Last night I was working on installing my new Screamin Demon, Nologys, and IK22's. Got it all in, even had the wife out there helping out. Started up the car and it worked like a champ.

Went to bed at about 11 and woke up at 3 to my daughter (8 months) screaming. Nothing wrong in particular, just mad at the world.

So now I am up for the morning, but something is bugging me. I am not happy about how the grounding straps on the Nologys are lying in there, so I decide that on four hours of sleep that I am going to fix them.

I have them grounded to a bracket that holds the intercooler, so I back off the bolt. It slips, but I think I can get it. I try to grab it with some needlenose pliers, but it slips again. Gone.

I decide that I need to take off the intercooler to see if it is underneath there. I take off the intercooler cover and the bracket I already took the (now missing) screw off of slips and disappears.

I now I take off the computer, along with the CAI and associated tubing. Unfortunately I still can't find it but it is time to go to work.

Now I have to sit at work all day with the MINI torn apart at home. A friend and I are going to put the front end on ramps tonight and hopefully get everything found and put back together. Hopefully we can find it without pulling the entire motor.

 

I guess the answer here in Guatemala would have been to order up enough rain to flood the country and then use that as the excuse to stay in to finish the work on the MINI!

Saludos

 

I have enough rain/flood problems at my house as it is. Whoever built the house neglected to put in drainage at the bottom of the back stairwell so all of the water drains through my garage and out the front.

 

Jeez, you scared me! I thought you were going to say your MINI was stolen! There was a similar thread a few months back...wish I could remember which one. There were some clever suggestions of how to deal with it. Hopefully, some of those folks will chime in here.


Clover

 

I laughed when I read your story as something similar happened to me last year. I had a 51 Ford (one of the cars I sold to make room for my mini), and was doing a carb rebuild. As I'm putting the carb back on the car, a fitting from the fuel line, dropped right into the top end. So, now I have to pull the intake manifold to go search for it. UGH.

Well I find the fitting on top of one of the cylinders, but then it's like, crap, now that I've gone this far, I might as well rebuild the entire top end. That old car didn't get out of the garage for a month....

Good luck!

 

Yikes! I hope I can get mine out tomorrow. If nothing else I have a three day weekend coming up. Would like to have it sooner than that though.

 

Yeah, your problem rings familiar with just about every shadetree mechanic. I suggest that the next steps you take are 1) get a magnetic wand to reach in the inaccessible nooks and crannies, and 2) take off your skid plate, maybe your screws have fallen down to that level.

Happy Hunting

MGC

 

Thanks. I will be sure to take a picture of how far I end up tearing it down and then report on how long it takes to get everything together.

 

yikes! I felt bad for you that you had lost a couple of screws... It took me a moment to realize that they dropped down INTO the engine! Nasty!

If I were anywhere near you, I'd buy you a beer.

Let us know how it goes

 

Update #1:

After work had a friend come over. Found the bolt but could not get it out. Got the bracket out though. The bolt is on a ledge under the intake manifold. Frustration is setting in...

 

No magnetic wand, Venti_Due? Is it possible to use one to get the bolt?


Clover

 

I don't have one, so I have to ask around. I don't know if a magnet would grab the bolt anyway.

 

Good luck with it! Keep us posted!


Clover

 

I used a thin dowel once with a bit of superglue on the end. You just have to make sure that you have an unobstructed view of the bolt and that you will be able to touch the bolt and only the bolt...

Practice a few times getting the dowel to the bolt without touching anything else (just like playing Operation when you were a kid). Then just put a dot of glue on the end of the dowel, reach down w/ the dowel and hold the glue-y end against the bolt for 15-20 seconds. Lift carefully.

 

That is a really good idea. It is going to have to be a metal clothes hanger, but that could work. We tried chewing gum at the end of a long screwdriver, but it was not long enough.

 

How about these:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...0&tab=des#tabs

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...pecialty+Tools

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00947071000

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...pecialty+Tools
My Uncle had one like link #4 and I borrowed it several times to catch that stray bolt and nut here and there. I never dropped one IN an engine before, though

 

I ended getting it out with a magnet LATE Friday night, and now the car is all back together. I took some pictures of it, and will post them soon. I ended up buying a magnet and fished around for about 5 minutes.


agranger- thanks for posting those tools. Looks like I need to get those for the inevitable 'next time.'

 

I am glad you finaly found it. I hate looseing hardware when I am working on cars. I lost a nut from the top of the strut tower when I was swapping the springs on my Sorento. I never found it. Had to run to the store to get anouther one in my MINI.