I was fixing a leaky gasket on the head of my 99 fatboy S&S jugs and heads. I made a tool out of an allen wrench and socket to get at the bolts easier. Well long story short the piece of allen wrench fell out of the socket and down the oil drain hole for the head right next to the valve. Any suggestions on how to get it out?

 

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a pack of variable size Rare Earth Magnets and see if you can coax it back out if it hasn't managed to drop in too far. Saying a few Hail Mary's before you begin won't hurt as your other option is taking the head off so it's easier to get at. When your done, just put the magnet(s) on the oil filter to help trap metallic particles in the oil!

 

Magnetic retriever

https://www.google.com/search?q=magn...w=1467&bih=660

 

Find the strongest magnet you can and stick it to a piece of flexible steel wire. I call it fishing in the dark.

 

Tried a magnet and I had no luck retrieving the allen. I guess I have no choice but to remove the head at this point. If the allen has made it all the way down in to the motor I will probably have to pull the jug to get to it? Any other suggestions? Will I be able to pull the jug with the motor in the bike?

 

There's a small chance 25% that it may have gotten past the valve and an even smaller chance 0% that it will get past the rings. Just the head should suffice if it comes to that. Just for future reference it's advisable to have the proper tools to do the proper job next time but you know that by now!

 

When it fell down the drain hole, there are two hollow dowel pins it has to go thru. At the bottom one, it makes a 90 degree turn and exits into the cam galley. I doubt it can get thru there and is probably at the bottom of the cylinder dowel.

If it has made the turn, you may be able to get to it by removing cylinder and then the dowel. If it has made the turn, that opening is behind the cam support plate.



If it went down G19, it got to I21. Turns at K23 and comes out B23. Note that these may not be exactly correct but are the general direction. Did not try to make sure they I have them in order on each side.

It may be possible to blow it thru and it will drop into the cam galley where you can retrieve it. Actually, if it fell to the bottom in there, it would not hurt anything. However, in the passage way may just flood the head with oil which would make the poor vent system even worst.

It cannot get into the crank case. If it was mine and I could not get to it with a magnet (be sure the magnet end is on that extension good..I have a cheap one that fell off) I would try to blow it thru and see if it falls down into cam galley. If, not, I would see just how much oil will drain thru into galley. If it poured oil, I would run it if the bike is a hobby.

 

double post

 

I've got about a 1200 mile ride coming up so don't want to take the chance of it showing up later. if it makes that 90 degree turn at the end I'm sure that's where it's at. I'll pull the head and cylinder get new gaskets and a ring compressor find the little bugger and put it back together. The magnet is I bought the smallest one I could find after visiting 6 different stores but I don't think it's small enough to make it past the dowels. Thanks for the help guys.

 

1200 mile ride is no hobby. Take some pictures where you find it.