How to find the washer

[kirby1923]

Several years ago a friend of mine that wrenches at a small local airport near Memphis TN while working on a 180 Cessna discovered after the aircraft departed that he was missing a 24" screw driver he had been using.

Two days later a FAA guy from the local GADO walked into his shop with the screwdriver in hand looking for its owner...no body clamed it.

The screwdriver was found stuck in the ground in a guys backyard about a mile off the end of the airport. The fellow that found it took it to the FAA GADO!

A week later  my friend  walked into the GADO and said "give me my screwdriver".

:-)

[gearman]

I wouldn't spend much time looking for a washer that fell on the outside of a motorcycle. It'll either lay somewhere harmlessly or bounce out and fall on the road.
However..
I spent over a week looking for a 9/16" combination wrench that I couldn't find at the end of the day when working on an airplane. 

Did you ever find it?

[Lannis]

Several years ago a friend of mine that wrenches at a small local airport near Memphis TN while working on a 180 Cessna discovered after the aircraft departed that he was missing a 24" screw driver he had been using.

Two days later a FAA guy from the local GADO walked into his shop with the screwdriver in hand looking for its owner...no body clamed it.

The screwdriver was found stuck in the ground in a guys backyard about a mile off the end of the airport. The fellow that found it took it to the FAA GADO!

A week later  my friend  walked into the GADO and said "give me my screwdriver".

:-)

So ... did they give it to him?   Give him a memento to remember them by?   

Lannis

[Zoom Zoom]

I wouldn't spend much time looking for a washer that fell on the outside of a motorcycle. It'll either lay somewhere harmlessly or bounce out and fall on the road.
However..
I spent over a week looking for a 9/16" combination wrench that I couldn't find at the end of the day when working on an airplane. 

Did you finally find it?

ZZ

[Lannis]

Did you finally find it?

ZZ

Stuck in the ground about a mile off the end of runway, I'll bet .... 

[kirby1923]

Stuck in the ground about a mile off the end of runway, I'll bet .... 

Indeed, left it laying somewhere in the engine bay. He couldn't live without it.

No repercussions but a big laugh for others in the shop as he was always harping on accounting for your tools before signing off a job!!

[oldbike54]

 Two of us bought a '64 SS Impala , 327 4 speed car . It belonged to another AF troop , he was overseas , his wife had taken it to a mechanic because it was making a horrible knocking sound . The mechanic told her the engine was shot , her dad had already purchased a newer car for them , so the SS was sold , cheap . We took it to the hobby shop and pulled the radiator and core support out to begin the engine removal process . There was a 9/16ths combination Craftsman wrench causing all of the noise 

 Dusty

[gearman]

Two of us bought a '64 SS Impala , 327 4 speed car . It belonged to another AF troop , he was overseas , his wife had taken it to a mechanic because it was making a horrible knocking sound . The mechanic told her the engine was shot , her dad had already purchased a newer car for them , so the SS was sold , cheap . We took it to the hobby shop and pulled the radiator and core support out to begin the engine removal process . There was a 9/16ths combination Craftsman wrench causing all of the noise 

 Dusty

I had a 79 f150 years ago and had repair shop do some work under it.A long time later I was under the truck and find a large pry bar in the c channel frame.It never bounced out. I still have it and use it.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Did you finally find it?

ZZ

Oh, yeah. The airplane wasn't going anywhere until I did. I even offered a $100 reward.  You have to realize that It could have been anywhere in the shop.  Dorcia's a really good finder. Nada. The KId, Brad, is an A&P with an inspection authorization, and he tackled it with a grin. He couldn't find it in the airplane. 
Finally, one day, I started to remove the co pilot's seat, and it wouldn't move very far. Got out my flashlight and mirror.. and there it was.. laying in the seat track. It *had* to somehow hit the floor and bounce up 6 inches or so to get into that track. It was almost impossible to see, even with the inspection mirror. I filed the whole experience in the "some things are not meant to be understood" file.

[voncrump]

The last filter change on my 1100 sport I drained the oil in the usual dramatic fashion.
The big banjo/ drain bolt came loose and oil splashed around.
After the bulk of the oil had drained I tried to remove the aluminium washer on the banjo.
It had deformed a bit and was stuck in the thread.
So I thought I would sort that out later and continued with the clean out hose clip on the filter routine.
Buttoned up the sump and then went to put the big banjo bolt back in.
The aluminium washer was missing.
I looked around the assorted mayhem and couldn’t find it.
I fitted new washers to the massive banjo and filled it with oil.
If the washer has dislodged during the spacer plate gasket shuffle then it could have dropped into the sump.
I considered the possibility of disaster and forgot about it.
It’s too big to get through to the timing chest and it’s unlikely to jump up from the bottom of the pan and snag on something.
So maybe next filter change I will find it settled into the never never Land of the Botton of a Guzzi sump.
Cheers, voncrump

[Sasquatch Jim]

 I wouldn't worry about the washer.  It is probably in the sock and so won't make any noise.

[80CX100]

A few years ago when I was shopping for a used Toyota Rav4, I looked at one for sale listed on Kijiji by a very nice guy.

As I examined the Rav4, the owner told me about a recent $1800 major service just done by a local shop, including among many things, a new air filter.

