911Dave

Is there a way to find this and fish it out? While I was replacing my distributor caps, I ended up dropping an 8mm socket and I'm 99% sure it wound up underneath the pulleys at the crankshaft, although I can't see it. If it is indeed there, what's the best way to get it out? I tried a magnetic screwdriver, but I can't get the tip close enough to attract it.

I took the plastic engine tray off but nothing fell out. Can the area be accessed from underneath somehow? If anyone's got any wisdom to share, I'd appreciate it.

Silver993

a "magnet on a stick" is a must have for working on a 911. Do yourself a favor and run out and get one before going any further. Mine is a magnet on an telescoping rod. These can be found in most automotive departments. They're real headache preventers.

Dudley

I bet most 993 owners have done the same. Fishing with a small permanet magnet will work, eventually.

ble2011

I have a tool that has a long flexable shaft with a magnet on the end. You can bend it around obstacles and works great for these types of problems.

FlatSix911

This may be the most important tool in tool your tool box

axl911

Been there. Done that many times. Take a small but strong magnet and tape it securely to a piece of coat hanger. Bend the coat hanger to a curve because that is the only way it will go into that area.

Go fishing...but don't lose the magnet in that area!!!

Slow Guy

I have at least 2 magnet pickups that I've had for over 25 yrs. Used them many times.

I have a newer Kobalt telescoping magnet with a LED light on the magnet end too. It works well as long as you don't have to get through real tiny spots.

As someone else has already said a magnet pickup is a requirement for working on a Porsche.

TMc993

While you're at it, purchase a similar telescoping rod with a small mirror mounted on the end. It will help you locate the piece you drop so you can get the magnet on it.

Mike J

I like the flexible shaft with a magnet on the end the best. Also some remote pickup pincers, and mirrors. i also go a bit high tech at times, I also have a wireless boro-scope that is quite useful for looking for fallen parts.

I also have the telescoping straight shaft type of magnets, but with all the nooks and crannies of the 993, it often is not able to go around the corners.

Cheers,

Mike

911Dave

Well! Not much question about what I need then. I've been wrenching Porsches for 7 years but I've been lucky enough to not need one until now. I'm off to Sears tomorrow for a couple other tools, so I'll throw a magnetic picker-upper in my cart too.

I do have a telescoping mirror and that's been very helpful at times. Unfortunately there's not enough room to maneuver the mirror down there.

Thanks for all the help!

Mike J

Wow, 7 years! You must have stickier fingers than I! :-)

swmic

BTDT. Working on these things really tests your patients at times. I think I used a bent coat hanger to move it out and a magnetic stick to pull it out. Good luck!

No HTwo O

Buy another 8mm socket, and drop it from a very similar location, and watch carefully where it goes. The first one you droped will be very close to the second one. This is how Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer did it!

The BIGGER question is, are you going to keep the engine tray off?

911Dave

Not really I've dropped plenty of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. but just was lucky enough to drop them where I could get them with other tools. In fact, if this was just a dropped nut, I wouldn't even both going after it. But an 8mm socket is worth a little more and I really don't want it rattling around in there.

911Dave

Yep, the engine tray is staying off. Or I might put it back on for winter driving to help keep the mag chloride off the bottom of the engine. Nasty stuff that mag chloride.

For your other suggestion, I think I'll use one of my less needed sockets for the experiment, like 4.5mm