dropped MBP collet down oil hole...

[ducatiz]

probing around with a magnet can't hurt.  not on a string, but on something hard, like a pen but make sure it's secured well.

i used to have this magnet thing that was on the end of an antenna.  it was a neodymium magnet and it would easily pick up a screwdriver from an inch or two away.  if you ahve something like that, maybe you can pull it out.

[He Man]

probing around with a magnet can't hurt.  not on a string, but on something hard, like a pen but make sure it's secured well.

i used to have this magnet thing that was on the end of an antenna.  it was a neodymium magnet and it would easily pick up a screwdriver from an inch or two away.  if you ahve something like that, maybe you can pull it out.

Magnetic/telescopic wand. home depot has them for like 5 bucks, or mail order ebay for cheapo.

[ducatiz]

Magnetic/telescopic wand. home depot has them for like 5 bucks, or mail order ebay for cheapo.

there you go:

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=37187

$1 on sale

[He Man]

you have to buy that in the store though, and it costs 9 bucks for me to get to one  they always email me great coupons every week that i would use in a heart beat if it didnt cost so damn much to cross the tunnel into New Jersey.

[clubhousemotorsports]

be careful with cheap telescoping magnets as there is nothing like fishing for something to find the magnet that was crimped onto the end is now attached to something steel inside your engine. Been there done that.

If you try to force the collet down the hole do not use too much air, If the collet blasts down the drain and bounces off something it could go toward your gearbox.
I like the shop vac idea .  I also like the get away from the bike for a day idea.
good luck

[hiero]

nothing in the oil, tried to fish a wire into the holes and that didn't work too well as the wire kept bending and wouldn't snake through, I have a nifty one man brake bleeder that uses an air compressor as the source for suction (uses venturi), so I put a line small enough to fit the hole and put the brake bleeder to work and still nothing, even at 80psi 

I used some compressed air to shoot down the hole too and that came up with nothing as well...

I have one of those flexible magnets on the end picker upper tool, so that's what I've been using, jammed it into the drain plug hole for a good 10 minutes and still nothing...

I'm beginning to wonder if maybe the collet either didn't fall into the hole, or maybe it's stuck behind the cam somewhere, is that possible? 

I'm gonna spend a good hour or two combing the concrete tomorrow where I was working on the bike, maybe I'll get lucky and come up with the missing collet....

keep the ideas and advice coming!  I really do appreciate it! 

ducvet, I'm taking two days mandatory away from the bike now    at least.   I may not even get back to it until saturday just so I can clear my head.  definitely seems prudent to take a break for sure.

[ducatiz]

I'm gonna spend a good hour or two combing the concrete tomorrow where I was working on the bike, maybe I'll get lucky and come up with the missing collet....

keep the ideas and advice coming!  I really do appreciate it! 

sweep the area with one of those magnet brooms. .they have them on hotel vacs.  good luck.

[Hedgehog]

I'm beginning to wonder if maybe the collet either didn't fall into the hole, or maybe it's stuck behind the cam somewhere, is that possible? 

You'll probably find it where I find everything I drop - in between the cylinders atop the crankcase where you can just barely see it.   

[TAftonomos]

My take:

Try and find/extract it as you are doing.  If you find it, great!  Obviously if you don't find it...

Cylinders need to come off.  Hopefully you could find it then, but with the jugs off you could at least install some high comp pistosn...and if those arn't in the budget, at least set the squish and time the cams.
Shops usually charge 6-8 hours to do that, and if they are setting the squish they can certainly fish around in the motor for the collet that way.

[hiero]

so just an update. 

I FINALLY got around to buttoning the 748 back up yesterday (still need to get a new battery, stole the one from the monster for the time being), and I ran her for a good 100 miles or so yesterday, no collet mixed up in the engine as far as I could tell... guess I keep running and if I don't find it on the oil drain plug magnet at the next oil change, it's probably hanging around somewhere on the concrete! ...