

[NeilV70R]

When you remove the alloy tray, beware the anti-roll bar. It usually lulls you into a false sense of security before falling down and cracking you on the head .

[gazm]

Dont worry Rob - I've done it.

Changed the battery and was feeling pretty good about myself (I'm an completely useless) until I was putting the last of the bolts back on and hey presto the key fell in.

there's probably a load more people who have done it but are too ashamed to admit it

[Mars]

If LOZ is reading... that Cerb owes me an allen key, although having probed it for about an hour with a mag rod, I'm convinced it must have dropped out during a test run.

[Spawn]

Well I tool the front 3 bolts off that panel below then engine and tried to pull it down, from what I saw there was not an allen key on it. Got myself a tool set earlier as the ones we have are a mess so I will take that off tomorrow and double check, although I swear its not fallen that far through.

Would you say it's not going to do much harm if I can't find it?
I would imagine it will fall out whilst driving anyway!

I feel much better now knowing others have done the same
with the old car I would leave tools around the engine surround, but with the tiv any tools just slide away because of the stupid 'swoopyness' of everything

[BLUETHUNDER]

Spawn said:

Well I tool the front 3 bolts off that panel below then engine and tried to pull it down, from what I saw there was not an allen key on it. Got myself a tool set earlier as the ones we have are a mess so I will take that off tomorrow and double check, although I swear its not fallen that far through.

Would you say it's not going to do much harm if I can't find it?
I would imagine it will fall out whilst driving anyway!

I feel much better now knowing others have done the same
with the old car I would leave tools around the engine surround, but with the tiv any tools just slide away because of the stupid 'swoopyness' of everything

You would be surprised.That plate is like a black hole.

Anything dropped down the engine bay in this is gone for ever.



I must have a full tool set rolling around in its belly

[Boosted LS1]

^ Have you got a dalek with a pea shooter trapped in there?

[BLUETHUNDER]

I know.The armarment dont look much.But the M.O.D thought that 1 7.62 G.P.M.G was sufficiant enough to do the job

[southendpier]

I know, construct a big bag out of something tough, like canvas. Attach it to the front of your car, say by using the 'handles' over each wing mirror. Drive very very quicky then hit the brakes, hard. The 4mm allen key will be dislodged by g-force, into your bag - et voila.

HTH

[ridds]

It could also be sitting on a chassis rail. Where the body sits tight against the chassis there's a nice little ledge to collect things, typically leaves that can catch fire from the exhasut....

[mikesr]

You need to be careful about dropping things around the back of the engine above the starter.

I managed to drop a bolt which rattled about a bit and then silence

Spent more than an hour trying to find it and concluded it must have dropped into the hole above the flywheel.

Spent another hour with a small horseshoe magnet on a wire coat hanger before I managed to get it out of the bell housing from under the flywheel

Why can't I be that that lucky with the lottery

[Spawn]

ridds said:

It could also be sitting on a chassis rail. Where the body sits tight against the chassis there's a nice little ledge to collect things, typically leaves that can catch fire from the exhasut....

Bingo. I've just taken the tray off the bottom and whilst feeling around it was sat right infront of my nose. It was looking right at my and I swear it looked like it was sniggering a little


Good to know theres plenty of others doing the most basic/stupid errors though

[TT Tim]

Be careful what you drop into the 'V' around the alternator.

I'm convinced, due to the state of the pulley, that a bolt dropped into the valley became trapped between the belt and the side of the cylinder head as a consequence it seized the alternator pulley and stripped the woodruff key.

Total cost for replacing a now knackered alternator jackshaft? Well over £1.5K!

So, be careful, and if in doubt use a magnetic tray.

Tim

Edited by TT Tim on Monday 24th March 15:25

[mikesr]

A similar thing with a bolt and the alternator belt was my first ever incident.

It was one of the bolts from the airboxes (on a 4.2). it got caught up with the alternator belt and snapped it. fortunately didn't do any other damage.

A while later at TCS when the intakes were taken off another bolt was found lodged between the head and the exhaust manifold.

Must be a regular thing losing the bolts from the airboxes.

[TT Tim]

mikesr said:

A similar thing with a bolt and the alternator belt was my first ever incident.

Yea, but did you drop it?

I'm pretty certain that I didn't and it was a garage, the car had only just come back from a service, but no way of prooving it.

Was not best pleased.

Tim

[Spawn]

That doesnt sound to good Tim. I would be fuming!