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Help on stray washer in engine/head please

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I

ichthos

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It has been a bad day. I finally got the head on my TR6 and my Dad offered to help. As we were adding the nuts and washers, he dropped one of the washers in the hole with lifter number one. I figured it would have just gone into lifter number one, but I can see no trace of it. It took me hours to get the head off before - I am not sure I can get it off again without doing damage to the head surface or new head gasket. I have a second engine, and it looks like there are casting holes around the lifters. If the washer dropped into this area, how would I get it out, or do I need to? Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Kevin
 
all I can offer is the magnet on a stick, put it down the lifter bore where you think it went and see if you can snag it, keep fishing till you get it out, worked in power turbinee\ rebuilds at major power plants and they had a board of lost tools and they would not button the turbine up till ALL tools were recovered,or some one signed off and too the liability of the repair, keep digging, and also probe all other lifter bores just in case it bounced around it could be in the oil pan too

Hondo
 
If you can't find it in any of the lifter areas, drain the oil (if new, put it in a clean pan for re-use), and fish around the bottom of the pan with a long skinny magnet.
Might help to roll the engine a half turn away from the lifters (lifter side of crank down), so if it bounced out a drain and is laying on the crank/rods it will fall off and not jam.

Dave
 
Well, my day just got better. I tried the magnet and hook with no luck. I figured you guys would tell me I have to take the head back off it that didn't work. After I posted I realized that the area I was talking about was an oil pathway. Luckily I had put antisiezing compound on the head studs before I put the head back on. I was able to lift it off with a hoist and found the washer was about 1/2" from dropping into my timing chain cover. I didn't say a word to my Dad, but I could tell he felt horrible. At least he can have a peacful evening now. Thanks again everyone.
Kevin
 
Kevin- What's that worth? Dinner, a case of a good Scotch?
 
Both of you should have that peacefull evening now. Go get breakfast in the morning together, and then continue work on the engine. Glad to hear that you found the washer.
 
ack. Good end tho.

Good "rule" to follow is to hold no more than ONE thing in your hand at a time when assembling ANYTHING. I like to have all the parts for a particular assembly on a nearby tray, the magnetic sheet type are best, and pick up the fasteners & bits one at a time.

Somehow a dropped bit will always find the least likely hole to jump into (and the least accessible).
 
Since we're on the subject, I just purchased a video inspection camera. It has a 3 foot gooseneck and a 9mm diameter camera on the end. I can take still shots or video (on mcroSD card) and it came with a hook tool, a magnetic tool and a tiny mirror. Useful for pulling things out of small holes as well as looking behind the dash, the TV, under stuff, etc. - things like putting lifters back in the hole, fishing dropped washers!

So far I've pulled a sparkplug and looked at the top of the piston and saw a valve hanging open, checked part numbers on my leaking M/C.

It has 4 LEDs surrounding the camera lense that I can control with a dimmer. 3.5?" LCD for display. Whistler WIC-3509P https://www.whistlergroup.com/WIC-3509P-spec.html Paid $169 after coupons from JCW

Good for lots of stuff.
 
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