B*****ks

[newsh]

Just spent over 2 hrs with halogen, torches, magnets and coathanger wire trying to find a 6mm socket from my favourite 1/4" drive set which I dropped in the engine bay of the coupe. Gone without trace. I've even had the PS pump and the cam belt cover off. Can't find it
I've got no rad shrouds on the car and no undertray, I heard it go and it didn't come out the bottom..

[Sleeper_Avant]

it`ll be lying behind the wheels lol

i run a garage so i know how this is all the time

[newsh]

I'm pretty sure I heard it stop half way down somewhere, I'll have another look in daylight though.

[Tony Stark]

Yep, someone will stroll in, find it straight away and then look at you as if you've got two heads when you get mad lol.

Get the air line out and see if you can dislodge it from wherever its stuck maybe?

[newsh]

Mm, airline sounds like an idea.. It went down between the cam cover and the IM, near the front.

[Ross]

Now I don't feel so bad.... the other night I swear I spent more time hunting round with a torch than actually doing anything productive

You'll hear it drop out and bounce down the road when you next time it out for a thrash... but a small LED torch and get in those nooks and crannies down the side of the block when you've had a nights sleep is probably the answer. Not usually a bad place to lose bolts though, the IM 'catches' them.

Look at it this way... at least you didn't *still* have a tiny leak from the turbo oil feed when you gave up at midnight

[sam80quattro]

sitting on the bottom arms(if there non-cast 1s), subframe or chassis legs... found loads of nuts, washers, sockets etc on there lol

[denniselbows]

I dropped a 10mm deep socket in the engine bay once as well .looked for ages and never found it thought it would drop out when going up the road and it would be lost for ever . Anyway about 2years later when doing the wish bone bushs I just happened to spot it stuck in between the chassis and engine mount. I was quite surprised to find that again

[newsh]

I had just put the replacement rad in, I think I might take it out again

[Greg_S]

Thats happened to me before and a couple of times it has ended up on top of the oil cooler duct, in the front bumper lip or stuck down the side of an engine mount.

HTH

[europeanme]

i found a socket 3 weeks after loosing into the abyss that is an s2 engine bay...good luck...

[Rusty]

There are lots of little spaces that it can fall into. The subframe is a favourite and there are others too

[mcandmar]

The drivers side engine mount is a favorite for collecting tools and nuts and bolts, almost impossible to see it so i just wave my magnetic tool about till it grabs something. On the other side of engine there is lots of little spaces, on top of the thermostat housing on the block is another favorite hiding spot for runaway nuts.

[chezz]

Borrow a powerfull vacuum like a Henry and probe around with the nozzle...check the bag when you have had enough of probing orifices.

[pixsaudisex2]

an lets not forget the i spent ten minutes looking for a nut in me tread of my shoe.

The drive shaft covers are a good place to loose nuts and the like.
I doubt its were yours is though if you dropped it from in the front.