Topic: Dropped washer down cam chain tunnel

[gsnorcal]

I was re-torquing my cylinder head on my CB400F today and I dropped a small (M6) stainless washer through one of the breather holes in the valve cover and down into the cam chain tunnel.

I removed the the valve cover and looked around with a mirror and light. Can't see it. I took off the oil sump and it didn't make it that far down. I turned the motor quite a few times by hand and it didn't turn up anywhere up top or down below, and nothing is bound up at the moment.

I can pull the motor apart to find it. And I will if needed. But I'm trying to be practical as well. Is there another trick that might work? Blow it out with air? Flush it out? Pour a bunch of oil down the tunnel?

It's not in any danger of ending up in the chambers or top-end at this point. It's probably somewhere near the crankshaft's cam chain sprocket or perhaps the primary chain sprocket.

I need more tips and tricks before I tear anything apart unnecessarily.

Thanks,
Dave

[gsnorcal]

My LUCKY day!!!

Just after writing that, the oil flush idea seemed pretty good. So, I took the oil I just drained and poured it back down the tunnel, and "click" is what I heard as it dropped into the drain pan!!!

 

Dave

[sick_seven_fifty]

Nice job!  I would have been scratching my head on that one.

[Roach]

good work also what works are those collapsible poles with the magnetic end i have pulled allot of things out that way.

[bollingball]

But he would need a stainless magnetic

[gsnorcal]

But he would need a stainless magnetic

Indeed. As soon as I dropped it, I instinctively went for the magnet. Then yelled, "doh!"

[Cundalini]

I was re-torquing my cylinder head on my CB400F today and I dropped a small (M6) stainless washer through one of the breather holes in the valve cover and down into the cam chain tunnel.

I removed the the valve cover and looked around with a mirror and light. Can't see it. I took off the oil sump and it didn't make it that far down. I turned the motor quite a few times by hand and it didn't turn up anywhere up top or down below, and nothing is bound up at the moment.

I can pull the motor apart to find it. And I will if needed. But I'm trying to be practical as well. Is there another trick that might work? Blow it out with air? Flush it out? Pour a bunch of oil down the tunnel?

It's not in any danger of ending up in the chambers or top-end at this point. It's probably somewhere near the crankshaft's cam chain sprocket or perhaps the primary chain sprocket.

I need more tips and tricks before I tear anything apart unnecessarily.

Thanks,
Dave

I dropped a two/three  inch long 1/8 of an inch hardened steel spanner down the cam chain tunnel of my 400 four years ago whilst doing the tappets . Very stupidly and very unwisely , I said to myself "why bother ,I `ll leave it down there ,i couldnt be bothered! It I`ll just settle in the sump pan  tray!" When I did get it out eventually ,about two or three years later, it had stratch marks on it where the cam chain had been rubbing against it for two or three years! Lucky that it was hardened steel! Ever since then I`ve  had a long piece  of nylon string tied permanently to the ring end for especially when doing the tappets!