I examined the intake area for leaks, they were known to be problematic, the fastenings securing the air filter intake assembly were completely loose, some nuts/bolts were missing; I fastened the ones I could find by hand, but while I was rooting around under the intake looking for other missing nuts, I found a huge 2? pound ball peen hammer jammed in underneath the whole assembly.

I recommended to the owner that he trade the hammer back to the repair shop to have the work completed properly, not sure how it worked out

I didn't buy the Rav, but my heart went out to the seller.

Kelly

[John A]

Did you find a Rav?  We bought one for my wife, an ‘05 with a standard transmission.  It would have sold before we even looked at it had it been an automatic. It was a beauty with 70K miles. Great car, no problems in the eleven years we’ve had it.
In the Air Force I ran a team that did “C” checks and acceptance inspections on new KC 10’s.  On brand new ones I learned to be the first one down in the bowels, that’s where I found tools left. I found a magnet on a stick that was stamped NASA.  Wonder where that came from...

[80CX100]

Did you find a Rav?  We bought one for my wife, an ‘05 with a standard transmission.  It would have sold before we even looked at it had it been an automatic. It was a beauty with 70K miles. Great car, no problems in the eleven years we’ve had it.

Yes I ended up finding a good deal on a 2010 Rav4 110k kms with the 2.5 4 cyl engine w auto tranny.

It's been a very solid vehicle, although the winter salt is starting to take it's toll.

I had to replace the spare set of winter wheels (Toyota steel), one of them had rusted out enough to leak.

I shouldn't say it too loud, but it's been trouble free.

Kelly

[Bulldog9]

Similar thing happened to me, found it 2 months later in the middle of my driveway.... One time it rolled under the tire and diddnt find untill I moved the bike.

I never ask swmbo for assistance, it just gives her more reason to point out my male pattern blindness... 😜

[roadventure]

Do you NEED the washer?  If not, it'll work it's way out eventually while riding.  (AKA: giant paint shaker...)

[Gliderjohn]

Read a book on the women's air auxiliary in WWII. One gal was flying a new P-51 to a staging area. The left wing kept wanting to drop even at full trim but would stay level with the stick to the right some so she kept flying it to the staging base and reported the problem there. After not finding anything external they started looking in the wing and found a 40 pound mechanic's tool box. Not good for several possible reasons to have something lost in a plane.
GliderJohn

[normzone]

I'll tell you how to determine where that washer went - get several more exactly like that one, and simulate what you were doing when the first one went missing. During your simulation let the new washers fall from the location of the first, now missing washer.

Then locate and pick up the new washers. One or more will also be missing.

Locate that one and you'll find the original one with it.

Or you'll find the original one, but not the new one/s.

Don't ask me how I know this.

[pete mcgee]

Norm,
That is hilarious.
Wanna bet the other missing one is with my sock...

[Muzz]

To find a small washer...

Remove sparkplug.  Wait with a fine mesh butterfly net.  DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!!!  As soon as you do the washer will leap from it's hiding place and go straight down the plug hole.  You MUST be alert enough to scoop it up with your net before it makes it down the 'ole.  Replace plug quickly before it's mate (who you didn't know existed) tries the same trick.

Trust me, I are a doctor....

[GonzoB]

Trust me, I are a doctor....

If you really were a doctor you'd poke the net in via the exhaust pipe....

When I originally posted, I never expected this much help finding the washer.

Gonzo

[oldbike54]

 ^^^You really are new here 

 Dusty

[Tom H]

^^^You really are new here 

 Dusty

LMAO

Tom

[SIR REAL ED]

^^^You really are new here 

 Dusty

As we say in my home town of SimpleMindedStan, "If you can't live with the answer, don't ask the question!"

[SIR REAL ED]

I'll tell you how to determine where that washer went - get several more exactly like that one, and simulate what you were doing when the first one went missing. During your simulation let the new washers fall from the location of the first, now missing washer.

Then locate and pick up the new washers. One or more will also be missing.

Locate that one and you'll find the original one with it.

Or you'll find the original one, but not the new one/s.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I like this idea, but first, remove your spark plugs and oil filler cap so they have an obvious place to go.  Like a scared wolf pup retreating to the safety of the den, the flock of washers will all end up in one place or the other.  They tend to herd like that.

[Zoom Zoom]

I have in fact employed Norm's suggestion on occasion over the years and been able to at least "get in the neighborhood" to locate the missing piece. More often than not, I have located it.

Of course now a days, one can purchase a camera cheap to plug into your cell fone an take a look in the nooks and crannies that elude your vision.

Gonzo, you KNOW this will bug you until you locate it.  

John Henry

[Zoom Zoom]

I had another thought last night. Are you working on a cement floor that has expansion cracks cut into it? Your missing washer may have found its way into a crack in the floor.

BTW, I agree with everyone else that it's no huge deal as long as you're certain it didn't get into anyplace that could cause harm. Maybe someday it will turn up.

John Henry

[Chuck in Indiana]

Washers are round. Anything round that hits the floor rolls into a parallel dimension, never to be seen again. Some day, when we find a way into the multiverse, we'll find all those washers, pins, ball bearings, etc.

[Lannis]

Washers are round. Anything round that hits the floor rolls into a parallel dimension, never to be seen again. Some day, when we find a way into the multiverse, we'll find all those washers, pins, ball bearings, etc.

Once you get to that parallel dimension, you've STILL got a job on your hands finding the washers, pins, ball bearings, headlight retaining clips, and screws ... under the massive pile of odd socks ....

Lannis