Dropping stuff

[Danglerb]

I am amazed at where stuff can end up when dropped. I bought my wife a couple new TINY memory chips for her phone, 32 GB micro SDHC, half the size of a small postage stamp, and as I was putting the old one into a tiny plastic case with no obvious way to latch it in, she turns up the AC and the air catches the chip and it falls down between the seats. Hour or so later and its still missing. Next step pull the seat, and I tried both a vacuum and a blow off gun.

Its the smallest thing in this image.

 

[Dustball]

 

[JDS968]

This pretty much describes my life, although replace the floor with an engine bay, partially disassembled car interior, etc, most of the time. I swear cars eat dropped fasteners.

 

[johno]

Too true.

 

[Outlawmws]

This pretty much describes my life, although replace the floor with an engine bay, partially disassembled car interior, etc, most of the time. I swear cars eat dropped fasteners.

If the car doesn't the tires will...

 

[TwoInch]

If the car doesn't the tires will...

but tires choke.

 

[fastbroshi]

Sock monster got it.

 

[nyrapscalion]

Usually this happens to coins or errant french fries in the car. Periodically I go in, disassemble & clean. Found a whole cigarette in the Mazda, of course it was nasty & coffee stained.
I guess I drop sockets in the engine bay as well. Usually the 10mm that falls off the end of the extension.

 

[JDS968]

Usually this happens to coins or errant french fries in the car. Periodically I go in, disassemble & clean. Found a whole cigarette in the Mazda, of course it was nasty & coffee stained.
I guess I drop sockets in the engine bay as well. Usually the 10mm that falls off the end of the extension.

I've found some pretty surprising stuff underneath seats, carpets, etc. More unpleasant than cool, though. Sockets are a pain, but I haven't lost any for good...yet. There was this one time, I can't remember whether it was a socket or a fastener, but I dropped something into an engine bay and eventually gave up and made do without it. Concluded that it was somewhere safe that wasn't going to get caught in any moving parts (it was certainly safe from me), and let the car go. Well sure enough, next time the Mar comes back for an oil change or something, I put it up on the lift and whatever it was that I couldn't find just fell right out the bottom and I picked it up. I wish I could remember what it was, now, but that was worth a laugh at the time.

Maybe some time I'll tell ya about that piece of intake piping you have to remove in the process of replacing the high pressure fuel pump on BMW N54 engines, and that bolt that holds it in place...

 

[Rural53]

I guess I drop sockets in the engine bay as well. Usually the 10mm that falls off the end of the extension.

Anytime I drop something in the engine bay I have that split second when I stop and listen and pray I hear it hit the concrete. When I don't hear it hit the floor it is

 

[tribbles]

If they don't hit the ground, dropped sockets and fasteners will always lodge themselves just far enough so you can touch them with a fingertip, but not be able to grab them. If they do manage to make it to the ground, sockets will always roll to the exact centerline of the car.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Replace the screw in that picture with springs and pins from a lock, and you have my basement workshop lol

 

[Outlawmws]

Replace the screw in that picture with springs and pins from a lock, and you have my basement workshop lol

One word hint for that solution Jeff: Baggies!

 

[Thegratenate]

If it's on the floor fire up a high powered flashlight, minimum 100 lumens, and hold it close and parallel to the ground, the shadows that it casts will help you find most anything on the ground. I normally carry a surefire with about 100 lumens max output, and it's surprising how often I use it in the middle of the day to look for stuff, shadows and crevices are powerless when I'm searching for a screw or dohickey.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

If it's on the floor fire up a high powered flashlight, minimum 100 lumens, and hold it close and parallel to the ground, the shadows that it casts will help you find most anything on the ground. I normally carry a surefire with about 100 lumens max output, and it's surprising how often I use it in the middle of the day to look for stuff, shadows and crevices are powerless when I'm searching for a screw or dohickey.

Usually all the **** that needs to get swept up But it's also the way I found a ball bearing from a ratchet. Just kept picking up shadows until I found the right one.

 

[osborn.ozzy]

A huy at my work dropped his 1/4 SO ratchet in the frame of the car at about 2pm, we closed at 5pm and he was still at it. Found out he was there till 6pm and it some how fell in lower rad support and he had to use an air hammer to get the damn thing out.

