Tape or block off everything!!!

[78targa]

I figured I would share this with everybody. I was smart and plugged all of my intakes as I was working on the engine with the manifold removed.

A nut got stuck in my socket so I shook it out. Can you believe that after arcing a foot to the left and maybe a 3 or so foot drop, a 13mm nut dropped straight into the breather hole?!?!?!?! It barely grazed the sides as it dropped in and immediately bounced into the bottom (inside) of the case.... That stupid hole was even pointed in the other direction!

Luckily I am in thew process of tearing down the engine completely so the case is coming apart and everything, but WOW. I coudn't have done that in another million tries. What a good lesson that was. Thought some of you guys would get a kick out of it.

Here is a picture showing how and where I was holding the socket. See the breather? It went in..."nothing but net"...

[JohnJL]

SWISH!

Go and buy a lottery ticket...

[gestalt1]

thats a special feeling. when you get the case open post a photo showing where the nut's temporary home was.

[Eagledriver]

Actually you might be able to fish it out of the bottom with the oil sump plate off. If not I wouldn't worry about it. It can't get sucked into the oil pump because of the screen and I can't think of any other damage it could cause. I would pull the breather off just to make sure it wasn't sitting in the top of the case inside the breather.

-Andy

[JohnJL]

It could get in all kinds of trouble if he doesn't fish it out/crack the case...could rest on the case and get hit by the rod cap on the way down, get pulled into the chain and lodge between chain and sprocket and stop it/snap a chain, could bounce up and get lodged between the intermediate shaft gear and distributor gear....bad things all!

[78targa]

Well, It is a 3.2 case so no sump plate to fish it out. as for resting under the breather plate on the ledge...nope it shot straight in and bounced to the bottom of the case.

As I said though, I'm lucky I am in the process of tearing the engine completely down. If it was going back together...that would suck. Definately an item you wouldn't want floating around in the case. Even a washer could/would do irreparable harm.

It serves as a great reminder how important it is to block off everything.

[Eagledriver]

You're right about the bad possibilities if the nut is in the area of the crankshaft or on one of the webs where it could hit the crank. It would be safe only if you were sure it was in the bottom by the oil pump. I doubt it could get to the intermediate shaft or chain area as the case has a barrier there.

I was not exercising due diligence before on saying not to worry about it.

-Andy

[adomakin]

just finished installing my pistons/barrels/heads/cam housings and on the last but one piston I managed to drop a wrist pin circlip into the engine. had pretty much everything covered up including the spiggot hole directly below the piston that i was installing. it still managed to sneak its way in. I alsmost had a seizure. everything went in slow motion-----nnnnoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!---------------nnnnottttttt insssidddde thhhe caaaaaasssse!!!!!!!!!. but inside it went. I turned the engine upside down and it fell out. thankyou lord.

[mppickett]

whew!