General Maintenance & Repairs - Mother #%$^!@ I dropped a tool in the motor bay

While tightening header bolts I dropped my ratchet in the bay and it landed on the headers (right where the 4 tubes meet up and connect) and it's sitting there, laughing at me because I can't get to it.

I was thinking of going to the store to buy one of those magnetic tools that will reach down in there and yank it out but am worried that the wrench will end up welding itself to the headers because of the heat and just get stuck there forever. And ever. Will that happen or will I be okay?

Get the magnetic extension tool, it works. I said the same $#@* when I dropped a socket down there, I got it out in 5 seconds with the magnet.

you will be fine get a magnet worse thing that can happen is the ratchet could fall out while driving. it would have to be hella hot to melt the ratchet on the headers

deff. not seeing the wrench melt to a header....

It won't melt, but I wouldn't drive it like that either. It could move and end up in a worse position which could either make it harder to remove or cause damage elsewhere.

Just jack that side of the car and get it from underneath.

Just push it off with a stick.

Thats not to bad i dropped a socket in my engine bay about this same time last year, i thought i had lost it forever. Well when i was doing my cam swap this past November i dropped a valve seal, as i went under the car to look for it i was sliding my hand on the k member and found my socket sitting in small area on the k member.
-Joel

:rofl: get a magnet and you will be fine

Just push it off with a stick.
....." Tool away, and carry a long narrow stick. " ...... :jest:

....." Tool away, and carry a long narrow stick. " ...... :jest:


I dont see the problem, if you dont have a telescoping magnet, just find a stick and push it off onto the ground. I drop shit down there all the time. Its kinda hard to see what your grabbing for and the magnet sticks to everything. Im gonna invent a telescoping elecromagnet.

Thats not to bad i dropped a socket in my engine bay about this same time last year, i thought i had lost it forever. Well when i was doing my cam swap this past November i dropped a valve seal, as i went under the car to look for it i was sliding my hand on the k member and found my socket sitting in small area on the k member.
-Joel
must not have liked it. . my k member eats nuts and bolt to this day i still havent found them . . lol . . cant wait to swap k's ima be able to fill up my extra nuts and bolts draws agian after i dump all the parts that are hidden . .

use the magnetic tool there really handy

i broke into my car through the ttops with a stick :) i seem to have a problem locking my keys in my car.

also found a roll of electrical tape under my head light i lost like 3 months back =)

as for you, just figure it out. cant be that hard bro, get creative.

+1 magnetic thinggy

i broke into my car through the ttops with a stick :) i seem to have a problem locking my keys in my car.

also found a roll of electrical tape under my head light i lost like 3 months back =)

as for you, just figure it out. cant be that hard bro, get creative.

+1 magnetic thinggy

Ive broken into my car several times using the antenna through the ttops.
+1 for having lost nuts and bolts on the k member. When I did the headers recently I found a couple nuts down there.

That happened to me and my friend when we did headers on his LT1... PAIN IN THE ASS to get out, it managed to wedge itself in there really good.

-J

Here's the dumbest idea ever, but it's thinking outside the box. Put your car on a rotisserie and turn it upside down. The ratchet will just fall out.

Here's the dumbest idea ever, but it's thinking outside the box.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA :lol:

"thinking outside the box" that's for sure...

Here's the dumbest idea ever, but it's thinking outside the box. Put your car on a rotisserie and turn it upside down. The ratchet will just fall out.

Please step back into the box... And get a magnet... :jest:

Just push it off with a stick.

I don't know why but this had me rolling, this is a funny thread.

Dropping a ratchet is nothing, it's the sockets and bolts that find their way onto a nice little perch on your K-member that really suck.

Here's the dumbest idea ever, but it's thinking outside the box. Put your car on a rotisserie and turn it upside down. The ratchet will just fall out.

i tried this and now my motor fell out :cry:

i tried this and now my motor fell out :cry:

Get a magnet. Haven't you learned anything from this thread










:lol:

Eh, i had drop a bolt into the head through the intake and used a maganic and pulled it out - just got done tighting all the heads (on a dodge...not my TA)

Eh, i had drop a bolt into the head through the intake and used a maganic and pulled it out - just got done tighting all the heads (on a dodge...not my TA)


hahahahaha you should see what happens when you leave it there.

my buddy did it on his 79 maro, and the nut welded right into the top of the cylinder!

he has it posted on his wall as a reminder of stupidity.

i gotta friend whose a diesel mechanic and he helped me find a nut that fell behind the starter wires next to the block on my car... He used some plumbers dum dumb on the end of a 1/4" extension to get it out and it worked great...

i wish dum dum tasted like it smelled.

I am LOLing at this thread.

ahhhh...here is the perfect remedy...chop sticks

+1 for a magnet

A magnet will help but i would prefer a stick. When i did my cam swap that i kept dropping my titanium retainers the fucking magnet would grab onto everything in the engine bay. A stick or something else wont be getting stuck to everything and you wont have to worry about breaking it.
-Joel