jeff spahn

I was removing the expansion valve while doing my complete A/C flush today and a 6" long allen head socket fell down under where the expansion valve is.

I searched and searched with my boroscope to no avail. The "floor" of the area under the expansion valve is sloped so the tool could have picked up speed as it went along.

For those of you who have taken a shark down to bare bones, where the heck could this thing have gone?

Are there any potential problems with leaving it there?

How can I get to this? Take out the blower motor for the climate control?

Forget about it and just go get another 5mm allen head socket?

Chime in .

Speedtoys

Get it when you strip down to race car.

I have a few things down there from the R&R myself.

CraigL

I successfully used a magnetic retrieval tool in that location. Twice.

jeff spahn

Tried the magnetic retrieval to no avail. Even have a magnet on the boroscope. I swear I looked at every spot in that area. I can't see diddly other than little bits of leaves.

dr bob

^^^^^ ++++

Get it out while you can. The 'tray' under there goes pretty much across the whole car. The tool will rattle in there as you drive, and roll back and forth as you go from corner to corner. In my collection of things I have a good magnet on the end of a flexible section, good for dragging back and forth in there until you feel it clink onto your lost item.

For those playing along at home, there are lots of opportunities for things to drop in there. Like the screws for the blower resistor, bolts for the wiper motor assembly. You know, easy stuff. I've gotten in the habit of stuffing the area under my little projects with a shop towel or two to catch the bits that would otherwise end up next to Jeff's Allen driver.

Speedtoys

Ya..the bits I lost are non metal. Grr.

White Lightnin'

It is probably heavier than the leaves... force the magnetic probe into the leaves until you find it.

GregBBRD

The Abyss.

SeanR

This.

Never to return, but sure to start rattling as soon as you forget about it being there.

jeff spahn

found it. bugger was buried. boroscope for 30 more minutes and there it was, hiding in a nook. Put the magnet on the end of the scope and pulled it home.
Now, on to putting the A/C back together.

White Lightnin'

determination pays off...

tailpipe

small piece of copper tubing taped on the end of your vacuum cleaner works great for grabbing lost tools and cleaning out the engine valley too

the flyin' scotsman

Not directly related Jeff but I 'lost' one of the aluminium washer for the cam chain tensioner. I searched for weeks and eventually found it stuck in the passenger side wiring/coolant tank hoses.

Moral of the story.........the 928s not only eat your $$$ but it cannibalises on itself

jeff spahn

Yes I understand what you are saying. I lost a nut that holds the washer tank filler neck. Figure one missing nut won't hurt anything. Just ask Lance Armstrong.

the flyin' scotsman

ouch!!!