The Ford Barn

meteorgray · 02-14-2023, 02:58 PM

While I was lubricating the throw out bearing the adapter fell off.
I tried fishing it out to no avail. Can it do any harm?
Thanks, Roger

31Tudor · 02-14-2023, 04:34 PM

Yes, unfortunately it can! It can get wedged between the ring gear/ flywheel and either jamb it so it won't turn over, or crack the bell housing. You might be able to fish it out by dropping down the front radius ball. I have also gotten a starter bolt out with a magnet on a flex extension going down into the starter hole. The flex magnet might work going in through the front radius ball hole too. Definitely want to get it out of there before it turns into a bigger issue.

TMarsh · 02-14-2023, 04:39 PM

Hope it is magnetic, if not try duct tape on end of long flexible tool like magnet and I would go in thru starter opening. Fished out bolts before that way.

mleder · 02-14-2023, 04:56 PM

You may also try a shop vac where you get a smaller hose like a fuel line and use duct tape to keep it centered in the shop vacs big hose using a lot of tape to seal up the connection between the two. Feed hose down, power up vac and after repeated attempts you may suck it up or have it stuck to the end smaller hose , while vac is running pull it up. Just another suggestion that has worked sometimes- good hunting.

meteorgray · 02-14-2023, 05:31 PM

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I will try them all. Are there any tricks
or issues taking the radius ball out?

Tom Endy · 02-14-2023, 06:17 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

You can also put a handful of chassis grease on the flywheel through the starter hole and rotate it and hope it grabs the object.

Tom Endy

WHN · 02-14-2023, 07:58 PM

If you drive the car you are asking for trouble!

As said above. Has to come out.

If it starts flying around, you are in for what could be a major problem.

Good luck.

Wick · 02-15-2023, 07:29 AM

My adapter is made of plastic.

JayJay · 02-15-2023, 11:23 AM

There was a letter I saw recently (Restorer magazine?) where a guy taped a strong rare-earth magnet (you can get them cheap at the hardware store or at Harbor Fright) to a piece of flexible plastic tubing (again, hardware store) and went fishing. Not only found the nut he was looking for but also a couple of washers. Of course, this won't work if your Zerk isn't magnetic...

JayJay

meteorgray · 02-15-2023, 02:40 PM

The zerk is magnetic. Tried to get it out today no luck yet.
Went in with a magnet through the radius ball and the starter.
I did get a 1/4 bleeder bolt and washer out. Ordered a boroscope
from amazon and see if I can find it.
Thanks, Roger

Dave in Petaluma · 02-17-2023, 11:24 AM

I have used something like this with good results for this purpose. Having the magnet retractable allows you to get it into position easier.
https://www.magnetsource.com/collect...products/07588

The Master Cylinder · 02-17-2023, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meteorgray

The zerk is magnetic. Tried to get it out today no luck yet.
Went in with a magnet through the radius ball and the starter.
I did get a 1/4 bleeder bolt and washer out. Ordered a boroscope
from amazon and see if I can find it.
Thanks, Roger

My bore scope has a magnet on it. If you can see it you should be able to get it.

31Tudor · 02-17-2023, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave in Petaluma

I have used something like this with good results for this purpose. Having the magnet retractable allows you to get it into position easier.
https://www.magnetsource.com/collect...products/07588

That is exactly what I have had luck with.

meteorgray · 02-19-2023, 04:30 PM

Well I tried everything you all recommended but no luck. Took out the starter, radius ball
and throw out bearing cover. Tried flexible magnets and even bought a borescope.
Guess I will just hope it does not cause any damage. I did fish out a 5/16 by 1" fine thread
cap screw and a washer with tabs that bend over to lock. Wonder where that came from.
Roger

J Franklin · 02-19-2023, 06:31 PM

Usually after all that work I find the offending part under something on the garage floor a few days or months later.

nkaminar · 02-19-2023, 07:17 PM

Drop a bolt in a Model T engine/transmission and you have to take the motor out and apart. Don't ask me how I know.

abachman3 · 02-20-2023, 12:24 PM

The bolt you fished out and the tabbed washer are bendix starter bolts. Very common for them to come loose and end up as you found them.

nkaminar · 02-20-2023, 12:43 PM

Another possible solution is to drag a rag through the housing using the ring gear on the flywheel. Just make sure you get all the rag back out.

redmodelt · 02-22-2023, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Drop a bolt in a Model T engine/transmission and you have to take the motor out and apart. Don't ask me how I know.

Na! I have fished many things out of T engines, just by draining the oil and getting creative.

