K

KayS

Well Known Member
Ok, here's the story. seems that this time i really need some help:

as you all know the lycoming baffles are attached to the engine via several bolts, some at the cylinders and some at the crankcase. one of these bolts is located right behind cylinder #3 and very close to that funny hole that is there to house a black plastic tube thing where you screw in your oil dipstick. maybe some of you now suspect what happened...

i tried to final attach the baffles today. to get access to that aforementioned phillips screw i removed the black oil dipstick tube and wanted to get the bolt into the hole. then a heared a noise like this... bling, ding, ding, dong.

thing is that one bolt, one washer and one lockwasher are now not where they supposed to be. these suckers where falling through the dipstick hole and do now hide somewhere inside the crankcase.

if you should sympathize with my problem, you are maybe willing to answer the following questions.

1. is that an issue? (i guess yes)

2. if yes... any idea on how to remove the FOD?

3. why do strange things always happen to me?


best wishes from munich-germany.
Kay Stecklum
RV-7 still in progess

PS: just determined 10 minutes ago that my fridge was running out of beer.
 
I'm not so familiar with the internals of the Lycoming engines...

But does the dipstick tube go down into the oil pan? Can you pull the pan and find your missing parts?
 
I guess I would try a stick magnet first and see if I could retrieve them that way if your sure how many pieces are in there. Removing the sump may be the only option. Sounds like my luck. Hope it works out the easy way.
 
how do YOU spell relief?

KayS said:
... bling, ding, ding, dong.

..... one bolt, one washer and one lockwasher

1. is that an issue? (i guess yes)

2. if yes... any idea on how to remove the FOD?

3. why do strange things always happen to me?
Click to expand...

Kay,
you have FO. ( or is it really 'foreign' if it's part of the engine??????)

.....if you leave it in there, then the FOD occurs! $$$$

luckily you have no oil in there, right? magnet, then a borescope, rinse, repeat......etc etc.
....until you can sleep at night. :)

( i've done worse stuff!...today!)
 
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Go Fishing

As long as you don't start the engine, you don't have a Foreign Object Damage (FOD). Find yourself one of these and go fishing.

show_image_in_imgtag.php


Snap-on sells them as part numbers SET900WF (.250" diameter magnet) and SET900WFT (.175" Diameter Magnet). It's less than $20 for both of them

Good Luck!
 
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Kay,
You might try a small flexible magnet to try to fish out the parts. They may all be together, hopefully. You should be able to find the magnet at any number of auto parts; and not very expensive. I have one from my mechanic days that is extendible like the old metal fishing poles, but has a solid shaft. I have seen them with flexible shafts, though.

Just Google "flexible magnetic pick up tool", such as the site below:

http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-7611-24-Inch-Flexible-Magnetic/dp/tech-data/B000NPR3ZW

Jim
 
In Munich?

...then the beer is not a problem!! :D
(And yes, try the magnet tool first, then the sump removal.)
 
You asked

so here is the answer to the last question - things like this happen (at least to me), when I am NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION to what I am doing (sort of like on cruise control). It is dangerous to be near or working on machinery when tired, distracted, stressed, etc. - ask me how I know. So much for the hard truth.

If it were me, I'd remove the pan and make sure that everything that could have been dropped is recovered. I's also check any pathways for the objects into the pan. Don't want to end up with a ruined engine and a bent aircraft. Sometimes, its one step forward and six steps back. Just my opinion.
 
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I did the exact same thing, but only dropped the baffling screw (the washer hit the ground). Simple solution, go buy a magnet on a telescoping stick...about $5 at Harbor Freight. You definitely do NOT want to leave them in there.

After that, make sure to slap a piece of tape over that hole whenever you remove the dipstick tube. :cool:
 
Definitely got to come out

You need to get those items out before starting engine.

I'd try the magnet, but it may not work. Even if it does, you've got to be sure to get everything out.

I'm not good with photos - see https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzdivJy44N3WTnNsX2tyMjk5SDQ for an indication of where in the pan you've dropped the hardware.

Me, I'd yank the pan to be sure. It's not really that difficult.

Dan
 
Purchase a small rare earth magnet. It will hold itself up against the oil pan if it finds anything the size of a washer or more. Then drag the magnet over to the dip stick hole and remove the magnet from the drain pan and retrieve the part with a telescopic magnet or the earth magnet secured on a rod.
 
How about the drain hole?

You might as well take it out of the oil drain hole, its probably bigger than the dip stick hole.
There should be no lip into the drain hole and a strong magnet will slide it over
to the opening.
Definitely must come out before you turn the engine over. Good luck.
 
lycoming

You could remove the dipstick housing. Hole is rather large. Lycoming, right?
 
Been there, Done that

Kay,

I had exact thing happen to me while installing PMag. Hold down bolt dropped in and down to the oil pan. It was retrieved with a magnet rather quickly.
 
KayS said:
Ok, here's the story. seems that this time i really need some help:
...
just determined 10 minutes ago that my fridge was running out of beer.
Click to expand...


I'm not so familiar with the internals of your fridge. Maybe you could go into more detail?
 
problem solved

thank you all for the helpful advises.

i had no success with the magnet route. so i called a professor from the university where i graduated in electronics. that guy is involved in the development of surgery stuff. he brought a flexible and steerable hose with a camera and a small plier inside. it was a prototype for a device that can remove cancer from the stomache and gut or so.

maybe it was a bit overkill but it worked!

will sleep better now. :)

btw... was very intersting to see the engine from the inside on the notebook screen.

cheers

Kay Stecklum
RV7 - still in progess

PS: fridge is now reloaded with beer.
 
KayS said:
... fridge is now reloaded with beer.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you solved your problem.

About that wayward hardware, that is a cool way to solve your problem and I bet the Good Professor was more than happy to help out.
 
FOD in the engine

Buy a small circular (washer) rare earth magnet, tie a strong light string to it, drop it into the dip stick hole just like you did with the missing parts (the case is aluminium so the magnet will not stick) and let it clatter to the bottom just like the items. The magnet will very likely land close to what you want to retrieve. If it doesn't work the first time I'll buy you a beer. If it doesn't work by the tenth time I'll buy you a case. ----------Good luck.
 
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