The Impossible Shot (You think you're having a bad day?)

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swooshdave

swooshdave

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The Impossible Shot (You think you're having a bad day?)

The Impossible Shot (You think you're having a bad day?)

The Impossible Shot (You think you're having a bad day?)


I had planned on putting the barrel on. I kept worrying about dropping something in the crankcase. But I got distracted and was messing with the oil tank. For some reason I took off the air cleaner backing plate and even with the board over the crankcase opening the bolt made it through the narrow gap and is now stuck in the engine. Having just been put on the primary side came apart quickly.

So yeah, three steps back.
 
Sorry that happened , hope you can fish it out with out a lot of grief ... good luck
 
The main thing is that you caught note of it falling in. Think if it had been missed.
 
Turn it upside down, pipe insulation on the rods and shake. Or take off the rear breather and fish it out from there with a magnet on a flexy rod.
 
It could suck worse, a whole lot worse.
Be glad you caught it, take your time and develop a good technique for removal...then put together a written record of all the new words you invent getting it out of there and post it here so we can do comparisons.
 
I have one of those 7mm flexible cameras I hook into my laptop for bad times like that so that I don't have to fish blind. It's not the best plan, but is a decent contingency. The tinker toy has saved me grief before with clients on jobs in the past by having a record of 'the bone of contention' in a few cases.
 
Well spotted, I trashed a BSA bantam engine by not realising i had lost something when I was a youngster. 45years on and still learning.
 
What are the first two photos showing? Is that Allen bolt head (stainless?) in the first two photos the stuck bolt? It must really be jammed in there if you can see it so easily but can't dislodge it.

You could try using vacuum reducers with a small diameter hose to get a hold of it, some long reach needle nose pliers, or compressed air to dislodge it, but compressed air could result in the bolt being blown into some truly inaccessible spot.

From the red goo on the circumference of the bolt head, it appears you had a go at removing it prior to the photo shoot.



.
 
jbruney said:
I have one of those 7mm flexible cameras I hook into my laptop for bad times like that so that I don't have to fish blind. It's not the best plan, but is a decent contingency. The tinker toy has saved me grief before with clients on jobs in the past by having a record of 'the bone of contention' in a few cases.
Click to expand...

Make sure you get one of the cameras that have a stiffener in the cord. Made a huge difference.

I tried to fish it out but all I ended up doing was push it further back in the engine until it lodged itself in the back. At that point I had already wasted and hour. It only took me another hour to get the engine back on the bench.

@Mike T came over and we turned it upside down and shook it out.

The Impossible Shot (You think you're having a bad day?)


We then went and looked at a Combat basketcase, and although tempting I got an offer to get another Norton I couldn’t refuse.

So my day turned out way better than it started. :)
 
Now you can put the barrels and the head on before you put it back in the frame. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. :)
 
I once dropped a circlip in the cases of my OIF Triumph with the bottom end in the frame.

I squeezed my upper body in the frame / engine space and, with a tiny Maglite I peered into the abyss.

Then I dropped the Maglite in there too. DOH!

I hot them out eventually.

Swoosh, as gortnipper says, do yourself a favour and put the top end on now, whilst it’s on the bench...
 
Ahhhh! There's nothing like seeing the perp's image splashed over the screen for all to see. Glad you got it out w/o too much trouble.
 
I have a long bendy magnet retriever, only had to employ it once into a set of cases. It's usually to fish stuff out of cracks and crevices, and to hold washers in position while slipping a bolt in place.
 
grandpaul said:
I have a long bendy magnet retriever, only had to employ it once into a set of cases. It's usually to fish stuff out of cracks and crevices, and to hold washers in position while slipping a bolt in place.
Click to expand...

Works great if the offender isn’t stainless steel. Trust me, I have the magnetic bendy stick!
 
I rebuilt a 1971 Triumph T120. Took it out for a long test ride. All was well. The next time I tried to start it, the engine locked. Kept checking things as I took it apart and it was locked hard. When I finally split the cases, a small bolt fell out! I have no idea how it got there or when but I sure was lucky - no damage whatsoever! Now I'm paranoid so before I install the pistons, I turn the engine over and shake then immediately install the pistons and cylinders.
 
I had to pull & stab a sporty trans about five times before I could assure myself those damned needle bearings on the blind side had been retained by the grease I'd applied to hold them after one had slipped out. I believe the second time did the trick, and I only did the repetitions to build confidence.
Never had a rebuild fail and perish the thought of having to. Failure of materials can't be helped, but human error.....Well, I guess that's why we check things more than a bunch...…...Gotta go wet sand tank more to prep for new top clear.
 
As most of you know there is not a lot of room inside the crankcase when the crank is in there. That flywheel takes up a lot of space. I lucked out in the end as it really wasn't hard to pull the motor at the stage I was at. And I found the bolt.

Here's the type of camera I used: https://www.amazon.com/DEPSTECH-Sem...3&s=gateway&sprefix=inspection,aps,340&sr=8-9

With just a flashlight there was no way to confirm the bolt was in there, you had to use a camera.
 
That's what I've got & at the prices of them there's not much reason not to invest if you tinker with motors & such....Knew you had one...Had an inkling you'd not be caught blind.
Back to it again.
 
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