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General Forums => Air Speed Lounge => Topic started by: Geoff on June 09, 2009, 06:57:22 PM

Title: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: Geoff on June 09, 2009, 06:57:22 PM
Ok so as I stated in my other thread about the Oval hitting the road, Yesterday I heard the dreaded sound of something going "clank"...."tink"...!?!?!  As I lifted off the Alt stand. As I looked down I saw only three washers on the four bolts!!! Oh Cr#p! Now...was there four washers on there? I'm sure there was but I couldn't see the fourth anywhere. I started to get a bad feeling and looked into the fuel pump hole....Nothing...Double cr#p! Nothing down the filler hole either..... Oh man..... Next I pulled the dist drive and had a look. Nothing! I used a long flexable LED light to look around but still nothing. Oh well... I guess it's time to pull the oil pump and see if it's there. A few minutes later im looking at the gear and i can't see it? Where could have it gone?

A few minets with the flash light and i see it BEHIND the cam gear! No prob my gears have holes in em, I'll just fish it out with a wire.....
Ummm nope that washer is just larger than the hole...Damn!!!

(https://airspeedparts.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airspeedparts.com%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10002%2Fnormal_washer1.jpg&hash=2a9a92b85eccb0464e80df577a9e4d3dde1998ad)

I tried bending it to get it thru, cutting it and fishing some mech wire down but i couldn't pull it up past the gears.

So This is what I did.....with a lot of patience.

I used some electrical wire, stripped it down and used two of the strands about 14" long and soldered the two tips together. Next I fished it down past the gears and into the oil pump area, with some small allen wrenches and plires (like the game Operstion) I tied it around the washer and then solderd it together (just in case, I didnt want it falling back in somewhere i couldn't get it)

(https://airspeedparts.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airspeedparts.com%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10002%2Fnormal_washer2.jpg&hash=1ccade6ba14f7f748283603f082ec0f9b820b778)

and it's out!!!!
Big Sigh of relief!

(https://airspeedparts.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airspeedparts.com%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10002%2Fnormal_washer3.jpg&hash=b9e1ce23cd0f4ca31dcea4852315294e0912f2b9)

Moral of the story don't be a dumb ass like me and forget to remove all washers before lifting off the stand.

 ;) ;D
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: silas on June 09, 2009, 07:11:53 PM
damn!!! good fix mcgruber!!

i'm sure a vast majority of us have experienced the dreaded lost washer...it can turn the calm blue ocean into a raging brown s#!t storm in under a second!! 8)
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: Randy on June 09, 2009, 07:43:13 PM
Good job McGyver!
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: Billyisgr8 on June 09, 2009, 07:45:34 PM
Nice recovery... ;D
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: OUTKAST on June 09, 2009, 09:14:05 PM
I might have done something like that  :-\ Learned the hard way about plugging manifolds while redoing top end  >:(Great save Geoff
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: jim martin on June 09, 2009, 10:13:36 PM
been there .
something i always do is when the engine is on the engine stand is rotate it around a few times and listen .
saved me this time as i found a cup from my schubeck lifter had fallen out and was in the bottom of my sump .
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: josh on June 10, 2009, 12:33:17 AM
dropped one of those 11mm brass intake nutz into an intake port one time and couldn't find my brass magnet ::) fun stuff

good eye on the missing washer, most would have missed it!!
Title: Re: The dreaded lost washer in the engine...... with happy ending
Post by: Alp on June 10, 2009, 12:47:44 PM
I dropped a 10mm nut into my motorcycle engine one time.  Took me a couple minutes to figure out why it wouldn't roll over.  Luckily only dinged the piston top and one valve (nut passed through intake track).  Happy endings are always great also......