Saved by a magnet on a stick?

[mole42]

It's definately not Good Friday. I decided to sort out an annoying tappet noise from the left hand bank, No.4 exhaust was 5 thou too tight. Taking the cam sprocket off I dropped one of the screws. I know, always stuff a rag down first, but this time I didn't, and I dropped it. I could see the pesky little thing, perched between the cam chain and a ledge so I went for a magnet. Of course, the magnet clamped to the chain and knocked the screw downwards. I heard it. I'm pretty sure it's on the front flat part of the sump, so my question is: has anyone used a magnet on a stick to retrieve a wandering cam sprocket screw?

Or do I have to take the front chain cover off? Or is it easier to lower the sump enough to hook the screw out the front?

[022Dave]

Hello Richard,

If you are sure that it's now gone down as far as the sump, I'd be inclined to drain the oil, and use a strong magnet externally to 'drag' the screw to the drain hole. Possibly easier than disturbing gaskets etc.

Dave

[dasadrew]

If you're sure it's in the sump, can it do any damage? Magnetic sump plug to pick it up for removal during next oil change? Buy a new screw?

[jbuckl]

I’ve found these in the sumps. They hadn’t done any damage.
that’s no guarantee of course.

[mole42]

I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving it there. I've got a couple of ideas, one is to fasten small magnets to the camera of my endoscope which I'll try next, if that fails I'll try Dave's plan using a magnet to drag the screw to the drain hole. I could leave it for the magnet on the sump plug to catch, but I don't like the idea of a loose bit of metal in the sump - it could fly up on the next rally and get trapped by a crank web.

We'll see, it's going to be Monday before I can go fishing for the screw...

[dasadrew]

....We'll see, it's going to be Monday before I can go fishing for the screw...

I used to do that Friday evenings many years ago

[MandM]

I used to do that Friday evenings many years ago

Tuesday for me

[staggering]

Tuesday for me

Any day that had the letter Y in it for me - the shame

[jbuckl]

Is this topic about magnets or screws?

[singapore stag]

I’ve found these in the sumps. They hadn’t done any damage.
that’s no guarantee of course.

Found what in the sumps...screws or magnets ?

[mole42]

Is this topic about magnets or screws?

I started it in disgust at my stupidity in dropping a screw into the sump.

[Rigid]

I was trying to check the torque on the cylinder heads of my 4-cyl Herald when the socket burst and 2 bits fell into the head.
One bit I fished off a visible ledge with a magnet on a long screwdriver, the other fell further in when I attempted the same trick on it.
Taking the sump off revealed the rogue piece.
Much easier than on a Stag unfortunately.

[wilf]

I started it in disgust at my stupidity in dropping a screw into the sump.

Don't be too hard on yourself, we have all done equally daft things at one time or another.

I mean - I married twice!

[KOY 23]

Don't be too hard on yourself, we have all done equally daft things at one time or another.

I mean - I married twice!

Does your wife think the same?

[wilf]

Don't think so, they only married once, each.