History · 02-23-2023, 08:33 AM

It could be inside the pressure plate if the engine hasn’t been turned over since you dropped it.

02-14-2023, 02:58 PM	#1
meteorgray Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: new jersey Posts: 53	Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? While I was lubricating the throw out bearing the adapter fell off. I tried fishing it out to no avail. Can it do any harm? Thanks, Roger

02-14-2023, 04:34 PM	#2
31Tudor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 611	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Yes, unfortunately it can! It can get wedged between the ring gear/ flywheel and either jamb it so it won't turn over, or crack the bell housing. You might be able to fish it out by dropping down the front radius ball. I have also gotten a starter bolt out with a magnet on a flex extension going down into the starter hole. The flex magnet might work going in through the front radius ball hole too. Definitely want to get it out of there before it turns into a bigger issue.

02-14-2023, 04:39 PM	#3
TMarsh Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: N.E. Texas Posts: 182	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Hope it is magnetic, if not try duct tape on end of long flexible tool like magnet and I would go in thru starter opening. Fished out bolts before that way.

02-14-2023, 04:56 PM	#4
mleder Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 205	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? You may also try a shop vac where you get a smaller hose like a fuel line and use duct tape to keep it centered in the shop vacs big hose using a lot of tape to seal up the connection between the two. Feed hose down, power up vac and after repeated attempts you may suck it up or have it stuck to the end smaller hose , while vac is running pull it up. Just another suggestion that has worked sometimes- good hunting.

02-14-2023, 05:31 PM	#5
meteorgray Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: new jersey Posts: 53	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I will try them all. Are there any tricks or issues taking the radius ball out?

02-14-2023, 06:17 PM	#6
Tom Endy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,168	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) You can also put a handful of chassis grease on the flywheel through the starter hole and rotate it and hope it grabs the object. Tom Endy

02-14-2023, 07:58 PM	#7
WHN Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Connecticut Shoreline Posts: 2,066	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? If you drive the car you are asking for trouble! As said above. Has to come out. If it starts flying around, you are in for what could be a major problem. Good luck.

02-15-2023, 07:29 AM	#8
Wick Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gwynn's Island Va Posts: 1,636	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? My adapter is made of plastic.

02-15-2023, 11:23 AM	#9
JayJay Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 2,670	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? There was a letter I saw recently (Restorer magazine?) where a guy taped a strong rare-earth magnet (you can get them cheap at the hardware store or at Harbor Fright) to a piece of flexible plastic tubing (again, hardware store) and went fishing. Not only found the nut he was looking for but also a couple of washers. Of course, this won't work if your Zerk isn't magnetic... JayJay __________________ JayJay San Francisco Bay Area ------------------------ 1930 Murray Town Sedan (under reconstruction) 1931 Briggs S/W Town Sedan It isn't a defect, it's a feature!

02-15-2023, 02:40 PM	#10
meteorgray Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: new jersey Posts: 53	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? The zerk is magnetic. Tried to get it out today no luck yet. Went in with a magnet through the radius ball and the starter. I did get a 1/4 bleeder bolt and washer out. Ordered a boroscope from amazon and see if I can find it. Thanks, Roger

02-17-2023, 11:24 AM	#11
Dave in Petaluma Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 79	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? I have used something like this with good results for this purpose. Having the magnet retractable allows you to get it into position easier. https://www.magnetsource.com/collect...products/07588

02-19-2023, 04:30 PM	#14
meteorgray Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: new jersey Posts: 53	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Well I tried everything you all recommended but no luck. Took out the starter, radius ball and throw out bearing cover. Tried flexible magnets and even bought a borescope. Guess I will just hope it does not cause any damage. I did fish out a 5/16 by 1" fine thread cap screw and a washer with tabs that bend over to lock. Wonder where that came from. Roger

02-19-2023, 06:31 PM	#15
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 6,581	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Usually after all that work I find the offending part under something on the garage floor a few days or months later.

02-19-2023, 07:17 PM	#16
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 6,849	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Drop a bolt in a Model T engine/transmission and you have to take the motor out and apart. Don't ask me how I know. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

02-20-2023, 12:24 PM	#17
abachman3 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Western Springs, IL Posts: 324	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? The bolt you fished out and the tabbed washer are bendix starter bolts. Very common for them to come loose and end up as you found them.

02-20-2023, 12:43 PM	#18
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 6,849	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? Another possible solution is to drag a rag through the housing using the ring gear on the flywheel. Just make sure you get all the rag back out. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

02-23-2023, 08:33 AM	#20
History Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: NC Mountains Posts: 752	Re: Zerk grease adapter fell into housing any harm? It could be inside the pressure plate if the engine hasn’t been turned over since you dropped it.