uh oh!

[rob63mess]

I dropped a washer inside the hogshead while changing the brake band today.....idiot!.....i'm pretty sure in fell to the bottom of the pan....now what.....i really dont want to pull the motor and split the hogshead....any ideas?

[jackdaron]

Get a coat hanger,bend a hook and go fishing.

[rusty12]

Get a couple of small strong magnets and a coat hanger. Might work, might not!

[yachtsmanbill]

Drain the oil. Let it drip dry for a day and if your really lucky, you may see it at the inside of the drain hole. If you see it you may even get luckier and be able to grab it with a 3 finger claw grabber, or hook a wire through it, give it a few twists, and feed the loose end back up through the hole. A long skinny magnet from the top may get down there, but Id bet on Vegas first! If you dont find it these ways, maybe it bounced and stuck to a flywheel magnet. Pull the starter and roll the motor over and look at each one.

Are the bands together? Did it drop between a band and a drum maybe.

You can always chance it and run it and have the washer show up un the screen under the inspection door. I know Ford was frugal, but why didnt they put covers on the trans (oil pan) like the rods cover?

The next worst step is to pull the hogs head off. or worse yet, flip the car upside down... stranger things have happened. How many rags did you have stuffed in the hole??? ws

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From now on stuff rags into the tranny so when your drop stuff it'll fall into the rags. Then tie dental floss onto the springs and the nuts and the washers so you've got a tail to grab if you drop something. It'll even work on the nuts when they're threaded on the floss will stay with the nut until it on the thread and should pull right off when everything is assembled.

[Jack Innes]

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Mike makes a very good point with putting rags in to stop things falling in to the assembly. A good friend named Tom can tell you it is wise to count the rags like a surgical nurse. If you put 10 in & take 9 out you don't get far after the operation before everything binds up.

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Jack, apparently that's a well known situation when you change bands. The first thing I was taught was count the rags. It seems silly but it was very clearly understood that you count the rags. And I do now. But the best thing I found was the dental floss with the rags. I have to change the bands on my tudor. Everyone says it's a nightmare working under the dash to do it. The one thing I know I'm going to do for sure is take the seats out so I've got room.

[rob63mess]

lesson learnrd guys. thanks as always.....i am definatly a work in progress.....

[rob63mess]

bad news...i can here it bangin around in there when i step on the reverse pedal....this is just about all i need.....going to the hardware store for the magnet on a stick.

[yachtsmanbill]

Go to harbor freight and buy a 2 foot long flexable job.

At worst itll get ground up... if it were a nut on the other hand... ws

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I bought a magnet at hardware hank that is on the end of a solid yet soft bendable rod. I used it to pull a spring out of the trans once. It worked but then I put the rags back in the tranny like farmallcub49 told me to do in the first place.