• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Socket down in the front brace box section

Share this page

B

bob hughes

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
:wall:
Doh**!@ just lost my half inch socket down the front brace box section whilst removing the clutch master cylinder.

I have had the mirror out and I can see it down there, has any one had any great success using either a flixible claw or a telescopic magnet in this situation? :nopity:

Bob
 
I love my telescopic magnet from Harbor freight. Best few bucks I ever spent. Never needed it in that location..yet. Of course I haven't installed the master cylinders yet either.. :wink:
rich
 
Have a flex claw I got from a flee market decades ago. Works great...even retreived my Mom's ring that went down the sink.
 
Hi Bob,

Its amazing how many have lost items down that brace and wonder if it was left open as a practical joke. The magnet does work, however, I would suggest you rap the magnet with something (like wax paper or…) that would help you slide it down the side of the metal brace so it does not constantly hang up.

As a guard against this happening again, I would suggest you think about what, I think it was Steve Byers, did and create a storage container by inserting a plastic container within the unit. As I remember, Steve stores some small maintenance items in the container.

Good luck and remember ... lots of patience.

Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
I lost 2 sockets down there. Tried a telescoping magnet and it was unsuccessful (kept hanging up...will try the wax paper idea next)...all I pulled out was an old greasy open-end wrench lost by the previous owner. Now I stuff a rag in there when working in that area.
 
Ha ha! I lost a small wrench down mine and was never able to retrieve it. The magnet did not work because once it contacted the wrench, the wrench stuck to the chassis in turn (like a string of paper clips...). When I tried to draw it out, the attraction between the wrench and the chassis was too great to raise the wrench up out of the box section.
 
The socket being lighter than a wrench would probably let the magnet pull it up and out. Maybe a small piece of PVC pipe duct taped to the end of the magnet would keep the sides of it from getting hung up in the chassis.
 
If you rotate the car upside down, it will just fall out (gravity is the spring that doesn't fail...).

When I restored my chassis, I was able to claim a couple 1/2" x 3/8 drive sockets and 7/16 x 3/8 wrench that fell out when I flipped the chassis.
 
Maybe a hunk of dum-dum on the end of a stick, or in the flexible claw may work.

I've pulled out a couple bolts from the previous owner. Why hasn't someone mentioned, hey, I pulled out a five spot or at least a quarter :jester:
 
Get a good telescopic magnet and it can be retreived---Keoke :hammer:

P.S. a good one will have a head on it ~ 3/8" to 1/2" in Dia
and it won't come from Harbor Freight :laugh:
 
Just did nearly the same thing a few days ago. Use a magnet on a flexible stem and it will do the trick. the straight handled mags can't be bent to go down the shoot unless the shroud is off.
Patrick
 
nevets said:
I lost 2 sockets down there. Tried a telescoping magnet and it was unsuccessful (kept hanging up...will try the wax paper idea next)...all I pulled out was an old greasy open-end wrench lost by the previous owner. Now I stuff a rag in there when working in that area.
Click to expand...

Most all can relate to having lost something in that hole. After dropping numerous nuts/washers down there I too stuffed a shop towel in there.

I used a flex claw with some success but the flex magnet will work but you'll need to insert it in a rubber hose first.
 
:thumbsup:

Well thanks for your input guys, the socket is out.

I used one of those flexible claws and inserted the broken off magnet end from a telescopic unit, all curtesy of my friend - Ian the Seven ( on acount of the fact he owns a Caterham 7 as opposed to my other friend Ian the Moke - yes you've guessed it)

Checked with the mirror and torch, saw it in the distance jambed on an obstruction down there and went for it, yes the magnet wanted to stick to the sides of the box but fortune favoured the brave and I biased it onto the corner nearest the socket and slowly pushed it in, checked with mirror and torch as I retrieved it and that was that. :banana:

I did thrust some material into the area but not down the box, and Sods law being what it is ---. Note to self - block off the boxes.

Bob


:cheers:
 
Hey Bob,
Another idea that might work if the socket is not greasy or oily - stick a wad of sugarless chewing gum on the end of a long screw driver. I mention sugarless as that stuff sticks to anything. Just chew ya a big ole wad and stick 'er on there, might work !
Good luck,
Mike
 
Unless you have a sentimental attachment to that socket, might be easier to just go and buy a new one for a couple of bucks. With all the noise from the Healey you probably can't hear it rattle. While your at it, buy a couple of spares. For some reason it seems like 1/2 inch sockets and wrenches are always disappearing.
 
Hi guys

Just an aside, whilst installing the re rubbered master cylinder, I found some spare keys taped to the underside of the cross box, near the flip down ventilator cover, goodness knows how long they have been there. One key fitted the ignition, but the other does not fit anything, I guess that a PO must have changed the trunk lock.

:cheers:

Bob
 
Back
Top