 

[Flatintoone]

See also: Model car parts. The flashlight-on-the-ground is the best method I've found for finding carpet monster victims.

 

[Danglerb]

I have a LARGE selection of magnets on the ends of things, so anything magnetic isn't that difficult, its the non magnetic stuff.

Flashlight parallel to the ground.

Work inside a plastic bag.

Work in a big tray with sides.

After dropping something and not finding it, I'll drop a couple more watching where they go for hints. Sometimes it works.

I bought a grabber at Home Depot, General brand, one of the push the end of the 3 ft spring looking thing and 3 fingers poke out the other end to grab stuff, but this one has a LED in the end that lights up when its open. Works OK, LED flickers a bit.

 

[jetmech09]

If I lose a tool at my job I have to fill out a form, and if I still can't find it by the release date of the aircraft, guess what? Everyone with free time will be tearing it apart and looking for it.

 

[NiceToy]

A few years ago my wife dropped her diamond ring in a rental car.. we spent hours tearing that thing apart, but never found it. I'm sure the cleaning crew got a bonus that day.

 

[nehog]

Dropped a steel sealing o-ring (from a diesel engine) on my gravel drive. The next day I decided to find it and I figured I knew about where it fell. Taped a strong magnet to a stick and started waving it around that area. Kept at it for about 10 minutes, then said screw it. Walking into the shop I turned over the magnet and there it was--I'd picked it up on my last pass with the stick.

I think I've only lost a couple of tools in vehicles, and have recovered about as many.

 

[geologist]

Had a spring jump out of a ratchet I was rebuilding. I watched it hit the carpet and bounce. It was not in the direction it bounced, I found it in the opposite direction after about 2 hours of searching.

 

[Brian_B_]

I had a bad rattle in the front of a car I bought when I was 16. Drove me nuts. I hunted for months and never could find it. It only would rattle at higher speeds (I won't say how high).

One day I took the grill out for some reason...well what do you know. I just found my rattle.

It was a snap on pry bar wedged under the grill (sort of against the frame).

I do not know what snap on calls them. Its tapered round on one end like a drift pin..and has a pry bar foot on the other.

That is one of two snap on tools I still have in my box. LOL

As far as me dropping stuff? Its constant. I have several magnets in the garage. Always dropping things.

 

[Gregster]

I replace 1 10mm 3/8 a year... they just vanaish

 

[frostys]

Many years ago, my 7/16 socket fell into a hollow frame member of my TR-3. Never saw it again. I know it was the 7/16 'cause the one I replaced it with looks different than all my other ones.

 

[Mike662]

I do not know what snap on calls them. Its tapered round on one end like a drift pin..and has a pry bar foot on the other.

A "rolling head" prybar? : http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=630621&group_ID=675258&store=&dir=catalog

I too have tried the trick of dropping another screw/nut/whatever for a "hint" of where something might have bounced. I'm almost certain it worked at least once.

IMHO, the flashlight parallel to the ground trick is usually the best way to find something....if it made it to the ground.

 

[Brian_B_]

A "rolling head" prybar? : http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=630621&group_ID=675258&store=&dir=catalog

.....................

That would be it sir! I had no clue of the name.

The only other snap on tool I own is an old punch\chisel holder. I'm 45...and I think it was bought when I was 3...

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675272&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[Brownsfan]

There is an abyss in between my front seat and my center console. If something gets dropped down there no matter the size it is gone forever.

 

[4x4gearhead]

73-88 chevy truck radiator supports eat tools. If you are flat rate you might as well leave it in there and save yourself the hr to remove radiator.

 

[franzdom]

That would be it sir! I had no clue of the name.

The only other snap on tool I own is an old punch\chisel holder. I'm 45...and I think it was bought when I was 3...

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=675272&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Are these called ladyfoot?

 

[lowbucktruck]

73-88 chevy truck radiator supports eat tools. If you are flat rate you might as well leave it in there and save yourself the hr to remove radiator.

Too true! Lost more than a few tools or fasteners in the abyss of a 1973 Chevy truck radiator support. Finally learned to NOT put anything near that part of the truck.

