dropped MBP collet down oil hole...

[hiero]

So yeah, dropped one of my MBP collets down the oil hole on the vertical cylinder of my 748, exhaust side.  Someone please tell me what my options are to try to get the thing out... I'm at a bit of a loss because I've been working on the valve adjustment/collet install all day long and am very tired...

good news would be great... 

[m0t0g0th]

So yeah, dropped one of my MBP collets down the oil hole on the vertical cylinder of my 748, exhaust side.  Someone please tell me what my options are to try to get the thing out... I'm at a bit of a loss because I've been working on the valve adjustment/collet install all day long and am very tired...

good news would be great... 

magnet on a string?

[Hedgehog]

So yeah, dropped one of my MBP collets down the oil hole on the vertical cylinder of my 748, exhaust side.  Someone please tell me what my options are to try to get the thing out... I'm at a bit of a loss because I've been working on the valve adjustment/collet install all day long and am very tired...

good news would be great... 

If you're lucky, it'll come out when you open the drain plug.  If you're not...

[hiero]

magnet on a string?

i wish...

If you're lucky, it'll come out when you open the drain plug.  If you're not...

it's the 'you're not...' part that I'm really worried about... I'm at a point where I'm gonna leave it be for a at least a day and get back to it after I get some downtime

if I don't find it after oil change, could I possibly shoot some air down the hole and try to dislodge it?  or would that just wedge it in more?

[He Man]

Do you have one of those grease guns/ hand pumps? fill that sucker up with oil and start pouring it in there. buy a case of cheap dino oil and start flushing. Its bound to come out. Also, remove your oil filter becasue if it settles in there, man, thats gonna suck.

[knightrider]

i wouldnt think it could get to the oil filter, wouldnt the screen catch it? im not familiar with the oil system but i would think the oil travels through the screen before going to the oil filter.

[Howie]

If it does come out with the oil go buy a lottery ticket, but it is worth a try.  Pouring oil through the cylinder head drain hole may increase your chances.  The text book answer is take things apart and find it or severe damage may occur.   On the flip side there are cases where after thousands of miles people find a collet dropped in there at the factory while doing an oil change and no damage occurred.  Speedguide was one.  Your bike, your decision.  In the future, block the drain hole with something.  You could use a screw or even an old ear plug.  Tie a string around it so you don't leave it there.

[Ddan]

There is probably a pretty good chance it's still in the oil passage; try removing the fill plug and sucking the collet back out with a shop-vac.

[Howie]

There is probably a pretty good chance it's still in the oil passage; try removing the fill plug and sucking the collet back out with a shop-vac.

Worth a try

[hiero]

If it does come out with the oil go buy a lottery ticket, but it is worth a try.  Pouring oil through the cylinder head drain hole may increase your chances.  The text book answer is take things apart and find it or severe damage may occur.   On the flip side there are cases where after thousands of miles people find a collet dropped in there at the factory while doing an oil change and no damage occurred.  Speedguide was one.  Your bike, your decision.  In the future, block the drain hole with something.  You could use a screw or even an old ear plug.  Tie a string around it so you don't leave it there.

I'll get cracking on it, I want to say I'm going to do it tonight, because that's how I am, but I really think I need to step away for a day and start fresh.  In any case, the text book answer is what scares me, does that mean split cases, or just pull the covers?   I'm perfectly fine with just pulling the covers if that's what needs to be done... splitting cases, on the other hand, is not something I want to attempt...

There is probably a pretty good chance it's still in the oil passage; try removing the fill plug and sucking the collet back out with a shop-vac.

I'm not sure I can get a shop vac onto the hole (vert cyl exhaust)??  Or do you mean putting the shop vac over the hole for the fill plug?

[brad black]

putting rocker cover screws in the drain holes works, because that way you know where the missing rocker cover screws are when you've got all the covers on and you're two screws short.

i'd say magnet or try sucking it out.  little plastic tube taped into the pointy end of the shop vac.  seal it up with race tape and the suction will be amazing.

[Slide Panda]

On the flip side there are cases where after thousands of miles people find a collet dropped in there at the factory while doing an oil change and no damage occurred.

A local shop owner put on a valve job tutorial at an event and he said it was quite common for them to find a collet stuck to the plug magnet when they did a 1st service on a bike.  There's probably been a lot of Ducs that have come off the assembly line over the years with an extra collet or two.  So I wouldn't be tooo worried about damage at least. 

[hiero]

putting rocker cover screws in the drain holes works, because that way you know where the missing rocker cover screws are when you've got all the covers on and you're two screws short.

i'd say magnet or try sucking it out.  little plastic tube taped into the pointy end of the shop vac.  seal it up with race tape and the suction will be amazing.

i like that, I'll try the plastic tube tape thing if I don't find it in the oil... and will use the rocker cover screw trick for the other 4 valves...

A local shop owner put on a valve job tutorial at an event and he said it was quite common for them to find a collet stuck to the plug magnet when they did a 1st service on a bike.  There's probably been a lot of Ducs that have come off the assembly line over the years with an extra collet or two.  So I wouldn't be tooo worried about damage at least. 

yeah, I found one in the monster's oil at one of the valve adjustments I did, the only thing is that these are MBP collets, not only more expensive, but more substantial too!  definitely want to get that sucker out before it grenades the engine...

[Duck-Stew]

Try a thin wire down the hole to determine if the collet is caught in the passage or not.  If the collet is stuck in the passage, then the shop-vac trick would be worth a try.

If it did fall through the entire passage, then it's in the oil sump area.  Trouble with that is that there are trap-doors and such down there so it may not have made it to where the sump screen is.  If it did make it to the sump screen then you're lucky...

There's no way it would make it to the oil filter, or into the oil pump unless there is a large hole in your sump screen.

Investigative 'surgery' is required first.  Find out where that sucker is before proceeding (if you can't find where it is, at least find where it is not....)

[Hedgehog]

It'll probably be in the oil.  A few years ago, the shift pawl spring broke into several pieces on my SS.  They all came out in the oil.  I've ridden over 20,000 miles since then with never a problem.

Drain the oil FIRST, before you try resorting to anything else.  If it's not in the oil, run a long piece of heavy wire down the hole to see if it's lodged there.  Then, pump a bunch of oil down the hole to see if that flushes it out.  But, I'm betting it'll come out in the oil with no problems.  There's not really much of anywhere else it can be.