| Author | Message | ||
     Lake_bueller |
Before you laugh at me....I really did follow the instructions! Okay...quick story: I'm doing a top end rebuild on my S1W. While removing the piston pins with my homemade "piston pin remover" (see http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/25842.html for my inspiration), the nut & washer I had on the inside came off the threaded rod. Now the rag that I stuffed under the piston caught the nut. But it DIDN'T catch the washer. Now I have a washer in my crack case. I can't see it in there and I've tried "fishing" with a magnet. Any suggestions (short of cracking open the case)????? And yes....I feel like a dumbazz  | ||
| Patrickh |
I lost wristpin ring in the crankcase once and fished it out with a magnet. Took a little while. The one I used was a 1/4 inch cylinder about two inches long on a telescoping arm that was completely magnetic, not just a tool that was magnitized at the tip. | ||
| Bomber |
try turning the cases upside down? you sure it's in there? my floor eats parts at a prodigeous rate! | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I used to use an air hose to retrieve clips from two stroke motors. Have someone else keep an eye out, they fly out pretty fast and travel a ways.. You may at least be able to hear the washer flopping around. Also, you may want to try a small steel rod with strong magnets suck to it. You can then fish around in smaller areas than a regular magnet. Keep us posted. Brad | ||
| Rocketman |
What size washer are we talking? There's not a lot of space for anything much between the case and the flywheels. I'd assume if a washer were in there you'd know about it unless it's a very small spring type washer perhaps? Try feeding a long enough length of greased rag, like bed sheet, around the flywheels as you turn the crank through a full revolution, keeping the rag held so you don't lose it in there. You might be able to dislodge a 'stuck' washer if not fish it out, but it might be enough to allow a magnet to do its trick. You could also use something like a thin gas welding rod or a length of mig wire to go on a similar fishing trip. Rocket | ||
| The_old_poop |
Lake_bueller, If the above suggestions don't work you might try getting a grabber (I don't know what it is actually called). It looks like a short choke cable and when you push the knob, 3 or 4 small fingers extend from the end of the cable and grab the part once you release the thumb knob. Most tool stores have them. Mine has saved my a$$ many times. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
The main problem is that there is still some residual oil in the bottom of the crank. I'm think turning it over is my first option. With the heads and tranmission already removed, it can't be too heavy. Now I need to aquire a bus tub from the restaurant at work for catching the excess oil. I want to make sure it goes to location that's easy to find the washer (if it comes out). Now I just need to wait for the weather to cooperate a little. With high temps in the single digits, even the garage heater isn't much good  | ||
| Mikej |
Get yourself about a 5-10' length of clear tubing and start sucking the oil out of the crankcase, with clear you can see where the level is before you get a mouthful. Suck up half a tube and then blow it into an empty plastic soda bottle. Repeat as necessary to clear the residual oil. If you're lucky you might suck onto the washer and can carefully lift it out with the tube while maintaining suction. Or just go ahead and split the cases and get the flywheels lightened and balanced and install new beefier rods and put in a windage tray, and all the other stuff associated with mission creep. You're already this far, why stop now?????  I'm sure Hoban's can help if you get stuck in the process. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Or just go ahead and split the cases and get the flywheels lightened and balanced and install new beefier rods and put in a windage tray, and all the other stuff associated with mission creep. You're already this far, why stop now????? You're the second person to recommend a complete overhaul of the lower end. A couple of reason why I won't (just yet)....1) my wife is going back to school. That leaves less $$$ for me and my toys  .....2) then why not go with a big bore kit and get a 100+rwhp machine (see point #1)....3) lastly, I'm already spending too much to make the bike look good (powder coat to frame, cylinder heads & rockers) If/when this motor finally sees it's last day, I'll drop in something lean & mean. Until then, it has more power than is really neccessary (at least for my tastes). | ||
| Mikej |
Understood all too well. The clear tubing should only cost a couple dollars, and it doubles as a siphon hose for roadside gas exchanges once we get to ride on the roads again in the hopefully not too distant future. Remember Bomber's advise above though, washers can do amazing things when dropped, I've found them in my shoes before, in a shirt pocket once well past when I gave up looking for it, verticle between a crankarm and flywheel plate, hiding under a shelf where it deftly rolled to even though it's over ten feet away. | ||
| Rocketman |
Lake, a word of caution. If that washer you're hunting is hiding in the crankcase that well that any of the above methods can't or won't find it I'll bet you a pound to a penny that turning your motor upside down will NOT find it either or get it out. Here's another idea. Regarding the oil issue. Go to the motor factor and purchase at least a liter of brake cleaner in a container that allows you to pour it yourself. That is, not in spray or aerosol form. Once got take it to your fine and trusty steed and proceed to fill the cases to a good level. This will dilute ALL the the oil so as a roll or three of industrial kitchen roll will mop it up to a degree that once done you can do a final clean up with an air line jet. This will leave the inside of your cases dry and very clean. Once done you'll most likely find that washer on the driveway once the snow has melted. Man I'd be amazed if a washer can hide that well inside those cases unless you hammered it in there. Good luck. Rocket | ||
| Bomber |
Mennis -- rocket is on to something -- surface tension of oil can be prodigious -- flush it out with something less tenacious, and Bob's your unlce (I still don't know what that means) | ||
| Mikej |
Bob's your uncle or here for a simpler less wordy def'n
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| Blake |
How are you with small animals? Train a mouse to fetch an identical washer in order to earn a treat; I hear they like cheese. Once your little furry search and rescue commando is well-trained, drop him into the case and wait for the mission success. Two way wireless com setup would be optional. Would a borescope be of some value? What would you name the mouse? "Casey"? And what would you call this procedure? "Rodent Recon"? Seriously though, I hope you have success. Sorry for making light of your frustrating issue. | ||
| Fullpower |
the mouse is named 'Uncle Bob' | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Got It!!!!!  Thanks for all the recommendations. I used a combination of techniques to find the little bugger. I first had some 1/2" tubing that I used to suck oil out of the case. I dumped the oil into a screened container, just in case I caught the washer in the tube. After removing the remaining oil in the case, I fished around with my "magnet wand". The funny thing is that there was just enough oil that I couldn't see the bottom of the flywheel. The washer was big enough (barely) the in was getting caught up on the way out. I was probably catching it before but it was falling off on the way out. Okay...lesson learned. Thanks agin for the suggestions and support Gotta love the folks on Badweb!! | ||
| Bomber |
good job Mennis! could be an alternate revenue stream for ya -- I can see the shingle on the front of the garage "Mennis -- Finder of missing hardware -- 50 cash dollars american per" you'll pay for Marilyn's face lift in no time! | ||
| Rocketman |
Good one dude! I was fearing for your back, thinking about turning that thing upside down. Rocket |
