Hitchcocks Forum

Today I fitted a new piston. I made a catastrophic mistake: the circlip jumped out of the pincers, and fell in the engine. Can that circlip do serious damage there ? Do I have to get the engine out to retrieve it ? I have a reserve circlip, but it worries me to have a circlip in the engine.

Damn, damn, damn, what a mistake !!!

Magnet on a stick?



It can happen to the best of us:







Photo courtesy of Bullet Whisperer!



A.

Yes it can cause serious damage if left there it will jump about and jam somewhere. The best way of fishing it out is to get one of those magnetic rods looks like a radio aerial with a magnet on the end. they can be bought in most good tool shops for a few pounds.

Nico, next time pack the crankcase mouth with clean rags when fitting the circlips and indeed, at any time after the bottom end has been assembled but before the barrels are fitted. The ability of small objects to fly impossible distances and find the tiny opening into a crankcase is beyond even NASA's skills!

REgards Mark

Adrian, just to clarify, my tipping that bike upside down was to get broken bits of piston and piston rings out after the piston decapitated itself, although if a car aerial magnet won't do the trick, tipping the bike up like this probably will. among other things like removing the fuel tank, draining oil etc, don't forget to remove the battery, if one is fitted ! Regards, Paul.

Sorry Paul, forgot the context, but your photo is still a good picture of the last resort before the engine strip! A.

I haven't tried this but would a Hoover work? You might need to tape a smaller tube on to the main hose but the suction can lift quite large objects. I have one of those industrial Henry type things which saves trouble using the "indoors" one!

REgards, Mark

Thanks for all the reactions. Mark, that is a lesson I will never forget
I will try tomorrow with a magnet on a stick. If that doesn't work, I will have to take the engine out, have it upside down, and stir it several times, though stirring the engine is not like having a bucket upside down If that doesn't work, I will have to dismount it completely. A LOT of work, but certainly interesting.

Been there done that used a bit of copper wire with a small button magnet on end, get your crank about half way bid end to front of crankcase then fish down the rear, should only take a couple of minutes with soft wire you can bend round the btm of the flywheels. Best of luck.

NicoV tipping the bike upside down is not as crazy as it looks, I once did it with a friend helping. We were syringing waxoyl up the front down tube to prevent the frame rusting from the inside. It's easier than taking the engine out