 

[Atlascycle]

where i work if something is dropped about 98% of the time it will find the bucket of oil or coolant that is within a 10 foot radius of where you dropped it.

jason

 

[aka Larry]

Usually this happens to coins or errant french fries in the car. Periodically I go in, disassemble & clean. Found a whole cigarette in the Mazda, of course it was nasty & coffee stained.
I guess I drop sockets in the engine bay as well. Usually the 10mm that falls off the end of the extension.

I never eat or drink in my car, and neither does anyone else. This was a rule of my Dad's that I was taught and it stuck with me all these years.

As far as dropping/loosing tools, lately I have figured out why some manufactuers now have bright orange or green-handled tools. I have some old black-handled screwdrivers and cannot find them 10 seconds after sitting them down in an engine bay!

 

[4x4gearhead]

I never eat or drink in my car, and neither does anyone else. This was a rule of my Dad's that I was taught and it stuck with me all these years.

As far as dropping/loosing tools, lately I have figured out why some manufactuers now have bright orange or green-handled tools. I have some old black-handled screwdrivers and cannot find them 10 seconds after sitting them down in an engine bay!

This is exactly why I buy orange screwdrivers and prybars.

 

[kidatari]

I once heard someone refer to small springs as being 'concrete soluble'. Once they hit the garage floor they are gone forever.

Just like Gregster, I end up replacing a few 10mm 3/8 drive sockets a year, lol.

 

[Milton Shaw]

1omm sockets gone all the time. Think of all the spark plugs you have seen on the road, they were dropped while changing them. Some were new, some were old, I bet the car that had new plug dropped got one of the old ones gapped an put back in. Ha Ha. I have 20 or so years ago I have seen cars with 7 plugs of one brand and one of the original still there so I know that's what happened.

 

[mayday0017]

Maybe some time I'll tell ya about that piece of intake piping you have to remove in the process of replacing the high pressure fuel pump on BMW N54 engines, and that bolt that holds it in place...

You can tell me, I"m interested in knowing more about this fuel pump, my 535i has had 4 of these fuel pumps in 36,000 miles... Be nice to know what all the dealership is touching when they change one so I know what to look for, dealerships in Houston must hire anyone because I have complained each time warranty work has been done about something else they damaged. They have replaced over $2,500 worth of parts they damaged while fixing something else under warranty.

 

[WVBrady]

...I too have tried the trick of dropping another screw/nut/whatever for a "hint" of where something might have bounced. I'm almost certain it worked at least once...

I did that once and lost the second one too! After that, I used a similar one that was a spare.

 

[BFBOB]

ARRRRGGHH!!!
Once many years ago I was yanking parts in a junkyard, sitting crosslegged on the ground, and dropped my 7/16 socket from my Penncraft set, the first good mechanic's tools I ever owned. It fell straight down into the triangle formed by my legs. I spent half an hour searching, could not find it. Leaves and grass, but really! I had it located in ONE SQUARE FOOT and never found it.
This was after JCPenney got out of the tool business, so I replaced it with a Craftsman. Bugged me no end until years later, found a Penncraft to replace it. My Penncraft collection is growing, but fear not, I'm a USER/collector.

Hey, NiceToy- speaking of rental cars, I found a camera in one. A pretty nice Nikon 35mm point-and-shoot. (this was waaaaaay before digital). My left shoulder and right shoulder angels shouted at each other until I decided to split the baby. When I returned the car, I had the camera in my pocket. If the clerk said anything about a missing camera, I would turn it over. If not, I would not mention it, since of course any low-paid clerk would surely grab it and pocket it. (such is my faith in humanity). He said nothing. My next step was to develop the film. It had only a few pictures, and they were of an incredibly generic suburban house with absolutely no clues as to location.
Oh, well.
I kept the camera, used it a bit, and finally sold it on eBay for, I think, $2, after the digital revolution had become obvious even to me. Well, it was a Nikon. Maybe it was still worth $2.

 

[dr.gizmo]

I once dropped a socket in the shop at work, after an hour of searching I gave up. 2 Years later I found it in the trunk of my car. The car was not even built yet when I dropped the socket, and I was now employed at a different shop! I am a big believer in Murphy's Law, here are the laws as they apply to dropped Items.

1} Objects fall at right angles from where they are dropped.

2} Size and or mass have no bearing as to how far away an object lands.

3} The more critical the object is the farther away the said object lands.

4} If the object is essential or irreplaceable it vanishes before it hits the floor.